The Latest on Rockstar Energy Drink
June 30, 2009 by Andy Marra, Senior Media Strategist @ GLAAD
Craving an energy drink? Some LGBT family members, friends or colleagues may have told you before to steer clear of Rockstar energy drink due to the beverage company’s alleged connection with fringe anti-gay radio host Michael Savage.
Not familiar with what we’re talking about? Below is a brief recap about the chain of events that sparked this controversy.
- On April 23, The Bilerico Project Guest Blogger Michael Jones posted a story here about the connection between Rockstar energy drink and Michael Savage. The controversial shock jock is known for his offensive diatribes that has previously put him in hot water with LGBT and immigrant community leaders.
- A week later, attorneys for the beverage company threatened Bilerico with legal action for “factual inaccuracies.” You can read about that here.
- Other websites and blogs were contacted by the Rockstar legal team and threatened for similar reasons including thetruthaboutrockstarenergydrink.com, GaySocialites.com, wiqqaable.com, AlterNet and gaywired.com.
- Bloggers continued to follow the story including Daily Kos and The Consumerist.
- The Rockstar attorneys also contacted Facebook over a few groups criticizing the beverage company, which were subsequently shut down for reasons similar to those listed above. Individual Facebook accounts were also deleted. You can read about that here.
In addition to the threats of impending legal action, a website called truthaboutrockstar.com was set up to counter the claims made about the beverage company and its connection to Michael Savage. It looks very similar to the one created by thetruthaboutrockstarenergydrink.com.
Bilerico Founder & Editor-in-Chief Bil Browning
But now, according to Bilerico, the makers of Rockstar want to extend an olive branch to the LGBT community.
On June 28, Bill Browning of Bilerico wrote:
I can easily say that the company is remorseful for their stupid lawyer’s threatening tactics and wants to make good with the LGBT community.
Look for an announcement next week hopefully.
Please stay tuned for more details. GLAAD will continue to monitor this story and post more information as it becomes available.
Have an update to share with GLAAD? Send me a tweet at @Andy_Marra
Related Posts:Celebrating Pride in New York and Across the Country
June 30, 2009 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
Hundreds of thousands crowded New York City’s streets Sunday for the city’s annual LGBT Pride festivities. Sunday’s march marked an especially significant occasion for LGBT people and their allies as it commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the event that most view as sparking the modern LGBT rights movement.
San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago and other cities across the globe celebrated on Sunday as well – marking 40 years to the day since the famed uprising took place.
New York’s march, which ends its two mile course near the historic Stonewall Inn, drew prominent figures from the LGBT movement, both past and present. Dustin Lance Black, who recently won an Oscar for his screenplay Milk, was one of four grand marshals at the parade. Cleve Jones and Anne Kronenberg, both of whom worked closely with the iconic LGBT rights leader, Harvey Milk, also grand marshaled the event. Additionally, hundreds of organizations, companies, and political groups marched in support of the local and national LGBT community.
New Yorkers appeared hopeful that soon they would join the ranks of such states as Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, Delaware and New Hampshire and become the seventh state to legalize marriage for same-sex couples. A bill that would extend marriage protections to same-sex couples is currently pending a vote in the NY senate.
Gov. David Paterson (D-NY), a strong proponent of the bill, was an honorary grand marshal in yesterday’s parade. Gov. Paterson told The Associated Press yesterday that “if we have an end to the stalemate in Albany, [he] would think that [the bill] would be passed shortly after.”
But some were in more somber spirits, reflecting on what they see as President Obama’s lack of commitment to the LGBT community. The New York Times, for instance, published an editorial on Sunday, in which columnist Frank Rich noted that “Obama’s inaction on gay civil rights is striking.”
Rich goes on challenge President Obama to action, saying:
Gay Americans aren’t just another political special interest group. They are Americans who are actively discriminated against by federal laws. If the president is to properly honor the memory of Stonewall, he should get up to speed on what happened 40 years ago, when courageous kids who had nothing, not even a public acknowledgment of their existence, stood up to make history happen in the least likely of places.
