Sports Illustrated Profiles Hockey Legend Brian Burke after the Tragic Loss of His Son, Brendan
February 26, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
Sports Illustrated features a heart wrenching profile of hockey legend, Brian Burke, in its March 2010 issue.
Burke, the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the United States Olympic hockey team, suffered the tragic loss of his son, Brendan, earlier this month.
Brendan and a freind, Mark Reedy, were killed in a weather-related car accident in Indiana on February 5.
Brendan had come out to his father two years ago, but only recently stepped onto the national landscape as a stellar LGBT advocate who worked to eradicate homophobia in sports.
ESPN profiled Brendan and Brian late last year in an incredibly moving piece about coming out in a sports-centric family. Brian Burke is quoted as telling Brendan, “Of course we still love you. This doesn’t change a thing,” after Brendan told his father and stepmom that he was gay.
Now, Brian Burke has vowed to take on LGBT advocacy work of his own after the loss of his son, according to Sports Illustrated. “Brendan’s causes are Brian’s now,” writes SI reporter Michael Farber.
Burke says he will march in Toronto’s Gay Pride parade in June. “I’d promised him I would march with him,” says Burke. “He won’t be there, but I will.”
Brian Burke and his family will join GLAAD at the 21st annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York City on March 13 to celebrate the nomination of ESPN’s article, “We Love You. This Won’t Change a Thing,” which spotlights Brendan’s heartfelt coming out story.
For more information, click here.
Related Posts:NCAA Scraps Focus on the Family Ad because of the Group’s Anti-Gay Stance
February 26, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has pulled an ad from its website that was produced by the conservative Christian group ‘Focus on the Family’ because of that group’s anti-gay stance.
According to The Associated Press, “the NCAA made the decision after some of its members — including faculty and athletic directors — expressed concern that the evangelical group’s stance against gay and lesbian relationships conflicted with the NCAA’s policy of inclusion regardless of sexual orientation.”
Interestingly, the NCAA website is maintained by CBS Sports and the ad was part of Focus on the Family’s Superbowl advertising package. That deal ignited controversy earlier this month after CBS aired a ‘Focus on the Family’ anti-abortion ad during Superbowl XLIV. the AP reports, however, that while CBS sells ads for the NCAA website, the NCAA has the final word in deciding which ads appear on the site.
To read more about GLAAD’s work to demand higher standards in CBS’ advertising, click here.
According to the AP, The ad pulled by the NCAA, “featured a father holding his son and the words, ‘All I want for my son is for him to grow up knowing how to do the right thing.’” It also “included the address of Focus on the Family’s Web site and the slogan, ‘Celebrate Family. Celebrate Life.’”
Blogger Jeremy Hooper at GoodasYou.org writes that ‘Focus on the Family’ is denying that the NCAA had any credible reason to pull the ad, but notes also how the group fails to acknowledge the overwhelming amount of anti-gay content on its own site.
NCAA spokesperson Bob Williams said that “the decision to pull the ad was based not on the message but on the messenger.”
GLAAD will continue to follow the media’s coverage of the NCAA’s decision to pull advertising produced by the anti-gay group ‘Focus on the Family’. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:No Gold Medal for Homophobic Olympics Coverage
February 26, 2010 by Jarrett Barrios, President of GLAAD
Jarrett Barrios, President of GLAAD, wrote about the problematic media coverage of Olympic Men’s Figure Skating, in The Huffington Post on Friday, February 26, 2010. Read the full article at The Huffington Post or on GLAAD Blog.
Jarrett Barrios
This post was originally published at The Huffington Post. See original post.
It was last week that MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Scarborough and co-host Willie Geist yukked it up about the Olympics, choosing to get their laugh lines in the area of Men’s Figure Skating:
WILLIE GEIST: Joe, I know you’re very, very excited about the uh Men’s Figure Skating tonight. It should be a real battle.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Well, it’s always, every four years I look forward to it. It’s a great chance for me to do a couple things at once. It’s usually where I get my nails buffed and polished while sitting there watching Men’s Figure Skating.
GUEST COMMENTATOR: One thing it does do though, it gives you a preview of what Willie will be wearing when he comes back here to New York.
