What to Watch: This Weekend
October 31, 2008 by Eleanor
Friday, October 31
8:00 pm Degrassi: The Next Generation, The N (30 min) NEW - Though gay faves Marco, Dylan, Alex and Paige have graduated, it doesn’t mean there aren’t new gay high school students to love! Check out this teen hit and meet the new characters. 8:30 pm South of Nowhere, The N (30 min) NEW - Will Jonica come between Spencer and Ashley? [read more]
10:00 pm Lipstick Jungle, NBC (1 hr) NEW - Victory’s assistant Roy is gay. Today the series moves to Friday nights.
Saturday, November 1
9:00 pm Color Splash, HGTV (30 min) NEW - Out interior designer David Bromstad reworks living spaces.
10:00 pm The Graham Norton Show, BBC America (1 hr) NEW - Out Irish comedian Graham Norton presents the fourth season of his comedy chat show.
Sunday, November 2
9:00 pm Desperate Housewives, ABC (1 hr) NEW - Andrew, Bree’s gay son, now works as her business assistant. Out actress Lily Tomlin guest stars as Roberta.
9:00 pm True Blood, HBO (1 hr) NEW - The new series by Alan Ball includes pansexual vampires and gay chef Lafayette, who dabbles in both drug dealing and a private escort service for closeted politicians. [read more]
9:30 pm American Dad!, Fox (30 min) NEW - Omnisexual alien Roger is a series regular, and gay couple Terry and Greg are recurring characters.
10:00 pm Brothers & Sisters, ABC (1 hr) NEW - Kevin just accepted his conservative brother-in-law’s offer of a job.
10:00 pm Entourage, HBO (30 min) NEW - Rex Lee plays Lloyd, Ari’s assistant. [read more]
10:00 pm Skins, BBC America (1 hr) NEW - In this teen drama, Maxxie is the cute blondie that can get any boy he wants. [read more]
10:30 pm Little Britain USA, HBO (30 min) NEW - Check out this politically-incorrect sketch comedy show.
No on 8: “Reject Discrimination” Ad
October 31, 2008 by Sarah
The Vote NO on Prop 8 campaign released an ad yesterday narrated by actor Samuel L. Jackson that reflects on times in Calif.’s past when discrimination was legal: “We have an obligation to pass along to our children a more tolerant, more decent society. Vote ‘no’ on Prop. 8. It’s unfair, and it’s wrong.”
Election Coverage Recap: General Kerr and Election Coverage of LGBT Issues
October 30, 2008 by Cindi Creager, GLAAD's Director of National News
The below post is written by Joanna Greenberg, GLAAD’s National News Associate, and Sarah Mitchell, National News Fellow.
Last November, CNN and Youtube joined forces to host a debate for the Republican presidential candidates, as they did for the Democratic candidates in June. All of the questions for the debate were submitted via Youtube with selected video questions asked of the candidates during the live broadcast.
One of the questions aired at the debate was submitted by retired Brigadier General Keith H. Kerr and concerned the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy.” Brig. Gen. Kerr asked:
My name is Keith Kerr, of Santa Rosa, California. I’m a retired brigadier general with 43 years of service. And I’m a graduate of the Special Forces Officer Course, the Command and General Staff Course, and the Army War College, and I’m an openly gay man. I want to know why you think that American men and women in uniform are not professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians.
Kerr was in the audience for the debate and when prompted by moderator Anderson Cooper, offered a follow-up comment to the candidates:
American men and women in the military are professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians. For 42 years, I wore the Army uniform on active duty, in the Reserve, and also for the state of California. I revealed I was a gay man after I retired. Today, “don’t ask, don’t tell” is destructive to our military policy. Every day, the Department of Defense discharges two people, not for misconduct, not for the unit cohesion — not for the unit cohesion that Congressman Hunter is talking about, but simply because they happen to be gay.
According to Tapped, the blog of The American Prospect, Gen. Kerr received boos from the audience as his continued his statement.
General Kerr’s appearance and question immediately caused a great deal of controversy outside the debate hall after it was discovered that Kerr was a member of the LGBT Americans for Sen. Hillary Clinton steering committee and a co-chairman of Sen. Clinton’s Veterans and Military Retirees for Hillary committee.