Blogger ‘ARDem’, however, said to readers on DailyKos and Pam’s House Blend that LGBT people should celebrate their progress, rather than ruminate over their losses:
the fact that a popular President is being held to task for his lack of action on behalf of [the LGBT] community is something that should be reassuring… instead we could be facing the same things those that went before us did – organized state oppression, a world where hatred of LGBT Americans isn’t simply a disgusting fact of life but something to be expected and uplifted. . .
‘ARDem’ bids his readers to “channel the courage of Stonewall” in their struggle toward equality.
Yesterday, President Obama honored the 40th anniversary of Stonewall alongside 250 plus LGBT leaders in the East Room of the White House.
Shin Inouye, a White House spokesman, said of the event:
[It] is a chance for the White House to recognize the accomplishments of LGBT Americans. Invited guests include families, volunteers and activists, and community leaders. This event was long planned as a way to applaud these individuals during Pride month.
GLAAD’s incoming President, Jarrett Barrios, attended the White House event with his 17-year-old son, Javier. Barrios said the event “was a symbol of the fact that the administration recognizes our community at a time when there has been growing frustration about his administration’s seeming reticence to follow through on campaign promises.”
GLAAD will continue to report on the media’s coverage of Stonewall’s 40th Anniversary. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org as they become available.
Related Posts:Anti-Gay Group Targets LGBT Prom and Exploits Youth.
June 30, 2009 by Brendan Davis, Media Advocacy & Research Fellow
LGBT youth proms like the one that BAGLY (Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Youth) hosts annually in Boston, MA give young members of the LGBT community an opportunity to participate in and enjoy high school prom in a safe and supportive environment that affirms who they are.
On May 9, 2009, MassResistance, an anti-gay group self described as “a pro-family action center” sent a 20-year-old referred to only as “Max” to infiltrate the BAGLY prom. When he returned, he wrote a report about the prom on the group’s website that was picked up by WorldNetDaily staff writer Chelsea Schilling. She wrote about the event and Max’s report in her article “Kids attend prom from ‘sexual hell’”.
Max’s report uses offensive and dehumanizing language in reference to the prom attendees, often misconstruing the sexual orientations and gender identities of those he writes about. He underplays the security of the event, which included 100 adult chaperones (including BAGLY staff, police officers and parents), mandatory bag checks and metal detectors. He refers to the adults present as “homosexual recruiting gangs,” and paints a crude, deliberately misleading picture of what was actually an inclusive and celebratory event for young people.
The report targets these LGBT youth and puts them in harms way by exploiting and misrepresenting what was suposed to be a safe and inclusive opportunity to relax and have fun. Max misrepresented himself as a member of the community and took photos of these young people, which were posted on the MassResistance webpage without the permission of the attendees or their parents or guardians. An event that was supposed to serve as a safe space for local LGBT youth was turned into the opposite by MassResistance.
This incident highlights exactly why LGBT proms and similar events and institutions are especially important. It is essential that young people have a safe and secure environment to express themselves without being subjected to harassment. Groups such as BAGLY are vitally important because of their dedication in providing these kinds of safe spaces for LGBT youth.
Related Posts:What to Watch: Tuesday
June 30, 2009 by Callan Koenig, GLAAD's Entertainment Media Fellow
It’s pretty quiet on TV tonight, so relax, get comfy, and watch gay cutie Stephan work it to become Paris Hilton’s new BFF.
Gay BFF contestant Stephan
Tuesday, June 30
10:00 pm Paris Hilton’s My New BFF, MTV (1 hr) NEW
Contestants spend some quality time behind bars and Three 6 Mafia stops by to interrogate the remaining contestants. Hopefully gay cutie Stephan won’t get scared as Paris sends two potential BFFs packing.
Incoming GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios Statement on White House Event to Commemorate Stonewall
June 29, 2009 by Tom Ogletree, GLAAD's Associate Director of Special Projects
New York, NY, June 29, 2009 – Jarrett Barrios, incoming President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), today joined fellow lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocates as well as President Obama and Mrs. Obama at a reception to commemorate the Stonewall Riots of 1969 — when patrons at a New York city gay bar fought back against police brutality and harassment and set in motion a wave of activism.
