Out Avon Rep Star of Superbowl Ad
January 30, 2009 by Damon
There will be at least one out LGBT person featured during the highly-anticipated Superbowl commercials on Sunday. Daryn DeZengotita of Dallas is one of five Avon sales representatives chosen to serve as the “faces of Avon.”
The ads will serve as recruitment vehicles to interest other women in selling the Avon product. “They wanted to tell people that if you’re worried about [the downturn] in the economy and are looking for a way to make extra money, now is the perfect time to become an Avon representative,” DeZengotita, an eight-year Avon veteran told the Dallas Voice.
The commercial is expected to be the second commercial spot after Jennifer Hudson — who is also a spokeswoman for Avon — sings the National Anthem.
“It’s been rumored that it will also run during the halftime show. But I have been told that isn’t true,” the mother of two sons noted.
Tune in to find out!
Media Explore Ted Haggard’s Tumultuous Journey
January 30, 2009 by Cindi Creager, GLAAD's Director of National News
On Thursday, January 29, HBO aired a documentary about the rise and fall of Ted Haggard, the anti-gay married father of five, former head of the National Association of Evangelicals and founder of the New Life mega church in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Haggard’s world crumbled in November of 2006 after a male prostitute in Denver named Mike Jones exposed Haggard as a client who solicited sex and purchased crystal meth from him. That prompted a wave of public scrutiny in the media and led to his dismissal from New Life Church. The new documentary, The Trials of Ted Haggard, directed by filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, daughter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, follows Haggard’s rise and fall and his journey to re-build his family life, his finances and his self-worth.
Haggard and his wife Gayle made the media rounds in the week leading up to the HBO broadcast, appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC News Nightline and CNN’s Larry King Live. At the same time Haggard was promoting the documentary, new allegations surfaced from a former volunteer at the New Life Church.
Grant Haas said that Haggard had an inappropriate relationship with him in 2006. Print and broadcast outlets extensively covered both the news of the upcoming documentary and the Haas allegations—prompting Haggard to acknowledge the Haas story during his interviews and apologize for it.
The mainstream media has handled this latest wave of Ted Haggard news fairly. Oprah Winfrey, ABCs Dan Harris and CNN’s Larry King pressed Haggard to explain his overall hypocrisy and his irresponsible actions during the scandal, which included extensive lying to his family and his evangelical constituency.
They also pointedly asked him whether he is gay, a question that Haggard could not clearly answer. He said that his counselors told him he was “heterosexual with homosexual attachments,” and “heterosexual with complications.” After the Larry King interview CNN’s Anderson Cooper of AC360 invited psychiatrist Paul Dobransky onto his program to discuss Haggard’s conflicted feelings. Dr. Dobransky explained that sexual orientation is biological and that Haggard has a “belief system that he needs to maintain for his constituents, his fans.”
To his credit, host Anderson Cooper also pointed out that being gay and being Christian are not mutually exclusive. ABC’s Dan Harris asked Haggard to explain his actions to the gay and lesbian community prompting Haggard to apologize to gay and lesbian people.
Stories that involve sex scandals always have the potential to be heavily exploited by news outlets looking to boost ratings. And media outlets have often sensationalized sex scandals with a gay angle even more. Thankfully the key national outlets that covered this story did not take that road this time around. They recognized that this is undoubtedly a valid news story; a pastor who used to preach against being gay visits a male prostitute, uses drugs and then lies about it— a pastor who had the ear of a former president on matters of “family values.”
GLAAD worked behind the scenes to ensure that the Ted Haggard coverage was fair, accurate and inclusive. We asked outlets not to use problematic phrases when describing the sex scandal. We also urged media to heavily scrutinize any claims about the so-called “ex-gay” movement. This story is about a public figure who was exposed for hypocrisy and is now searching for redemption from his family and his followers.
Regardless of his sexual orientation the media had an obligation to responsibly report the facts of this case and avoid promoting the gay aspect of the story in a lurid and salacious manner. And media outlets succeeded.
It remains to be seen if the HBO documentary will finally close out the Ted Haggard story once and for all. But clearly this chapter in Haggard’s ongoing media saga is over. The film will air on HBO at various times throughout the month of February.
What to Watch: This Weekend
January 30, 2009 by Sarah
Lots of new TV to look forward to this weekend, including both real and fictional football, awkward lesbian crushes and a new romance for two friends. Spicy!