Below is a video to accompany this entire post
Upon learning about his ties to these committees, CNN made an on-air apology. In an interview with John Roberts on CNN’s American Morning the next day, Kerr wasquestioned about his connections to the Clinton campaign:
ROBERTS: So there’s the question, and retired Army Brigadier General Keith Kerr joins me now this morning. We discovered after the debate last night that you are, in fact, a member of Hillary Clinton’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered steering committee. We did not — we did a background check, and we found that you have not made any campaign contributions to any candidate. Does that still stand?
KERR: That’s correct.
ROBERTS: OK. Well, let me ask you about your position on this steering committee. What does that entail, and have you, in fact, done any work for Hillary Clinton’s campaign?
KERR: I have not done any work. Several friends asked me if I would allow my name to be listed, and I agreed because she is such a strong advocate of gay and lesbian rights.
ROBERTS: So this really hasn’t required anything on your part other than lending your name to it?
KERR: Correct.
ROBERTS: Now, did anyone from Hillary Clinton’s campaign or from the steering committee or anyone else associated with a political organization put you up to the idea of asking this question?
KERR: Absolutely not. This was a private initiative on my own.
Despite Kerr’s assurances that he was not in any way directed by the Clinton campaign, some in the media lashed out, ignoring the significance and substance of Kerr’s question and just dismissing him as a “plant.”
On Fox News, Pat Buchanan attacked Kerr and made unnecessary and hurtful comments about Kerr being gay and not, while in active duty, having “courage” enough to come out:
There’s an element of fraud here. When the general did not identify himself as a fierce partisan of Hillary Rodham Clinton and presented himself simply as a military man who had served and was gay. And who obviously did not have the courage, frankly, when he was in the military to come out of the closet and say I’m gay. And to attack the Republicans for lacking the courage to take a position he was unable to take, I think makes him look rather bad.
Far right radio host Michael Savage also attacked Kerr, asserting that he must have been planted by the Clinton campaign. Savage dismissed Kerr as an “old queen”:
I don’t care about this old queen, frankly. He disgusts me to make — my flesh crawls from the old queen. That was a general? Now you wonder why we’re still in Iraq five years later. General — with General Keith Kerr, you know why we’re still in Iraq five years later.
The media, particularly Fox News, ran stories almost entirely on the issue of Kerr’s associations and what they felt was bias at CNN. Fox alone had multiple segments throughout the next few days where they attacked CNN and projected the blame on Sen. Hillary Clinton, overlooking multiple denials from General Kerr.
What about the substance behind the answers given to Gen. Kerr’s question? Well, substance was pretty much lost in the political crossfire.
On November 29th, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough spoke about the Gen. Kerr controversy on Morning Joe and concluded that questions like Kerr’s are only brought up to “vilify the Republican party” and not out of legitimate concern.
When CNN re-aired the debate for its viewers, they decided to remove the entire segment on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” When GLAAD learned of this, we contacted CNN with big concerns about the omission and asked them to include the segment going forward. Their viewers should not be denied the chance to hear the Republican candidates’ views on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” After that conversation with GLAAD, CNN decided to reinstate that segment during subsequent re-airings.
Surprisingly, it was Bill O’Reilly who finally brought up the issue of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in a substantive manner on Fox News. He invited Gen. Kerr onto his program, The O’Reilly Factor. Although O’Reilly distorted many of the facts surrounding the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, he did add substance to a media conversation that had been primarily focused on politics and not policy.
It is important that the current candidates for President, as well as future candidates, face more questions from the media on issues that impact the LGBT community. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the consequences it has for numerous gay and lesbian service members is an especially relevant topic for discussion.
The attacks on Kerr and CNN, especially those made specifically about his orientation, only distracted from the relevance of the question at hand. Viewers had and have a right to hear answers to questions related to LGBT people, regardless of who is asking the question.
USA Today Latest Newspaper to Come Out Against Prop 8
October 30, 2008 by Sarah M @ GLAAD
With elections less than a week away, USA Today, the most widely circulated newspaper in the country, today became the latest newspaper to oppose Proposition 8, a ballot measure that would eliminate marriage for same-sex couples in California. USA Today is distributed in all 50 states and has a circulation average of over 2.25 million every weekday.