“It was an honor to take part in this important event for the gay and transgender community with fellow advocates and my 17-year old son,” said Jarrett Barrios, incoming President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and former Massachusetts state Senator. “Today’s event, the first time that Stonewall was commemorated by the White House, was a symbol of the fact that the administration recognizes our community at a time when there has been growing frustration about his administration’s seeming reticence to follow through on campaign promises.”
“During his speech today, President Obama said that the road to equality is not only about changing laws, but about changing hearts. Indeed, legal advances are vitally important, but full equality requires us to move our culture – through conversations, living openly in our communities, and through media representations- to a place where gay and transgender Americans are accepted and understood.
“Our community will continue to advocate and will be watching closely to ensure Obama makes good on the promises he discussed today and during the campaign. At the heart of the issues discussed today are everyday Americans who want the same chance as everyone else to earn a living, be safe in their communities, serve their country, and take care of the ones they love.”
Related Posts:POV Premieres Beyond Hatred June 30 on PBS
June 29, 2009 by Jonathan Rosales, GLAAD's Entertainment Media Manager
POV, public television’s award-winning non-fiction film series, returns tomorrow with a haunting new installment, Beyond Hatred, which depicts the aftermath of a gruesome anti-gay hate crime in France.
In September 2002, 29-year-old Frenchman François Chenu was brutally murdered by three neo-Nazi skinheads who were trolling the streets looking to beat up anyone they deemed “subhuman.” Filmmaker Olivier Meyrou begins the story two years after the hate crime as the trial of the killers approaches.
Though Meyrou does an extraordinary job of interviewing numerous parties involved in the case, the most poignant moments come from the Chenu’s:
François’ parents write an open letter to the convicted killers, which they read on camera in Beyond Hatred. They tell the imprisoned men how, during the trial, they “attempted to decipher your logic of hate but were unable to do so.” They point by contrast to their son’s trust in others because “he believed in man, whatever his color, religion or customs.” And yet, “we also heard from your lips words that suggested that something was changing inside you.” The Chenus close with an extraordinary wish for the men’s success in forging “a future . . . without hatred and violence.”
The Chenus’ struggle to be true to their values in the face of great injustice and tragedy is a stunning testament to humanity’s power to find a way past the violence that plagues modern society. Their story is an attempt to throw light into the dark, hollow center left by François’ murder.
Beyond Hatred premieres tomorrow at 10:00 PM on your local PBS affiliate. For more information, visit POV’s website. The film will also be available to view on the website for the entire month of July.
Related Posts:GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios Pens Washington Post Op-ed on Stonewall
June 29, 2009 by Tom Ogletree, GLAAD's Associate Director of Special Projects
WashingtonPost.com is running an opinion piece by Jarrett Barrios – former Massachusetts state Senator and incoming President of GLAAD – about his attendance at today’s White House event with President Obama commemorating the anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Read an excerpt here:
“I have to admit I was ambivalent when I received the invitation, with its fancy curlicue script (truly, just like my sister’s wedding announcement) and a return address that read simply “The White House.” The problem is that I haven’t been as excited as I’d like to be about President Obama. I’d been excited by Candidate Obama. His campaign invited people like me and my husband Doug — gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans — into his aspirational vision of America the Possible. But, as President Obama, he has presided over an administration that has stumbled — sometimes symbolically, sometimes substantially — in its commitment to include us on the agenda.”
…
“When I told my 17-year-old son Javier about the reception, he could sense that I was torn. From across the dinner table, he looked straight at me: “Papi, you need to go to the White House, and you need to take me. It’s the President.” Not persuaded by that one, kid. “It’s the President, and he needs to see our family, too. To remind him that we’re counting on him.”
Click here to read the full article.