FRIDAY
> 9:00 PM Friday Night Lights, NBC (1 hr) NEW
No appearance from lesbian Mayor Rodell tonight, but admit it: you’re hooked on the drama of the Dillon Panthers. What’s not to love?!
SATURDAY
David Bromstad
> 9:00 PM Color Splash, HGTV (30 min) NEW
Gay interior designer David Bromstad reworks living spaces. Tonight he uses the arts-and-crafts style to reshape a home.
SUNDAY
> 9:00 PM Big Love, HBO (1 hr) NEW
Heather’s secret crush on Sarah turns a bit, ahem, awkward, when the two go to the Prom together.
> 9:00 PM The L Word, Showtime (1 hr) NEW
Shane and Jenny? Really? Let’s see if this so-called “romance” lasts ’til the end of the episode, let alone the entire season.
> 10:00 PM The United States of Tara, Showtime (30 min) NEW
In this new comedy about a woman with multiple personalities, Marshall is her sweet, sensitive son who has a crush on a cute boy from class.
> 10:30 PM The Office, NBC (1 hr) NEW
Airing right after the Super Bowl, this very special hour-long Office features Jessica Alba, Jack Black, Cloris Leachman, and of course the regular cast of characters, including gay accountant Oscar.
GLAAD ANUNCIA LOS NOMINADOS PARA LOS PREMIOS GLAAD PRESENTADOS POR IBM / GLAAD ANNOUNCES NOMINATIONS FOR THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS PRESENTED BY IBM
January 29, 2009 by Monica Trasandes, GLAAD's Director of Spanish Language Media
Hola amigos. El martes, enero 27, la Alianza Gay y Lésbica Contra la Difamación (GLAAD) anunció los nominados y galardonados de la Vigésima Edición de los Premios GLAAD Presentados por IBM. Entre las 60 nominaciones de programas en español en 15 categorias, están programas como Al Punto (Univision), Lo Que Callamos Las Mujeres (Azteca América), Al Rojo Vivo (Telemundo) y Paparazzi TV (Mega). La actriz y cantante Mexicana Lucía Méndez recibirá un reconocimiento.
En futuras notas de este blog pensamos hablarles mucho más sobre las nominaciones, pero ahora les queremos hablar un poquito sobre Lucía Méndez y el gran esfuerzo de esta actriz y cantante talentosa el año pasado para llamar atención a la alta incidencia de suicidio entre jóvenes gays.
Hablando en el programa Cristina, de Cristina Saralegui, Méndez dijo que estaba haciendo 31 conciertos en antros gays para llamar atención a este problema. “Resulta que hay adolescentes gays que se están matando porque sus padres no comprenden que son gays. … Y ni se atreven hablar con sus padres. … No pueden decir ‘papa, mira me gustan los chavos’ o ‘me gustan las chavas.’”
Méndez expresó que si su hijo fuera a decirle que es gay, “Yo le diría m’ijo, ni modo … Yo no puedo pensar como los padres los rechazan … Se matan ahorcados, se auto-castigan porque son gay.”
Méndez habló de manera conmovedora sobre el suicidio entre jóvenes gays en otros programas, incluyendo Ventaneando América, Escándalo TV y El Gordo y la Flaca, y Al Rojo Vivo.
El apoyo de una artista con la fama de Lucia Méndez es tan importante para llamar atención a las realidades del prejuicio anti-gay en los Estados Unidos y el resto del mundo, y por eso le ofrecemos un aplauso especial a Lucía Méndez. En las próximas notas del blog les contaremos más sobre los excelentes nominados.
Felicidades a todos los miembros de los medios quienes recibieron una nominación!
GLAAD ANNOUNCES NOMINATIONS FOR THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS PRESENTED BY IBM
Hello friends. On Tuesday, Jan. 27, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced its nominations for the 20th anniversary GLAAD Media Awards Presented by IBM. Among the 60 Spanish-language nominations in 15 categories, were the shows Al Punto (Univision), Lo Que Callamos Las Mujeres (Azteca América), Al Rojo Vivo (Telemundo) and Paparazzi TV (Mega). In addition, the actress and singer Lucía Méndez will receive a special recognition.