In their editorial, the paper concluded: “…the states’ responsibility is to protect their citizens’ rights no matter how their relationships are labeled.”
Their editorial also denounced the “fear-mongering ads” from the Yes on 8 campaign, which falsely claim voting No on 8 would bring harm to religious institutions and negatively affect Californians. The editorial points out that such effects have not materialized in other states, that the “…thousands of same-sex marriages in California and Massachusetts have neither brought the world to an end nor triggered such excess.”
USA Today is just the latest in a long line of newspapers to publish an editorial opposing Prop 8. This trend shows how the media is not buying into the lies, distortions and scare tactics used by the Yes on 8 campaign.
To provide a perspective on previous national and regional newspapers that have come out against Proposition 8, here is a recap of just a handful of the editorials published in recent months:
- The Los Angeles Times (August 8, 2008)- “In other words, the very act of denying gay and lesbian couples the right to marry-traditionally the highest legal and societal recognition of a loving commitment-by definition relegates them and their relationships to second-class status, separate and not all that equal.”
- San Jose Mercury News (August 17, 2008)- “Of all the reasons people give for banning gay marriage – the purpose of Proposition 8 on the November ballot – the most difficult for us to fathom is that a marriage between two people of the same sex somehow diminishes the institution of marriage between a man and a woman.”
- Napa Valley Register (September 17, 2008)- “In our view, Proposition 8 is a misguided and unconstitutional proposal.”
- The Riverside Press-Enterprise (September 27, 2008)- “The decision to marry is those couples’ business, and no one else’s. There is no compelling public policy reason to reverse that arrangement, and voters should say no to Prop. 8.”
- The New York Times (September 29, 2008)- “It is our fervent hope that Californians will reject this mean-spirited attempt to embed second-class treatment of one group of citizens in the State Constitution.”
- San Francisco Chronicle (October 1, 2008)- “The idea of using a ballot measure to single out a certain group of Californians for denial of individual rights – based on their sexual orientation – would represent an ugly distortion of the very purpose of a constitution.”
- Redding Record Searchlight (October 9, 2008)- “Ads promoting Proposition 8 argue that if the measure fails people could be sued for their religious beliefs and churches could lose their tax-exempt status. These are hollow scare tactics.”
- Santa Cruz Sentinel (October 3, 2008)- “In the four months since the Supreme Court decision, we have not seen any evidence that allowing same-sex marriages somehow weakens heterosexual unions.”
- Ventura County Star (October 12, 2008)- “We agree with the state Supreme Court that providing a separate distinction for same-gender couples gives the impression that they are, in some respects, second-class citizens.”
- Los Angeles Times (October 21, 2008)- “The measure would do one thing: use the state Constitution as the device to take away an existing, fundamental right from a particular group of people, so that a loving adult in that group could not marry the person of his or her choice.”
- The Fresno Bee (October 21, 2008)- “The notion that same-sex marriages somehow threaten the sanctity and strength of heterosexual marriages is simply absurd.”
- Sacramento Bee (October 29, 2008)- “Dragging schools into this campaign is an effort to obscure the real issue, which is: Proposition 8 is about changing the state constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California.”
Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom Premieres to Big Numbers
October 30, 2008 by Cindi Creager, GLAAD's Director of National News
This post was written by Terrell Frazier, GLAAD’s Fellow for National News – Communities of African Descent.
Last Friday, Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom premiered in Washington, DC at a private screening proudly sponsored by GLAAD, the National Black Justice Coalitionand DC Black Pride.
Jumping the Broom, a big-screen adaptation of Logo Network’s landmark television series about a group of young gay African-American men in Los Angeles, sold out its Washington, New York, and Atlanta venues, grossing an astounding $32,000 per screen. You can check out the trailer on Logo’s website.
The huge audience response to the film’s weekend release has prompted Logo Features to add screens for the film’s second weekend. “It’s a really phenomenal event,” Logo’s Steven Fisher told indieWIRE. “This is a testament to our strategy to appeal to niche audiences within the gay community with content that speaks to them.”
With Black gay and lesbian relationships often ignored by the mainstream media, honest and heartfelt depictions such as those found in Noah’s Arc take on added importance within popular culture. We are excited to see the audience respond so positively to this film and hope that its success leads to increased representation of the Black LGBT community.