Related Posts:GLAAD Attends National Summit on “Putting the “B” in LGBT”
June 29, 2009 by Amanda Morgan, GLAAD's Digital Initiatives Fellow
Last month, the Bi Writers Association, with support from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of New York City, organized “Putting the “B” in the LGBT”, a national summit whose aim was to “give people the tools to understand and include the bi community more fully,” said bi activist Sheela Lambert, who was also the driving force and primary organizer behind the summit.
The Bi Summit, as it was dubbed, was co-sponsored by The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), the New York Times Company GLBT & Allies Affinity Group and Renna Communications.
The summit began with an incredibly stirring welcome address by Robert A. Woodworth, Director of Meeting and Conference Services and Capital Projects at the LGBT Center. During the course of his address, Woodworth recalled the time and efforts it has taken to make our communities as inclusive as they are now:
“After years of organizing and prodding by some people in this room – Sheela can tell you stories – the Center changed its name in 2001 to include the words “Bisexual” and “Transgender”. Words used publicly – like “gay” in the early 70s and “lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender” today – have the power to spark awareness as they are absorbed into the culture. But awareness is not true understanding. That comes with connection and dialogue. That’s why we need a Center where we all bump into each other day in and day out, and why we need this summit.”
Click here to read his entire address.
Summit attendants were also welcomed by Frank O’Connell of the Steering Committee of the New York Times Company GLBT & Allies Affinity Group and Hawk Stone, Board Member of NGLTF, who appeared on behalf of Dr. Jaime Grant, Director of the Policy Institute at NGLTF, who was unable to attend. During the course of the summit, O’Connell also mentioned he was the only openly bisexual person in the Affinity Group, though many others had come out to him in private. Click here to read his welcome speech.
Bisexual and marriage equality activist Robyn Ochs, who was recently honored by NGLTF for her tireless lifetime commitment to the LGBT movement, was the keynote speaker. She spoke of the problematic nature of bi invisibility as people only “see” bisexuals when we are simultaneously partnered with members of both sexes, which is not the reality lived by most of our community.
As a marriage equality activist who is married to a woman, Ochs knows first hand the ways in which media outlets and others have tried to make her bisexuality invisible. She situated part of the blame with the messaging of LGBT organizations and their own biphobia.
Bisexual and Marriage Equality activist Robyn Ochs gives the keynote address.
“We oversimplify our messaging so people will ‘get it’ but then they don’t ‘get it’ because we’ve given them an over-simplistic message…The ick factor with with regard to bisexuality is both about a resistance to sex and a resistance to complexity.”
Following the keynote address, was a series of panels, including Bisexuality: Exploding the Myths*, Bi Community Panel: Telling Our Stories and Crafting the Message: How to Put the “B” in LGBT. The Summit ended with a closing plenary discussion: Putting the B in LGBT: How Can We Do a Better Job?.
Many and varied issues were touched upon emanating from both within and outside of the LGBT community. In Exploding the Myths, Peter Ruggiero of the Bi Writers Association, spoke movingly of the despair that came from the lack of images of bisexual men.
“Hearing bi men don’t exist had detrimental effects on me – I literally though of doing myself in.”
Other speakers called for more representation on a national and political level. Author and activist Ron Suresha noted:
“We have a lack of representation on a national level. They don’t have anyone addressing bisexual issues full time. I think that’s a problem.”
Educator and activist Renata Moreira spoke movingly about her inability to secure a visa for the woman she loves and the fact that the mere request for her partner’s visa has put her own citizenship in jeopardy. Moreira, who has a green card and was applying for her citizenship, was previously married to a man.
“Now they are now reevaluating my paperwork because they think my previous marriage might be fake.”
This suspicion has caused much stress and pain for Moreira, as well as her ex-husband and family, with whom she is still close, as they are all being subjected to an investigation as to the validity of Moreira’s previous marriage.
Moreira’s story illustrates what happens as bisexuality is made invisible on a national and international level. As LGBT organizations continue to do more work around the effects of current immigration law and same-sex couples, this is something we must keep in mind.
Joshua Lynsen, News Editor for the Washington Blade, followed up the panel on Telling Our Stories with a lesson on messaging for news outlets who want to be inclusive of bisexuality. You can read his article which covers all the main points of his talk here.