In future blog entries we plan to tell you more about some of the nominees, but right now we’d like to talk a little about Lucía Méndez who last year mounted a terrific effort to educate people about the high suicide rate among LGBT youth.
While interviewed on Cristina, the Cristina Saralegui talk show, Méndez said she was doing the show “Reina de Reinas” at 31 gay clubs to call attention to the problem. “Gay adolescents are killing themselves because their parents can’t understand that they’re gay… They’re afraid to speak with their parents, they can’t say, ‘Look, Dad I like boys’ or ‘I like girls.’
If her son was gay, Méndez said she would tell him it was fine with her. “I can’t imagine how parents can reject their kids. These kids are hanging themselves, punishing themselves for being gay.”
Méndez also discussed the tour and the teen suicide rate among LGBT youth on high-rated shows like Ventaneando América, Escandalo TV y El Gordo y la Flaca, y Al Rojo Vivo.
The support of an actress as well-known as Lucia Méndez is instrumental in calling attention to anti-gay prejudice in the United States and the rest of the world, which is why we applaud Lucía Méndez. In our next blog entries we’ll tell you a bit more about some of the excellent nominees.
Congratulations to all of those media professionals who received a nomination!
What to Watch: Thursday
January 29, 2009 by Sarah
Ugly Betty and Grey’s Anatomy are in repeats tonight, so why not broaden your horizons and check out a new documentary from Alexandra Pelosi about former evangelical preacher Ted Haggard? It’s airing on HBO and should be a fascinating hour of television, to say the least.
> 8:00 PM Bones, Fox (1 hr) NEW
Angela is a bisexual lab worker in this forensics drama.
> 8:00 PM Ugly Betty, ABC (1 hr) REPEAT
Remember when Alexis (Rebecca Romijn) was on the show, as Daniel’s transgender sister? Relive the magic in this October repeat, where gay fashion reporter Suzuki St. Pierre (Alec Mapa) has a
field day with the Meade family.
> 8:00 PM The Trials of Ted Haggard, HBO (1 hr) NEW
Filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, who captured “Pastor Ted” a few years ago at the height of his career in the film Friends of God returns with a new documentary, post-sex scandal.
> 9:00 PM Grey’s Anatomy, ABC (1 hr) REPEAT
Relive happier times in this November repeat when there were not one, but two queer women on the show. Dr. Erica Hahn makes her final appearance in this episode, all because the Chief sides with crazy patient-killer Izzie. Sigh.
> 9:00 PM Hell’s Kitchen, Fox (1 hr) SEASON PREMIERE
16 chefs battle it out to win a “head chef” position at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. One of the contestants is a lesbian from Las Vegas named LA.
Patrik-Ian Polk Jumps to an Image Award Nom
January 28, 2009 by Sarah
Gay auteur Patrik-Ian Polk just nabbed an NAACP Image Award nomination for his direction of Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom. He’s in good company: Spike Lee, Tyler Perry, Gina Prince-Bythewood and Darnell Martin are also nominated, but Polk is the only one with an LGBT film.
The 40th NAACP Image Awards, hosted by Halle Berry and Tyler Perry, airs live on Fox Feb. 12.
Good luck, Patrik!
What to Watch: Wednesday
January 28, 2009 by Sarah
It’s Wednesday, and you know what that means, TV fans: REALITY NIGHT! Feast your eyes on two New York favorites, The Real World: Brooklyn and Top Chef: New York.
> 10:00 PM The Real World: Brooklyn, MTV (1 hr) NEW
Now in its 21st season, TRW brings a record three LGBT housemates! JD is gay, Sarah is bi and Katelynn is The Real World’s first transgender cast member. Tune in to watch history unfold!
> 10:00 PM Top Chef: New York, Bravo (1 hr) NEW
Lesbian chef Jamie continues to battle it out for the title of Top Chef.
Equal Rights Washington Using Youtube Videos to Change Hearts and Minds
January 27, 2009 by Adam @ GLAAD
With the budget crisis looming in the state, as it is in the rest of the country, Equal Rights Washington (ERW) knows that it’s now more important than ever for LGBT people and our allies to ensure LGBT measures maintain momentum.
“One Minute for Marriage” is a campaign ERW has launched to put a human face on the issue of marriage. In 2007, Washington adopted a domestic partnership registry in the state for the first time. In 2008, the legislature expanded the protections the registry affords couples. However, though making these incremental moves in the law, ERW has never been shy about their intent to secure the right to marry for gay couples.