Election Coverage Recap: Ann Coulter and the “F-word”
October 30, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
As we get closer to November 4, we here at glaadBLOG thought it would be appropriate to take a stroll down memory lane - reviewing and analyzing how the media have handled LGBT issues and covered supporters of pro-LGBT policies and how they have reported on the positions of the candidates throughout the campaign. We’ll also recap hot button stories that caused firestorms throughout this election cycle.
One of those hot button stories was the controversy begun by Ann Coulter at the American Conservative Union’s Political Action Conference in March of 2007.
In a speech given to conference attendees, Coulter said:
Oh, and I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards. But it turns out that you have to go into rehab if you use the word “f**got,” so I’m — so I’m kind of at an impasse, can’t really talk about Edwards. So I think I’ll just conclude here and take your questions.
The crowd laughed and applauded her anti-gay slur.
After hearing this statement, there was immediate pushback from progressive and LGBT organizations. GLAAD issued a statement and called on news outlets to stop associating themselves with her bigotry:
“Our nation’s media have done an admirable job this year holding celebrities accountable for their use of anti-gay slurs,” Giuliano said. “But they have a heightened responsibility to do so when the person using the slur is a leading face and voice of an anti-gay industry that continues to harm, exploit and dehumanize gay and lesbian people and our families for political gain.”
“In light of her repeated defamatory attacks over the past year, no credible news organization should be associating itself with Coulter or anyone else who trades in on-air anti-gay slurs,” Giuliano said, noting that Coulter is frequently featured on CNBC and appears on other NBC News platforms. “NBC News in particular has a responsibility to consider whether it wants to continue offering a platform to someone who repeatedly engages in on-air expressions of bigotry.”
The blog Think Progress, part of the Center for American Progress, posted the video with this reminder:
Previously, Coulter has put “even money” on Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) “[c]oming out of the closet,” said Bill Clinton shows “some level of latent homosexuality,” and called Vice President Al Gore a “total f*g.”
National media also reported on the incident. Three days later (March 5, 2007), CNN ran a segment in which they got reaction from Senator John Edwards and members of Congress. CNN.com also reported that advertisers were pulling out of Coulter’s site.
That same day Fox hosted National Review editor Rich Lowry and Young America’s Foundation spokesman Jason Mattera to discuss Coulter’s comments. Bothdefended her saying it was simply, “a joke”.
CNN was supposed to have Coulter on that evening to discuss her comments, but she decided to cancel. Coulter didn’t, however, cancel her interview with Fox News.
Meanwhile, on MSNBC, “Tucker Carlson claimed: “She called me one, too!” Carlson continued: “[U]nlike John Edwards, I’m not pretending I’m a victim or [that] I’ve been slurred, or I didn’t cry, actually, after she called me that,” adding: “I’m not [gay], by the way.” Later in the segment he also said, “And we’re always happy to have her on. She’s great TV.”
On the other hand, Carlson’s MSNBC colleague, Keith Olbermann, gave Coulter the gold in his nightly “Worst Person in the World.”
The next day, March 6th, Coulter appeared on far-right Sean Hannity’s nationally syndicated radio show. Was she sorry about her statement? Not in the least. She continued to contend it was a joke, but then added:
I don’t think there’s anything offensive about any variation of f**gy, f**gotry, f**got, f*g. It’s a schoolyard taunt. It means — it means wussy. It means, you know, Hillary giving a speech in a fake Southern drawl — that’s f**gy. A trial lawyer who weeps before juries is f**gy. Lifetime-type TV, f**gy.
GLAAD issued an action alert to all our members, urging people to contact NBC News, CNBC, MSNBC, CNN and Fox News Channel and asking the networks to publicly state that they will refuse to continue providing a platform for Ann Coulter’s vulgar anti-gay remarks.
As well as the advertisers pulling spots off her website, over the course of the next few weeks, many newspapers decided to drop Coulter’s syndicated column.
Months later, in June, Coulter began to promote her new book Godless and once again defended her statement. This is what she had to say while talking with Chris Coumo on Good Morning America on June 25th :
CUOMO: You say you were — you were joking.