The closing plenary was a roundtable discussion that featured LGBT activists, media professionals, politicians as well as bi community activists. GLAAD’s Director of National News, Cindi Creager, also took part and addressed the issue of how LGBT organizations could work to keep their messaging consistent with a bi inclusive perspective. It was a rousing discussion with many diverse perspectives and as Ann Northrop, cohost of Gay USA, noted, as someone with 39 years of experience in journalism,
“People do not like complexity. The human race runs screaming from the room not to deal with this.”
Northrop’s suggestions for how to move forward?
“I want to encourage you to encourage the conversation. Talk more. Think more. Have conversations with everybody.”
The first National Summit on “Putting the “B” in LGBT” is a promising beginning to an inclusive and complex conversation.
*Segments of Bisexuality: Exploding the Myths can also be heard on Out FM WBAI New York. It begins about halfway through the segment. Tune in to 99.5 FM New York City on Mondays at 11 am for additional coverage of the summit or visit the station’s archives.
Related Posts:What to Watch: Monday
June 29, 2009 by Callan Koenig, GLAAD's Entertainment Media Fellow
Tonight is chock full of craziness. There’s more baby drama on Secret Life, gay dance parties on The Closer, a surprise camping trip on Gimme Sugar, and Paris Hilton on Kathy Griffin, so brace yourself for a fabulous night of TV.
Monday, June 29
8:00 pm The Secret Life of the American Teenager, ABC Family (1hr) NEW
Cutie gay BFF Griffin isn’t here yet but Grace is still freaking out and Ben works on being a part of Amy’s life.
9:00 pm The Closer, TNT (1 hr) NEW
Drug trades and gay dance parties…what will Brenda get herself into next? Be catch tonight’s exciting episode where Brenda sees how far she can push the FBI code of conduct. Will “muy caliente” lesbian Det. Mendoza show up to help?
10:00 pm Gimme Sugar: Miami, Logo (30min) NEW
Surprise camping trip? Count me in! Watch and see what happens when a visitor takes Charlotte camping with Hilary and her friends.
10:00 pm Weeds, Showtime (30min) NEW
Tension is in the air as Nancy gets a surprise visit from gay DEA agent Roy Till, Celia sets up shop in Nancy’s garage, an old bank account belonging to Nancy’s husband is discovered, and Silas and Doug keep trying to open their medical-marijuana shop.
Paris and Kathy out on the town
10:00 pm Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, Bravo (1 hr) NEW
On her quest to become trendier and more in touch with the youth today, Kathy seeks out the advice of actress Rachel True, plus she poses with the paparazzi queen herself, Paris Hilton, and makes mom create her new hip new Facebook page.
10:00 pm Raising the Bar, TNT (I hr) NEW
A child-pornography case pushes Jerry to the limit while a loophole in Bobbi’s divorce proceedings create potential life-changing consequences. At least gay law clerk Charlie is still around and working on his goal of becoming a judge.
10:30 pm Nurse Jackie, Showtime (30min) NEW
Ever the mother hen, Jackie flips when it is suggested that her daughter be given anti-anxiety medication while Dr. O’Hara has her hands full with an overly thankful sister and Zoey deals with losing her first patient. Where is Mo-Mo to help with the stress?
GLAAD Reaches Out to Blog That Dehumanizes Transgender People
June 26, 2009 by Andy Marra, Senior Media Strategist @ GLAAD
As the result of constituents contacting GLAAD, we have reached out to the site owners of a blog that dehumanizes transgender people and their experiences. Tranny Alert is a website that posts pictures of people who are perceived to be transgender and encourages readers to submit photos of perceived transgender people for the blog to publish and provide commentary. It is unclear whether the site’s subjects have provided consent to have their pictures taken and published in this context.
Lateisha Green
GLAAD has reached out to the blog about the defamatory nature of their content with their problematic language including the words “tranny,” “trannie” and “he/she.” We also expressed our concerns about the potential danger the site’s subjects could face as a result of having their gender identity and gender expression shared without their consent.