Using on-line, Youtube videos, ERW hopes to put a human face on the issue of marriage for gay couples. They hope to harness new media to effectively convey to legislators a widespread support or marriage for gay couples, by every day Washington residents.
GLAAD always encourages people to step up and share their story and use the media as a resource for effectively sharing messages, stories and ideas. “One Minute for Marriage” is an exciting new way for people in Washington to come together and raise many voices along with ERW and help change people’s hearts and minds around the issue of marriage.
20 years of changing hearts and minds: 20th Annual GLAAD Media Award Nominees
January 27, 2009 by GLAAD Blog
20 years ago, the first GLAAD Media Awards raised awareness for our work to ensure fair, accurate and inclusive coverage of our lives. In 1990, LGBT inclusive television shows and news publications were honored in seven categories and we celebrated talk show host Phil Donahue’s commitment to inclusion of LGBT people and stories.
Today, we’re proud to announce 186 nominees in 41 different categories at the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Presented by IBM. Our categories now span telenovelas, comic books, limited release movies, theatre and digital journalism.
Here’s a look at this year’s nominees or visit GLAAD Media Awards Central for a full list and ticket information: http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/.
We’ve also announced that Special Honorees for the New York ceremony. Tyra Banks will receive the Excellence in Media Award for her strong commitment to educating the public about the lives of gay and transgender people by frequently featuring diverse stories on her talk show and on America’s Next Top Model, including her inclusion of Isis King, the show’s first transgender contestant, on the most recent cycle.
Suze Orman will receive the Vito Russo award for raising the profile of LGBT Americans by using her position as one of the most recognized experts on personal finance to show that financial planning is a concern for all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
We hope you can join us at one of the GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies- in New York on March 28, 2009 at the Marriott Marquis; in Los Angeles on April 18 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE; and in San Francisco on May 9 at the Hilton San Francisco. To purchase tickets visit http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards.
Join us in congratulating this year’s outstanding representations of the LGBT community in the media and support us as we continue to change hearts and minds.
What to Watch: Tuesday
January 27, 2009 by Sarah
The magnificent Prayers for Bobby re-airs on Lifetime tonight. However, if you’ve already seen it, why not choose your weapon? The knives come out on Tuesday at 10 PM, with a culinary competition going head-to-head with a plastic surgery drama.
> 9:00 PM Prayers for Bobby, Lifetime (2 hrs) REPEAT
Get out the Kleenex and watch Sigourney Weaver star in this true story about a deeply devout Christian mother who, after her gay son’s suicide, devotes her life to LGBT activism.
> 10:00 PM Nip/Tuck, FX (1 hr) NEW
Prestigious LA plastic surgery practice Troy/McNamara employs longtime friend Liz, a lesbian anesthesiologist.
> 10:00 PM Chopped, Food Network (1 hr) NEW
Ted Allen hosts this food competition show in which cheftestants compete to make extraordinary three-course meals out of everyday ingredients.
Indiana’s WTHR-TV Changes Story GLAAD Named “Worst”
January 26, 2009 by Sarah K @ GLAAD
Thanks to a “worst” mention in GLAAD’s latest “Best & Worst of National News,” and coverage of the mention at the Bilerico Project, a problematic news story has been changed on the website of WTHR, a local NBC affiliate.
Michael Hunt and Taysia Elzy
Near the end of December, 2008, a transgender woman, Taysia Elzy, and her partner, Michael Hunt, were found murdered in their Indianapolis home. Local news media began to identify the Elzy by her male name. They also used male pronouns. GLAAD and local advocates, including Bil Browning of The Bilerico Project, reached out to reporters to talk with them about how to report on transgender people in a fair and accurate way.
The Indianapolis Star took the most proactive approach in their coverage. Both The Bilerico Project and GLAAD were able to speak with one of their news reporters, Francesca Jarosz, who made sure to use appropriate terminology when referring to Elzy.
Local station WTHR-TV was another story. Their news reporter Steve Jefferson referred to Elzy as a man in his news story, and was unwilling to use terminology resources provided by GLAAD, which included GLAAD’s Media Reference Guide, which lists the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook’s section on transgender issues:
Transgender: Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.