COULTER: Oh yeah, I wouldn’t insult gays by comparing them to John Edwards. That would be mean. But about the same time — you know — Bill Maher was not joking and saying he wished Dick Cheney had been killed in a terrorist attack. So I’ve learned my lesson. If I’m going to say anything about John Edwards in the future, I’ll just wish he had been killed in a terrorist assassination plot.
And then two days later with CNN’s Glenn Beck on Headline News, justifying why it was ok to be homophobic at the conference:
COULTER: And by the way, I wasn’t saying it on TV. I was saying it at a right-wing political convention with 7,000 college Republicans. I didn’t put it on TV.
BECK: OK, well — but that doesn’t necessarily — I don’t want to get into that. Here’s — here’s what it –
COULTER: You don’t think it makes a difference what the venue is? There’s nothing you’d say in front of a group of college Republicans that you wouldn’t say on TV? I doubt that.
Keep in mind, the entire conference was being broadcasted on CSPN.
On the same broadcast, Coulter made fun of Beck and CNN for bleeping the word “f**got” by saying:
COULTER: — I like that you’re bleeping that now. Are you also bleeping “illegal alien” and “amnesty,” other words we’re not supposed to use?
BECK: Well, one is a –
COULTER: “Niggardly?”
BECK: One is a slur. One is a slur. Do you believe — do you believe that word is a slur?
COULTER: No.
It is clear to anyone watching television news programs that Ann Coulter’s appearances have decreased in the later half of the presidential election coverage. The response from the LGBT and allied community to her comments about John Edwards (as well as the response to her October 2007 statement that “we” Christians “just want Jews to be perfected”) have been primarily responsible for that decrease.
While Ann Coulter has the freedom to say what she likes, news outlets also have the freedom to not promote her hurtful and defamatory commentary. As for us, we have a responsibility to hold her and the news outlets that give her a platform accountable.
Top Stories Today – 10.30.2008
October 30, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
National News:
- The New York Times - Same-Sex Marriage on the Ballot in Arizona, a Second Time
- Time Magazine - The Gay Mafia That’s Redefining Politics
- Los Angeles Times - Gay Married Couples Face Legal Limbo if Prop. 8 Passes
- Associated Press - Actors Union Opposes Same-Sex Marriage Ban
- The Wall Street Journal - Why Just One Wedding Isn’t Enough For Some Gay Couples
- USA Today - EDITORIAL: Our View on Same-Sex Marriage: Gay-Wedding Bell Blues
- Los Angeles Times - OP-ED DEBATE: Why Not Just Have Civil Unions for Everyone?
- The Washington Post - OP-ED: These Days, Californians…
Regional News:
- Hartford Courant (CT) - Poll: Voter Alienation Fuels Backing For Constitutional Convention
- The Stamford Advocate (CT) - Ruling: Officials Must Marry Gay Couples
- Associated Press (SC) - Robo-Calls from Phony Gay Organization Hit South Carolina State Senate Race
- Associated Press (CA) - Catholic Bishops Give $200K to Ban Gay Marriage
- The Benton County Daily Record (AR) - Baptists Support Adoption Ban
- New York Post (NY) - Gay Man “Poisons Wife”
- Associated Press (AL) - Transgender Suspect Accused of Theft
- San Diego Union-Tribune (CA) - Pre-Election Prayer Day Set
- Associated Press (NH) - Robinson Led Retreat for Gay Catholic Priests
- San Diego Union-Tribune (CA) - Law Professors Enter Prop. 8 Fray on Church’s Tax-Exempt Status
- Daily Breeze (CA) - Torrance Man Pleads Not Guilty in “Yes on Prop. 8″ Sign Attack
- Associated Press (TX) - Gay-Rights Group Members Arrested at College
International News:
- Brisbane Times (Australia) - Sick Juror Stalls Teacher Sex Trial
From the Blogs:
- Change.org - Arizona’s Forgotten Proposition
- The Bilerico Project - DNC Condemns Indiana Anti-Gay Campaign Mailing
- The Bilerico Project - Labor Support For No on 8 Goes Beyond $$
- Under God (Washington Post) - Mormons Battling Nontraditional Marriage
- God Blog (The Jewish Journal) - Why I Voted No on Prop. 8
- AfterElton.com - Red carpet report from the “Milk” premiere in San Francisco
- Queerty - Robinson Led Secret Gay Priest Retreat
- Towleroad - Joe the Would-Be Plumber Charged in ‘Prop 8′ Anti-Gay Hate Crime
- Good As You - Dobson conferenced into ‘The Call’
- 365Gay.com - Gay-baiting enters S.C. Politics
- Queerty - DNC Offers Near Empty Response On Indiana Party’s Anti-Gay Ways
- Towleroad - ‘No on Prop 8′ and Florida ‘No on 2′ Sites Under Coordinated Attack
- Pam’s House Blend - Hilary Rosen on the Situation Room framing Prop 8
- Joe.My.God - Lesbian Huffington Post Columnist Dead In Florida Murder-Suicide
- BoiFromTroy - Pop 8 Proponents: In Their Own Words
What to Watch: Thursday
October 30, 2008 by Eleanor
8:00 pm Ugly Betty, ABC (1 hr) NEW - David Blue returns as Cliff, Marc’s love interest, and Lindsay Lohan continues her guest role.