Given that transgender people are disproportionately targeted for violence, willfully subjecting them to this kind of online scrutiny could very well put their lives in danger. We need not look far to know how violence disproportionately impacts transgender people. Recent examples include Angie Zapata and Lateisha Green.
A Call to Action against Tranny Alert was started by a Livejournal user named gudbuytjane and it appears to have been quite effective. The blog’s Facebook page has already been taken down.
Tranny Alert remains active on Twitter. Some Twitter users have been tweeting #trannyalertfail to express their alarm and concern for the site’s questionable content.
Initially, @TrannyAlert tweeted the following in response to readers submitting their concerns:
Tranny Alert will be releasing a statement in the next 24 hours regarding the recent backlash.
Later, the blog sent out another tweet about readers concerns:
Wow people really need to get a f*cking sense of humor.
If you would like to share your own concerns about Tranny Alert and their content, you can email them at:
mayday@tranny-alert.com
You can also share your concerns about their problematic language and content with Blogger, the blog service that currently hosts Tranny Alert. You can contact them with your concerns here.
Blogger’s policy specifically states:
Blogger strongly believes in freedom of speech. We believe that having a variety of perspectives is an important part of what makes blogs such an exciting and diverse medium. With that said, there are certain types of content that are not allowed on Blogger. While Blogger values and safeguards political and social commentary, material that promotes hatred toward groups based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, or sexual orientation/gender identity is not allowed on Blogger.
Please stay tuned for more details. Please check back with us for updates on this developing story.
Have an update to share with GLAAD? Send Senior Media Strategist Andy Marra a Tweet at @andy_marra
Related Posts:CNN Reporter’s Misleading Statement about Matthew Shepard Act Debunked
June 26, 2009 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
Today, Media Matters for America debunked CNN’s Deborah Feyerick’s misleading allegation that the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act would have any impact on an individual’s right to freedom of speech.
Feyerick reported on the June 25 edition of The Situation Room that the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act (H.R.1913) “could be used to criminalize conservative speech on abortion or homosexuality.”
As noted by Media Matters, Feyerick did not point out that the bill specifically stipulates in Section 10 that:
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit any constitutionality protected speech, expressive conduct or activities (regardless of whether compelled by, or central to, a system of religious beliefs)…
[and] Nothing in this Act shall be construed to allow prosecution based solely upon an individual’s expression of racial, religious, political, or other beliefs or solely pon an individual’s membership in a group advocating or espousing such beliefs.
Feyerick also neglected to report that Attorney General Eric Holder, in a prepared statement, explicitly clarified to the Senate Judiciary Committee in a June 25 hearing that the bill:
…could be used only to investigate or prosecute discriminatory acts of violence causing bodily injury (or attempts to commit such violent acts) and thus could never be used to investigate or prosecute mere association or expressions of beliefs, no matter how offensive those beliefs might be….
Nor did Feyerick make clear that Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) also stressed to the Senate that the bill “does not target pure speech, however offensive or disagreeable.”
Feyerick’s mischaracterization of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act promotes the misleading scare tactics of anti-gay activists that are designed to perpetuate fears and misconceptions about federal hate crimes laws aimed to protect individuals against anti-LGBT violence.
Given CNN’s strong track record of fair and accurate coverage of LGBT issues, it is disappointing to see Feyerick mislead viewers with claims that have been explicitly and repeatedly identified by lawmakers as inaccurate.
Related Posts:GLAAD Works With Media on Coverage of “Exorcism” of Gay Youth
June 26, 2009 by Tania Torres, GLAAD's Religion, Faith & Values
When a video was posted by Manifested Glory Ministries in Bridgeport, Connecticut that featured an apparent exorcism (described as “casting out evil spirits” by the church’s leaders), the YouTube clip was immediately picked up on numerous Web Sites. The video has since been taken down by the group, but LGBT blogs and news sites including Queerty and The Advocate still have it posted.
The video shows a 16-year-old boy flailing on the floor while surrounded by several church elders who call out for the “homosexual demon” to exit the boy’s body-and of him vomiting during the process.