Perhaps Joe and company should be congratulated for keeping their homophobia and gender stereotyping to at least a PG level. What, with talk radio personalities like Dallas KRLD-FM’s Gregg Henson “quipping” about US figure skater Johnny Weir: “We know you’re gay, queen. It’s your choice to live that ‘lifestyle.’” Gotta love talk radio for not holding anything back, huh?
As noted in GLAAD Blog’s coverage analysis, in both national and international sports media outlets, homophobic comments and jabs about male figure skaters who break gender norms, Johnny Weir in particular, dominated sports-oriented talk radio and television throughout the Vancouver Winter Olympics. One commentator even suggested Weir should undergo gender verification testing and another suggested Weir become a U.S. entry into the Women’s skating event.
The list of famous Olympians who are or were openly gay or lesbian is, well, short. And it’s easy to see why when outlets like the Chicago Tribune post polls asking whether people ‘cared’ whether Weir was gay or not when he competed during the 2006 Winter Games. The sports commentator’s impulse to analysis – even apparently harmless polls like the Chicago Tribune’s–is born of a deep and deeply troubling assumption in the minds of sports commentators that “it’s a man’s world” and that means gay people or those who break gender norms aren’t welcome.
The Olympics are intended to bring together a global community to celebrate diversity and sportsmanship. Can it be–even if for just these two weeks–Morning Joe lets Johnny Weir do his triple lutzes and lets the rest of it go? Or that editors and producers sit up and take notice: the whole world is watching and that means they’re watching the homophobic coverage and commentary, too, that perpetuates stereotypes, feeds a climate of intolerance, and ultimately can lead to violent acts against gay and transgender people.
At GLAAD, we triage cases everyday of bad behavior in the media because such anti-gay ridicule trickles down to shape how individuals treat members of our community and families. How does that happen? Here’s a story. A personal one. My son was ridiculed to the point of tears on his third day of baseball practice last year because he told some of his new teammates that he had two dads. Where did these boys get the idea that it was okay to say these things? We already know the answer–and that’s why Morning Joe and all the other put-down artists who call themselves journalists need a wakeup call.
Is this muzzling the media? How about we ask the question back to them: why are you refusing to cover those lesser-known Olympians who are out as gay or lesbian? This year’s problematic Olympics coverage comes after a refusal by mainstream press to cover those openly LGBT Olympic athletes like diver Matthew Mitcham during the 2008 Summer games and omit mentions of their partners in profile pieces.
To be sure, after GLAAD spoke with editors and producers regarding coverage of Weir, apologies issued forth. Stories were corrected online. That’s all important. But the real question is why it happened in the first place. And why it will happen again. To the sports media: Heal thyself. The industry needs to reflect deeply on how it covers sports, and how that coverage perpetuates stereotypes that can lead to intolerance and violence.
In the end, it seems Johnny Weir’s words sum it up the best:
“I’m totally for freedom on speech and voicing your opinion [but] I want them to think before they speak. I want them to think about not only the person they’re talking about but also the other people like that person. I want them to think about the other generations of people that they’re affecting by talking like that.”
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The author is the president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), and a former Massachusetts state senator.
This post was originally published at The Huffington Post. See original post.
Related Posts:What to Watch: This Weekend (February 26-28)
February 26, 2010 by Lauren Mattia, GLAAD's Entertainment/Advertising Media Fellow
Gay gladiator Barca plans an escape in the name of love on Spartacus: Blood and Sand, and Kevin rethinks his career on Brothers & Sisters!
Friday, February 26
9:00 pm Shameless, Sundance (1 hr) NEW
Mandy goes on a great date, but soon enough, things take a terrible turn for the worst. Also features gay son Ian, Ian’s bisexual mother, Monica, her ex-girlfriend, Norma, and Mickey, the gay son of a local gangster.
9:00 pm Caprica, SyFy (1 hr) NEW
Tamara makes some new gamer friends, while Will and Joseph let it all out on a fishing trip, and Daniel fights for what he believes in. Also features gay mobster, Sam Adama.
Gay gladiator Barca sees freedom and love in his future.
10:00 pm Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Starz (1 hr) NEW
The slaves go all out for love this week, as gay gladiator and bodyguard Barca schemes to escape with his enslaved lover, Pietros. Will their dreams for love outside of enslavement become a reality?