8:00 pm Survivor: Gabon, CBS (1 hr) NEW - Competitor Charlie Herschel is a gay attorney from New York.
8:00 pm My Name is Earl, NBC (30 min) NEW - Kenny is a recurring gay character romantically involved with Stuart. Maybe they’ll both make it to the Halloween party Earl is throwing tonight.
9:00 pm The Office, NBC (30 min) NEW - Out accountant Oscar is one of the employees at paper goods company Dunder Mifflin.
9:00 pm Grey’s Anatomy, ABC (1 hr) NEW - Callie and Erica are professional colleagues who are romantically involved.
10:00 pm Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style, Bravo (1 hr) NEW - Project Runway’s Tim Gunn is back with a second season of his own show. Gretta Monahan joins as his new fashion accomplice.
10:30 pm The Sarah Silverman Program, Comedy Central (30 min) NEW - Brian’s love of his facial hair is not shared by his partner Steve.
Milk Inspires Hope
October 29, 2008 by Sarah
The highly-anticipated Milk made its world premiere in San Francisco on Tuesday night, fittingly in the Castro, a neighborhood where gay activist Harvey Milk made history three decades ago.As the creators and stars of the film and local politicians walked the red carpet in front of the Castro Theatre, hundreds of people across the street chanted and waved “Vote No on Prop. 8″ signs. It was a moment that the late San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk would have appreciated.
GLAAD President Neil Giuliano and Director of Entertainment Media Damon Romine were among the guests at the sold-out, one-night-only, world-premiere screening, a benefit for four LGBT youth organizations. Cast members Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch and Diego Luna brought star power to the Castro.
Before the screening began, the Castro Theatre’s resident house organist entertained the audience, followed by opening remarks by Focus Features CEO James Schamus who proudly announced the event raised $200,000, and thanked the 5,000 locals who participated in the film’s crowd scenes, one of which was a re-creation of a chilling candlelight march originally attended by 30,000 in 1978.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom told the audience: “I am proud to live in a city that doesn’t just tolerate diversity, but celebrates diversity.” Regarding Milk, Newsom called him “an extraordinary person who lived an extraordinary but short life. So much has changed but the struggle remains.”
Newsom introduced director Gus Van Sant who jokingly warned the audience, “If it isn’t any good, it could be a long evening.” But the director had nothing to worry about because Milk is that good and moved most, if not all, of the audience to tears.
It has taken 30 years to bring to the screen the story of Milk’s rise to office and his and Mayor George Moscone’s assassination at City Hall by fellow Supervisor Dan White in 1978. Van Sant himself has been talking about making this film for 18 years: “He’s an American hero. He’s a great example of a man representing his community and his city,” he said last night.
What young writer Dustin Lance Black and director Van Sant have remarkably done is tell a story that unabashedly celebrates the man, the era and the greater LGBT movement. This is a film that has the power to inform new generations of the long hard fought battles the LGBT community has faced. This is a film that serves as a rallying cry for LGBT people to not accept second-class status. And, most importantly, this is a film that inspires hope.
In Milk’s first and only year in office, he helped defeat 1978’s discriminatory Prop. 6, a state measure that would have fired all California school employees suspected of being gay and those who supported them. Milk led people out of the closet and encouraged people to tell their personal stories to convince others to vote no on Prop. 6. Watched today, in the wake of the discriminatory Prop. 8 ballot measure, the film clearly displays the eerie parallels and similar anti-gay arguments made in support of the two propositions — yet Black and Van Sant’s movie was filmed months before Prop. 8 was ever put on the ballot.