Not long after GLAAD was alerted to the video, The Associated Press contacted GLAAD for a comment. We pitched GLAAD-trained spokesperson, the Rev. Roland Stringfellow, to the AP reporter. GLAAD works to elevate inclusive faith voices who can speak to the damage caused by these harmful practices, and Rev. Stringfellow is a person with firsthand knowledge of how these practices can have lasting harm on LGBT people of faith and on faith communities.
Rev. Roland Stringfellow
Rev. Stringfellow, an African American minister based in Oakland, California, talked to the AP about his own experiences of being subjected to “casting out of demons” in the 1990s when he was at a Baptist church and struggling with his own identity as a young gay man. He said he was put in front of the church as members shouted “demon of homosexuality come out of him” and said, “it caused nothing but shame and embarrassment.”
GLAAD asks that the media focus on the harm done by such practices, particularly for LGBT youth. When LGBT people are labeled as harboring “evil spirits” or “demons,” families and faith communities can be torn apart and such labels can lead to harassment and even violence. Media have an opportunity to highlight stories like that of Rev. Stringfellow and others who know firsthand the damaging consequences on that such actions can have on LGBT people and faith communities.
Related Posts:Bestselling Author Jodi Picoult to Pen LGBT Fiction
June 26, 2009 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
With sixteen books under her belt, three made-for-TV movies and a play inspired by her novels, Jodie Picoult celebrated the premier of New Line Cinema’s adaptation of her internationally celebrated fiction, My Sister’s Keeper, last night in New York.
The film marks the first of Picoult’s novels to hit the silver screen and boasts a star-studded cast, including Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, and Alec Baldwin. Film critic Robert Ebert calls the adaptation “tender, tactful and very touching,” which bodes well for the film’s anticipated success.
But it’s not only the film that’s got readers talking; it’s also the plot of Picoult’s newest novel-to-be.
In an article published on EDGE Online, openly gay screenwriter Kevin Taft talks with Picoult about her plans to author a new book “about gay rights. And in particular, what it means to be a family.”
The novel tells the story of a lesbian couple forced to undertake a difficult legal battle in order to begin a family.
Picoult describes to Taft why she decided on LGBT rights as the focus of her next novel:
I think gay rights are the last civil right in America… And it’s not about labels for me. It’s about the moments. It’s about being able to be by your partner’s side when he’s sick. It is about being able to say I’m little Jackie’s mom when you go into nursery school. It’s all those tiny things that everybody else takes as their due.
Soon after Picoult began her research for the book, the issue gathered personal significance when her 17-year-old son, Kyle, revealed that he is gay:
Here I was working up this book about gay rights… then my son Kyle came out to us. And I was like, ‘well now I really have to write this book!’…And I know I have a very strong adolescent readership… [and] there are many adolescents who need to hear ‘I’m totally normal. And one day there might just be hope for me. And I might have what everyone else has. And it won’t even be a problem.’ And that’s what I want this book to be for them.
So how did Picoult react to her son’s news, Taft asks:
I’m so happy that he is comfortable in his own skin. It didn’t matter who he was because he is my son… And I don’t love him any more because he’s gay. I don’t love him any less because he’s gay. I just love him because he’s Kyle.
And Picoult has high hopes for the book and its potential impact on those still dubious about LGBT rights:
When you talk about the issue of gay rights… when you talk about it as a political platform… that to me is demeaning to the gay community… And the whole point for me in writing this book was to target the little old lady with blue hair in Mississippi who’s never met one of ‘them gays.’ So that [by reading the book] she meets someone [and] identifies with that person…I think once you hear the voice of someone who is gay or lesbian, they don’t become a threat anymore.
My Sister’s Keeper hits theaters nationwide today.
Picoult’s book spotlighting LGBT rights will be available in spring 2011.
Related Posts:What to Watch: This Weekend
June 26, 2009 by Callan Koenig, GLAAD's Entertainment Media Fellow
Not sure what to do this weekend? Then sit down and get ready for a ten year space voyage on Virtuality, then Ellen stops by with her Bigger Longer Wilder Show on Saturday, and Sunday brings another awesome blood sucking evening of True Blood.