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Saturday, February 27
9:00 pm Survivors, BBC America (1 hr) NEW
Abby finds a new, well-equipped community led by a surviving government member, while Greg and Tom come across a family who is virus-free. Also features Anya, a doctor who lost her girlfriend as a result of a worldwide epidemic.
11:00 pm The Wanda Sykes Show, Fox (1 hr) NEW
Move over Leno! The queen of funny is taking over with her own late night talk show! Don’t miss Wanda comment on everything from news, politics, sports, and pop culture mixed with field pieces, comedy segments, and panel discussions.
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Sunday, February 28
8:00 pm Amazing Race 16, CBS (1 hr) NEW
The nine teams head to Argentina! Tune in to find out which team heads to the ER. Features lesbian couple Brandy and Carol, as well as gay brother, Jordan Pious.
Will the Tool Academy's first lesbian shape up?
9:00 pm Tool Academy, VH1 (1 hr) NEW
This week, the tools, including “lady loving tool” Courtney and her girlfriend, have some issues with the criticism they receive from a focus group.
9:00 pm Desperate Housewives, ABC (1 hr) NEW
Gaby stays with Bob and Lee after Celia gets the chicken pox, while Tom and Lynette forget Penny’s birthday. Bree gets a new employee, and Angie is concerned with Danny’s disappearance.
10:00 pm Brothers & Sisters, ABC (1 hr) NEW
Luc, who’s convinced Sarah is the one, has Visa troubles, while Rebecca struggles with her recent loss. Openly gay Kevin thinks about a career change, and Holly digs for answers. Also features Kevin’s partner, Scotty, and Uncle Saul.
Prodigal Sons Opens in New York City; GLAAD Q&A with Director Kimberly Reed, Wednesday, March 3
February 26, 2010 by Jonathan Rosales, GLAAD's Entertainment Media Manager
Prodigal Sons, the bold new autobiographical documentary from filmmaker Kimberly Reed, opens at the Cinema Village in New York City Friday, February 26. In the film, Reed documents her trip to the small Montana town where she grew up as Paul McKerrow, the star high school quarterback.
Reed, who recently appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and was profiled in Details magazine, offers an unflinching look into her life as a transgender lesbian traveling home for her 20th high school reunion and hoping for reconciliation with her troubled adopted brother. Winner of the FIPRESCI Prize at the Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, Best Documentary Jury Prize at NewFest, and Special Jury Prizes for Fearless Filmmaking at the Florida Film Festival and Bravery in Storytelling at the Nashville Film Festival, Prodigal Sons is a raw and provocative examination of one family’s struggle to come to terms with its past and present.
Cindi Creager, GLAAD’s Director of National News, will lead a Q&A with Kimberly Reed on Wednesday, March 3 at the 7:20 PM screening of Prodigal Sons at the Cinema Village.
For additional information on showtimes, and for information on when Prodigal Sons will be coming to a theater near you, please visit: http://www.prodigalsonsfilm.com/
View the trailer:
CW’s High Society Preview Showcases Defamatory Language
February 25, 2010 by Lauren Mattia, GLAAD's Entertainment/Advertising Media Fellow
Members of the LGBT community were immediately offended by the trailer for The CW’s newest reality show, High Society. The show follows Tinsley Mortimer, a wealthy New York socialite and her motley crew of similarly wealthy friends through their decadent night life, high fashion shopping adventures and dramatic arguments. Although it will not premiere until March 10, in the 30-second preview titled “Real Look,” a woman tells Tinsley that she looks “like a tranny,” and later, her friend Jules says, “I use the N-word sometimes.” GLAAD received emails from concerned members of the community who saw the trailer on YouTube.
High Society's Tinsley Mortimer
While this preview may not be indicative of a majority of the reality show’s future content, this kind of defamatory language works only to disrespect members of the transgender community and should not have been showcased at all.
The show features openly gay event producer Malik So Chic, as well as Paul Johnson-Calderon, an openly gay writer for Paper Magazine. However, the inclusion of LGBT people on the show does not justify the use of defamatory language, particularly when it appears the defamatory comment was used to gain publicity.
Certainly The CW can’t control the vocabulary of this group of socialites, but it can control its editorial choices. There are several reality shows that have realistically portrayed a demographic while not degrading members of the LGBT community.
GLAAD has reached out to the The CW and directly to the producers of the show to urge that this trailer be changed and ask that the show’s content not be used to defame the LGBT community. Please check back for updates.