If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the way the individuals live publicly.
After receiving an e-mail back from Jefferson, it was clear he was not interested in changing his story to 
adhere to AP guidelines. (He said he did not use female pronouns because he said the transgender victim “was NOT post-op.” )
Thanks to all of those who took action after seeing our “Best & Worst” on glaad.org, Bilerico, and many other blogs. Check out the change it’s making on the media landscape in Indiana via Bilerico’s Update:
UPDATE: I spoke with Carolyn Williams, the News Director for WTHR. The offensive article has been edited to conform with the AP Style Guide. Ms. Williams will also be speaking with her Station Manager about coordinating a diversity training session on LGBT issues with all area television stations.
Ms. Williams was very kind and understanding. E-mailing Ms. Williams with kudos for her prompt response and leadership would be more appropriate at this point!
For those interested in thanking Williams: CWilliams@WTHR.com
It’s exciting to see media professionals take the time out to ensure that stories about transgender people are fair and accurate! In a time when GLAAD still has enough “worst” stories to publish a “Best & Worst of National News” every month, it’s a big step to see a major news station make a change like this.
The next time you see a problematic story about the LGBT community, reach out! Let us know here at GLAAD by filling out a quick Incident Report on glaad.org and write to the media professionals involved letting them know how you feel! And if you see a great story, let us know, and thank the reporter as well!
Bishop Gene Robinson Seated as Dignitary at Inauguration – stays positive on Daily Show
January 26, 2009 by Ann @ GLAAD
After Bishop Gene Robinson was not broadcast on the HBO coverage of the inaugural concert, Robinson was given a seat of honor on the platform with other dignitaries at the inauguration. The next night the bishop entertained and inspired the audience of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
Queer Father/Son Duo to Compete on Amazing Race
January 26, 2009 by Sarah
Longtime gay activist Mel White (the founder of Soulforce) will compete with his bisexual son Mike White (a successful screenwriter/actor/producer) on the next season of The Amazing Race, AfterElton reports.
“Rev. Dr. White was once a ghostwriter for Jerry Falwell before coming out as gay and parting ways with the homophobic evangelical church. (His story is told in the documentary Friends of God and in his book Stranger at the Gate.) He is currently married to his husband, Soulforce co-head Gary Nixon. White’s son, Mike, is known for appearing in movies like the brilliantly unsettling Chuck & Buck (which he also wrote), School of Rock (which he also wrote), and The Good Girl (which he wrote). He also wrote and directed Year of the Dog (starring Molly Shannon) and was one of the forces behind the shortly-lived fan fave series Freaks & Geeks (in which he also briefly appeared).”
The Amazing Race 14 will premiere on CBS Feb. 15, 2009.
Sean Penn Adds Another Statuette to His Collection
January 26, 2009 by Sarah
Congratulations to Sean Penn, who took home the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Harvey Milk in Milk. The awards ceremony took place last night in Los Angeles.
Milk was nominated for two other awards, including Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (Slumdog Millionaire won) and Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight won).
Backstage, Penn told the press that despite all the social relevance of Harvey Milk and the ongoing fight for LGBT rights, he saw his part in the biopic as smaller than that:
I can’t personally approach my work in a way, as an actor, where I’m speculating about the bigger movements. Politics and movies, for example, come from emotion as well as nonpolitical movies. It’s filmmaking and writing that I think are making this thing work. A lot of failed movies have been made of great stories, also.
Milk is up for eight Academy Awards. Does Penn’s win last night help build momentum for the Oscars? Or will another actor swoop in unexpectedly and take hold of the little gold man?
Frankly, it’s anyone’s guess. Get your Oscar pools ready and start voting!
What to Watch: Monday
January 26, 2009 by Sarah
Good news, TV fans: True Beauty is a new episode tonight! Bad news: Gossip Girl is a repeat. Can’t win ‘em all, can you?
> 8:00 PM Gossip Girl, The CW (1 hr) REPEAT
We’re bummed it’s a repeat too, but in case you didn’t catch Bart’s funeral the first time around, it’s a must-see for all GG fans. Eric Van Der Woodsen is Bart’s gay stepson.
> 10:00 PM True Beauty, ABC (1 hr) NEW
Gay judge Nolé Marin reigns supreme as he helps decide who has the most inner beauty.