Following the film’s premiere last night, guests were transported to San Francisco’s City Hall, itself a major character in the movie. A grand celebration of the film and Milk’s life took place, where cast members and LGBT activists old and new mingled against the backdrop of ’70s era disco music. Praise for the movie seemed universal, and as guests discussed the film and shared stories of both Prop. 6 then and Prop. 8 now, one point was oft repeated: If this movie could just come out before the election, it’s possible that Milk’s leadership then may inspire people now to take action. But, sadly, the movie will be released Thanksgiving weekend, weeks after Prop. 8 has been decided.
Activist Cleve Jones, played in the film by Emile Hirsch, said Milk would have been thrilled at the film but angry that the fight over equality continues. “Harvey would be angry,” Jones said about the battle against Prop. 8, “and he’d still be fighting.”
A bust of Milk was unveiled at City Hall in recent weeks. It sits at the top of the rotunda’s grand staircase, just yards away from where Milk was gunned down. During the party, people gathered around the bust and took a moment to read the inscription, a quote from a speech Milk made in 1978:
I ask for the movement to continue because my election gave young people out there hope. You gotta give ‘em hope.
And even though the timing could be better, that’s just what Milk offers: Hope.
On CNN – Hilary Rosen Discusses Proposition 8 in California
October 29, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
Today on CNN’s The Situation Room, host Wolf Blitzer discussed California’s Proposition 8 with contributors Hilary Rosen and Alex Castellanos.
The discussion revolved around whether they think the proposed amendment to ban marriage for gay couples would pass or fail in this election’s political climate.
You can watch the segment below:
CNN Interviews Student Voter Excited About Marriage Equality
October 29, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
Broward County, Florida, is busing voting age students to the polls from all of the district’s high schools after helping them register to vote.
As you can see below, when asked about the issues, student Siobhan Moore said:
“The health care I’m really excited about. The gay marriage of course I’m excited about because I think everyone should have their own opinion of what they want to do in life.”
Tim Gunn Says “No on 8!”
October 29, 2008 by Sarah
Tim Gunn, we’ve always loved you, but now that you’ve gone political, we’re over the moon. Check out the latest contribution to the “No on 8″ campaign, brought to you by the stylish gentleman himself.
A Single Man Casting News
October 29, 2008 by Sarah
We first reported a month ago that designer (and GLAAD honoree) Tom Ford was making his directorial debut with an adaptation of the Christopher Isherwood 1964 novel A Single Man. Now he’s announced his cast, and it’s chock full of gay faves.
Colin Firth will play a gay professor who must deal with the sudden death of his longtime partner, played by Matthew Goode. Julianne Moore is set to play a friend of the professor who helps him cope. The film takes place in a single day in Southern California.
Ford adapted the screenplay with David Scearce. The film is being independently financed, with Ford’s Fade to Black Productions producing.
Shooting is scheduled to begin next week in Los Angeles.
If Ford’s directing is as good as his Gucci designs, we’re in for a real delight in 2009. Can’t wait!
Sen. Feinstein Featured in New “No on Prop 8″ Ad
October 29, 2008 by Cindi Creager, GLAAD's Director of National News
The Vote NO on Prop 8 campaign has released a new ad featuring California’s senior United States Senator Dianne Feinstein. In the ad, Feinstein emphasizes her experience working towards eliminating discrimination and calling on voters to reject Proposition 8.
Speaking directly to the camera, she says, “Proposition 8 would be a terrible mistake for California. It changes our Constitution, eliminates fundamental rights and treats people differently under the law.”
Feinstein became the first California woman to serve in the Senate when she was elected in 1992. Re-elected twice, she has served as a powerful advocate, often supporting valuable legislation for the LGBT community.
You can watch the ad below:
Paris for President!
October 29, 2008 by Sarah
If you were always wondering what Paris Hilton would do if she were elected November 4 (WWPD?), the socialite has laid out her plans in a very catchy song. Have a listen: she endorses marriage equality as well as choosing the right lipstick shade for your pig.