Related Posts:Joy Behar to be Honored at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards
February 25, 2010 by Lauren Mattia, GLAAD's Entertainment/Advertising Media Fellow
GLAAD announced today that Daytime Emmy-winner and LGBT advocate Joy Behar will receive the Excellence in Media Award at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards on March 13, 2010 at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.
The Excellence in Media Award is presented to media professionals who advocate for LGBT issues and increase the visibility of the LGBT community. Events will also be held in Los Angeles on April 17, as well as in San Francisco on June 5.
Tony Award Winning actor Alan Cumming will be hosting the New York GLAAD Media Awards, with other guests including Gabourey Sidibe (Precious); Sigourney Weaver (Prayers for Bobby); Bryan Batt (Mad Men); Sarah Paulson (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip); Rosie Perez (Lipstick Jungle); Sandra Bernhard (Dare); Nigel Barker, Jay Manuel, Isis King (America’s Next Top Model); Jill Zarin (The Real Housewives of New York City). Awards will be presented for the following categories: Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series, Outstanding TV Journalism Segment, and Outstanding Digital Journalism Article. A complete list of this year’s 152 nominees is available at www.glaad.org/mediaawards.
Behar will be receiving the Excellence in Media Award for her LGBT advocacy on ABC’s The View as well as her continued representation and increased visibility of LGBT-specific issues on her HLN talk show, The Joy Behar Show, which premiered in 2009. Several episodes of her show have featured not only LGBT issues, but LGBT guests such as Academy Award winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, who discussed his experiences being raised Mormon.
Behar’s first began advocating for LGBT issues when she became a member of The View’s cast, which has won 28 Daytime Emmy Awards. In August 2009, Daytime Emmy awards history was made when Ms. Behar and her fellow co-hosts Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, , Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd were named Outstanding Talk Show Host. This marked the first time in the 36 year history of NATAS that multiple talk show hosts received this honor.
For her consistent inclusion of the LGBT community in her talk show, GLAAD is pleased to present Ms. Behar with the Excellence in Media Award, where she will be joining esteemed past recipients such as Billy Crystal, Juliane Moore, Diane Sawyer, Glenn Close, Patti LaBelle, Vanessa Redgrave, Tyra Banks, and Phil Donahue.
Additionally, Cynthia Nixon, out star of Sex and the City and LGBT advocate, will be awarded the Vito Russo Award from Michael Patrick King (Executive Producer, Sex and the City) for promoting equality during GLAAD’s New York City ceremony on March 13 at the Marriott Marquis.
Academy Award-nominee Gabourey Sibide will open the show and introduce the Youth Pride Chorus- a choir of LGBT teens from New York City.
Previously GLAAD announced that Drew Barrymore will receive the Vanguard Award and Wanda Sykes will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in LA on April 17; and Levi Strauss President, Robert Hanson, will receive the Local Hero Award at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, California on June 5.
For a complete list of all the nominees please visit: http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/21/nominees
To purchase your ticket to one of the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies, please visit http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/21/tickets. Be sure to purchase your tickets for these events that are not be missed.
Related Posts:Sassafras Lowrey’s Kicked Out Anthology Shares Stories of LGBTQ Youth Homelessness
February 25, 2010 by Anna Wipfler, GLAAD's Transgender Advocacy Fellow
International award-winning artist, former homeless youth, and former GLAAD Young Adult Media Fellow Sassafras Lowrey releases her anthology of writings from homeless queer youth and their advocates and allies.
Kicked Out is the first book of its kind to bring together the voices of current and former homeless LGBTQ youth and combine them with the nuanced perspectives of national organizations like The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and The National Alliance Against Homelessness. Kicked Out is more than an anthology. It is a social movement dedicated to supporting homeless youth, building community with survivors and raising awareness about the epidemic of LGBTQ youth homelessness.
“This anthology introduced by Judy Shepard, gives voice to the voiceless and challenges the stereotypical face of homelessness.”
February 5th marked the national release of the work at the 2010 National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change, when Sassafras hosted a signing event and watched the first published copies of her work travel off into the world, where they are bound to draw much needed attention to these often-silenced lives.