Friday, June 26
Cast of Virtuality
8:00 pm Virtuality, FOX (2 hrs) PREMIERE
From Battlestar Galactica producer Ron Moore comes this thrilling TV movie (originally intended as a pilot), which follows the crew of Earth’s first starship, the Phaeton, as they embark on a ten-year mission to explore a nearby star system? I don’t think newly wed gay couple, Manny and Val, had this in mind for a honeymoon.
10:00 pm Real Time with Bill Maher, HBO (1 hr) NEW
This no-holds barred news show is broadcast live, so you never know what to expect. Bill regularly discusses LGBT issues and features gay panelists and commentators, so check it out!
11:00 pm Jeffery and Cole Casserole, Logo (1hr) NEW
YouTube sensations Jeffery Self and Cole Escola bring their hilarious web videos from the small screen to the slightly bigger screen.
————————————————————————
Saturday, June 27
Ellen DeGeneres
9:00 pm Groomer Has It, Animal Planet (1 hr) SEASON FINALE
The season finale is intense as gay contestant Huber goes head to head with Lisa. After enduring dog show boot camp, the winner is crowned after a final groom off using difficult-to-groom dog breeds. Watch as Queer Eye’s Jai Rodriguez hosts this campy fave.
11:00pm Ellen’s Bigger Longer and Wilder Show, TBS (1 hr) NEW
Ellen DeGeneres’ third variety special is guaranteed to blow you away! With performances by Kanye West and magic by David Blaine, who wouldn’t want to tune in? Plus the evening’s host will shock and amaze you with a little surprise planned for the Cubs seventh-inning stretch. ————————————————————————
Sunday, June 28
8:00 pm Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, ABC (1 hrs) REPEAT
The dream team works to rebuild a safer home for Stephen and Jean whose adopted son struggles with a brittle bone disease. The show features openly gay designer Michael Moloney.
9:00 pm True Blood, HBO (1 hr) NEW
Things were looking rough for gay chef Lafayette last week. Will he emerge this week as a newly created vampire? Plus, Sam struggles to regain his footing with Maryann’s relocation to Bon Temps and Tara begins to see things a little more clearly.
9:00 pm The Next Food Network Star, Food Network (1 hr) NEW
Coming off last week’s win, I’m sure gay chef Michael Proietti will have no problem with either hamburger challenge or homecoming party for returning US soldiers tonight.
10:00 pm Brooke Knows Best, VH1 (30 min) NEW
Despite her mother’s relationship with a much younger man, Brooke takes the high road and tries to rebuild their relationship. Fortunately she has gay BFF Glenn there to help.
10:00 pm How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? BBC America (1 hr) NEW
The seven remaining contestants compete for the lead in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s West End production of The Sound of Music. One of the judges is openly gay actor/singer John Barrowman, with host Graham Norton.
Hannah Free, starring Sharon Gless, Closes Frameline Film Fest This Weekend
June 25, 2009 by Jonathan Rosales, GLAAD's Entertainment Media Manager
Sharon Gless, star of Cagney & Lacey and Queer as Folk, stars in Hannah Free, a moving lesbian love story spanning decades which will be the gala closing night film at Frameline, the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival on June 28 before screening at other festivals around the country.
Gless stars as the older Hannah, who as a girl growing up in a small Midwestern town fell deeply in love with another girl named Rachel. As the girls grew older, the took different paths: Hannah passionately embraced her sexual orientation, while Rachel became a strong but quiet homemaker. Yet through marriage, World War II and other trials, the two women maintained their love affair. Hannah Free is directed by Wendy Jo Carlton and written by Claudia Allen (based on her acclaimed stage play).
Gless and Rosie O’Donnell will be on hand to present the film, along with the rest of the film’s cast.
To purchase tickets for the Hannah Free and the closing night party, please visit the Frameline website. For additional screening information, including Outfest, visit the film’s official website.
Hannah Free
Frameline Closing Night Film
Castro Theatre
Sunday, June 28 at 7:30pm