Photo Credit: Samantha Box
Published by Homofactus Press, and beautifully illustrated with compelling photography by Samantha Box, this anthology – in Sassafras’ words – is for all those who have “lost their friends, families and homes because of whom they love or how they define their gender.”
Kicked Out has already garnered glowing media attention from a handful of outlets, including a 35-minute segment on “Out Loud,” a queer show on KBOO radio station in Portland, Oregon, featuring interviews with Sassafras, four contributors, and representatives of organizations like the Circus Project, which enable homeless and at-risk youth.
Photo Credit: Samantha Box
To meet the anthology contributors, view resources on youth homelessness, and purchase a copy of Kicked Out, please visit www.kickedoutanthology.com.
Sassafras will continue hosting local release events around the country, including a New York City release on March 19th at The LGBT Community Center and a series of awareness-raising events in Boston in late April. GLAAD is happy to be helping Sassafras pitch her book to mainstream media outlets in hope of bringing these stories into more homes across the country.
We will keep you informed about the progress of this vitally important anthology. We urge all GLAAD supporters to pick up a copy.
Related Posts:Media Takes Notice as Top Military Brass Speak Out on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
February 25, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
Gen. James Conway
Marine General James Conway, the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that he supports the Pentagon’s study on the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT). Gen. Conway was clear, however, that repealing DADT must take a back seat to the military’s ability to protect the country, according to The Associated Press.
Conway’s testimony comes on the heels of similar testimony by Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz.
The New York Times reported on Tuesday that both Generals “expressed reservations about moving too swiftly to change the policy, and both endorsed the decision by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to deliberately review the issue before acting.”
Earlier this month, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael G. Mullen told Congress that he personally supported lifting the ban on openly gay men and lesbians serving in the United States armed forces:
“No matter how I look at the issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens.”
(To read GLAAD’s original blog post about Adm. Mullen’s testimony, click here)
International leaders are also weighing in on the repeal. According to PinkPaper.com, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sang the praises of his military’s gay and lesbian service members and suggested Americans could reap the same rewards if the ban is overturned:
“You are the pride of our country and we thank you very much,” Brown told an audience of LGBT people and supporters. “We know this debate continues in America today. I would say to people who still favor ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’, look at our experience in Britain.”
Yesterday, GLAAD joined Media Matters for America in calling on the mainstream media to cover Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell fairly and accurately. For more information about GLAAD and Media Matters’ open letter to the media, click here.
GLAAD will continue to follow the media’s coverage of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. For updates, check out GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:Five Gay and Lesbian Los Angeles Area Rabbis to Speak on Jewish Journal Panel
February 25, 2010 by Anna Wipfler, GLAAD's Transgender Advocacy Fellow
Zachary Shapiro (Temple Akiba) and Denise Eger (Kol Ami)
Dr. J.B. Sacks (Faculty, Academy for Jewish Religion)
On Tuesday, March 2, five gay and lesbian rabbis from the Los Angeles area will speak out during a panel sponsored by the Jewish Journal at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, Calif., at 7:30 p.m. PST. Jewish leaders are increasingly progressive when it comes to LGBT inclusion. Reform, Conservative and Reconstruction Jewish traditions are on record for full inclusion of LGBT persons. As gay and lesbian rabbis in California, they know that the court challenge to Proposition 8 is just one of many efforts to let Californians and the country know that full and legal equality is the only fair and acceptable outcome.
Lisa Edwards (Beth Chayim Chadashim) and Jocee Hudson (Temple Israel of Hollywood)
With polls showing increasing support among diverse religious groups, it is clear that hearts and minds everywhere will be persuaded more quickly if progressive faith leaders speak out. To watch and listen through a live stream go to http://www.jewishjournal.com/live_broadcast.
Related Posts:What to Watch: Thursday, February 25
February 25, 2010 by Lauren Mattia, GLAAD's Entertainment/Advertising Media Fellow
Will drag performer, Peter, in Static Noyze pump up the volume on America’s Best Dance Crew? And what shenanigans are in store this week with Sarah Silverman?
Thursday, February 25
8:00 pm American Idol, Fox (1 hr) NEW
The results are in! Today marks the first round of eliminations, when two women and two men are sent packing after America decides that they don’t have what it takes to be an idol.
Static Noyze's Peter Veth gets jiggy with it this week on America's Best Dance Crew.
10:00 pm America’s Best Dance Crew, MTV (1 hr) NEW
The remaining eight crews create dances modeled after some of the most famous music videos. Will Static Noyze’s Peter Veth bring some drag fabulousness to their routine?
10:00 pm Project Runway, Lifetime (1 hr) NEW
The designers tap into their inner child this week. Will remaining gay contestants Jay, Jonathan, and Ben make the cut or get a time out?
10:30 pm The Sarah Silverman Program, Comedy Central (30 min) NEW
Sarah and the crew get tired of all the attention surrounding the mayoral race, and their plan to solve the problem may lead to some serious consequences!
Maryland Attorney General Says State Will Recognize Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages
February 24, 2010 by Kellee Terrell, COAD Media Strategist @ GLAAD
After a year of waiting, at a press conference today in Annapolis, Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler stated that effectively immediately Maryland will recognize out-of-state same sex marriages.
Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D) said Wednesday that effective immediately, and until challenged in court, the state recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere and that Maryland agencies should begin affording out-of-state gay couples all the rights they have been awarded in other places.
“State agencies in Maryland will recognize out-of-state gay marriages as of right now,” Gansler said at a news conference explaining the effect of a long-awaited opinion he released Wednesday morning.
This announcement comes hours after Gansler’s opinion was released stating that the state should recognize out-of-state same sex marriages. But it was unclear as to whether or not that opinion had legal standing:
Earlier in the day, most lawmakers in the state capital had interpreted Gansler’s opinion as having not gone that far. But Gansler said that in his role as the chief legal adviser to all executive branch agencies, his opinion now dictates how state agencies should respond when same-sex couples from elsewhere request benefits and legal protections they would have been awarded in the four New England states and Iowa, where same-sex marriages are legal.
The issue will soon become far less abstract in Maryland, with the District expected to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples this spring.
“It’s not that foreign of a concept, I mean, it’s just people, it’s just like any other heterosexual couples,” Gansler said. “However a heterosexual couple is treated that was validly married in Maryland or elsewhere, [a same-sex couple] will be treated like that here in Maryland, unless and until a court or the legislature decides differently.”
Several legal scholars said the opinion appeared designed to spur court action, and Gansler acknowledged that he expects his opinion will be challenged quickly. He said it will likely be up to the state’s highest court to issue a final verdict, but he said he believes his opinion now provides a road map that didn’t exist for same-sex couples to win in court.
Many LGBT organizations have released statements. Here are a few:
“The Attorney General’s opinion is also consistent with Maryland’s public policy, which has steadily supported increasing legal protections for same-sex couples and their families. In recent years, the legislature has granted approximately 15 protections of legal marriage to same-gender couples in the areas of medical decision-making and inheritance,” said Morgan Meneses-Sheets, Executive Director of Equality Maryland.
“However, most of the 400+ state-level legal protections of marriage still remain out of reach to thousands of committed couples. Only civil marriage here at home and an end to discrimination by the federal government will provide full and equal protection under the law,” said Meneses-Sheets. “We call on state agencies honor the laws of Maryland by taking steps immediately to honor the legal marriages of these couples.”
“This important opinion is consistent with the long-standing tradition of legal recognition of valid marriages entered into in other states. And it is a positive development that will mean greater security, stability and peace of mind for legally married same-gender spouses whose marriages should rightfully be honored here at home,” said ACLU of Maryland Executive Director Susan Goering.
GLAAD:
“This is an important step as advocates in Maryland continue their work towards marriage equality,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. “Now more than ever, Maryland residents – and Americans everywhere- need to hear personal stories from loving and committed gay and lesbian couples at the heart of these decisions because as fair-minded people get to know these couples, public support for marriage equality grows.”
Related Posts:ABC’s Supernanny Seeks Same Sex Families
February 24, 2010 by Lauren Mattia, GLAAD's Entertainment/Advertising Media Fellow
ABC’s hit parenting show, Supernanny, is searching for same sex couples with kids who need a nanny intervention!
Will Jo Frost come to your household to tell your kids who's boss?
Do your children backtalk, sass, stomp, and scream when they don’t get their way? Then send ABC’s #1 nanny, Jo Frost, to whip them into shape! ABC is looking for same sex parents of children from toddlers to teens in the Northern California area for a future episode of Supernanny, that will provide visibility to an often underrepresented kind of family.
If you and your partner need a solution to your problem child’s shenanigans and live in Northern California, contact Supernanny casting for your chance to be featured on an upcoming episode.
Supernanny Casting:
(323) 785-1051 or email szeluff@shedmediaus.com
Related Posts:Details Magazine Stumbles in Addressing Parental Homophobia
February 24, 2010 by Anna Wipfler, GLAAD's Transgender Advocacy Fellow
The recent Details magazine article by David Hochman “Would You Really Be Okay with a Gay Kid?” attempts to convey the insecurities straight fathers today feel about having gay sons. Unfortunately, in doing so Hochman presents a one-sided portrait of gay identity and self-expression that conflates sexual orientation with gender expression and appears to uphold rigid standards of masculinity and heterosexuality even as it seeks to broaden readers’ minds.
While Hochman also includes fair-minded opinions from developmental psychology experts, the article seems to legitimize the discomfort, even homophobia, a handful of anonymous fathers voiced in discussing their feelings about their own sons being gay.
He writes, “You may chuckle when little Leo dons butterfly wings and plays tea party for the third day in a row (hey, it’s just a little gender blurring), but you’re really thinking, No, God, no.” By quoting a series of otherwise-liberal dads, who have no problem interacting with gay people outside of their family but cringe at the possibility of having a gay son, Hochman implies that no parent could ever be pleased to have a gay child.
What seems to be most at issue for these fathers, however, has very little to do with their sons’ actual sexuality and everything to do with their gender expression – a distinction Hochman never directly makes, thereby leaving in tact the stereotype that all gay men are effeminate and all effeminate men are gay. Whereas the article purports to question parental homophobia, it turns out to focus solely on male fears about signs of their sons’ deviation from traditional masculine standards. There is also a notable lack of discussion about their gay daughters.
The original online article also included an inappropriately sexual, and crudely cropped, photograph of a rainbow popsicle entering a child’s mouth on the second page. Details removed the picture after GLAAD called with concerns. Editor-in-chief, Dan Peres acknowledged after further reflection that the image was highly inappropriate and told us it was removed from the online version and won’t make it into print. GLAAD pointed out to Details that the image served only to sensationalize the topic and divert attention from the fathers’ misplaced fears to the children’s sexuality.
In looking at the article as a whole, Details missed an opportunity to discuss the very real problem of parental insecurities around both their children’s sexuality and gender expression. This is the second time in as many months that Details has published a problematic article related to LGBT-identity, following a defamatory piece referring to bisexual women as “hasbians” in January. While the effort to discuss parental distress with gender nonconformity is laudable, the casual tone of the writing and treatment of the subject overshadow the original intention. If the sentiment of the article’s closing line, calling for unconditional parental support, could have resonated throughout, the reporting would have been greatly improved.
We encourage you to contact Details to express your concern about the magazine’s problematic coverage of men’s discomfort regarding the idea of having gay sons.
Related Posts:GLAAD Joins Media Matters, National Organizations to Demand Honest Media Coverage of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
February 24, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
GLAAD has joined Media Matters for America and other national organizations to demand fair and accurate coverage of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell from mainstream media outlets.
(To read Media Matters’ full press release, click here)
Media Matters also published a comprehensive review of the myths and falsehoods media conservatives have pushed in their efforts to prevent a repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) law to its website.
Among the other organizations and activists who have signed on to an open letter that calls on media outlets to cover DADT fairly and accurately are Courage Campaign’s Rick Jacobs, Human Rights Campaign’s Joe Solmonese, Knights Out’s Becky Kanis, National Center for Lesbian Rights’ Kate Kendall, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Rea Carey, National Security Network’s Heather Hurlburt, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network’s Aubrey Sarvis, Servicemembers United’s Alex Nicholson, Truman National Security Project’s Rachel Kleinfeld, VoteVets’ Jon Soltz, and Lt. Dan Choi, US Army Infantry Officer and Arabic Linguist.
If you see Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell coverage in the media that misses the mark, contact GLAAD’s National News team at: nationalnews@glaad.org. Be sure to include the outlet’s name, the date of the problematic coverage and a brief synopsis of the offense.
Be sure to log onto GLAADblog.org for the latest updates on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in the media.
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