An Historic Day in the Nation’s Capital: GLAAD’s Perspective on the First Day of Marriage Equality in D.C.
March 10, 2010 by Adam @ GLAAD
Yesterday was the first day that same-sex couples could legally marry in the District of Columbia. In preparation, my colleague, Daryl Hannah, and I traveled to D.C. to work with couples who planned to marry in the District – and help them prepare for the deluge of media attention they were about to receive.
Adam Bass with Angelisa Young and Sinjoyla Townsend
On Tuesday, those couples exchanged vows in very moving ceremonies. It was an honor and a privilege to be present and hear them express the love they have for each other in front of their family, friends, and an anxious media corps.
Angelisa Young and Sinjoyla Townsend (Angel and Tina) were the first couple to get married yesterday, at the Equality Center.
I had the opportunity to be in the room with Angel and Tina just prior to their wedding ceremony. The excitement and love in the air was moving. What struck me is how similar the feeling was to when my own sister got married to her husband a few years ago. It was a strange mix of emotions: excitement, love, nervousness, anxiety, and happiness. At about 10 a.m., Angel and Tina walked down the aisle and exchanged vows.
Media gathered outside HRC's Equality Center
Following them, Rockie and Reggie, accompanied by their twin daughters (15-months-old) exchanged vows. Minutes later, Darlene and Candy, both leaders in the Metropolitain Church of Christ, were married. The couples were then greeted and congratulated by D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, along with several members of the City Council.
Later in the day, I joined Rick and Terrance – and their two sons – for their wedding at the Unitarian Universalist Church – the same location where Mayor Fenty had signed the D.C. marriage equality bill into law a few months earlier.
Mayor Adam Fenty shares a moment with Darlene Garner at the press conference
Yesterday was an amazing and moving experience that reminds me why we do the work we do at GLAAD. Moments before their wedding ceremony, I talked with Sinjoyla, specifically to thank her for sharing her wedding day with the world. We talked about what the media would look like Wednesday morning. Today, a young lesbian in the middle of the country will wake up and open the paper and have a new role model. Those role models might be Angelisa and Sinjoyla. That young lesbian will have someone to look up to. It was stressful for these couples to share such a private moment with the world, but it was incredibly important for the world – through the media – to see the love, commitment and respect they have for each other on their wedding day.
Rev. North presents Angelisa and Sinjoyla their signed marriage license
I’m thrilled, humbled and honored to have been part of such a special day for these couples and to be part of this historic moment in our country’s history.
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Adam Bass is a Senior Media Field Strategist at GLAAD.
Related Posts:GLAAD Fellows Continue to Make Lasting Contributions
March 8, 2010 by Adam @ GLAAD
Since 2000, GLAAD’s Fellowship Program has successfully allowed young, driven graduate students and recent post graduate students the ability to help pave the way for the LGBT community’s future as well as make significant strides in the present. The Fellowship Program was created to develop and grow new leadership in the movement for LGBT equality and provide a unique opportunity to build experience in media activism.
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Nearly working full time in either the New York or Los Angeles offices, fellows are mentored and supervised directly by GLAAD staff members in our Programs and Communications departments. Fellows in the GLAAD Program gain the work experience and professional growth necessary to made headway in an increasingly competitive job market. “Coming to GLAAD has been a truly life-changing experience, both personally and professionally. As a GLAAD Fellow, I have made a true and lasting difference in the LGBT community while simultaneously gaining the skills necessary to becoming an effective advocate and communicator on the national media landscape”, Seth Adams, 2010 Deputy Director/Advertising Fellow.
GLAAD is committed and focused on continuing its Fellowship Programs worth and value. This year, GLAAD received significant corporate sponsorships from the University of Phoenix, AT&T and The Palette Fund. These generous donations allow GLAAD to fund its 2010 Fellows and continue their valuable work. With the support of the University of Phoenix, AT&T, The Palette Fund and others, GLAAD’s Fellows will make lasting contributions to GLAAD’s current work as well as turn their experience into positive change as they become leaders in our society.
“My fellowship at GLAAD has provided a wonderful bridge between my previous transgender advocacy work on campus and the realm of national non-profit LGBT advocacy. I greatly value the opportunity to work with both community members and media sources around the country to ensure full, respectful and accurate reporting about transgender people and stories relating to gender identity and gender expression.”
–Anna Wipfler, 2010 National News/Transgender Advocacy Initiatives Fellow
GLAAD fellows are undoubtedly a huge asset and tremendous value to the work done at GLAAD.
If you are interested in GLAAD’s Fellowship Program, please visit www.glaad.org/fellowships.
Related Posts:UPDATE: GLAAD Demands and Receives an Apology from Notre Dame and The Observer
January 19, 2010 by Adam @ GLAAD
On January 13, The Observer, the student newspaper at the University of Notre Dame ran an incredibly offensive and dangerous cartoon. In the cartoon, two characters have the following dialogue:
“What is the easiest way to turn a fruit into a vegetable?”
“No idea”
“A baseball bat.”
According to the cartoonists’ now-defunct blog, the original version had used the punch line, “AIDS,” instead of “A baseball bat,” but editors of the school paper had decided that was too problematic.
GLAAD immediately reached out to the student paper and demanded an apology and action be taken to prevent this type of thing from happening again. GLAAD also contacted the office of the President of Notre Dame to insist that the administration denounce the cartoon and its message of violence.
The Observer acted quickly, publishing an editorial retracting the cartoon and apologizing for it in the following day’s edition. The cartoonists issued an apology in the form of a letter to the editor – they also pulled down their blog entirely. The Observer provided space for guest columns about the cartoon to a professor of sociology, the school’s “Core Council,” Gay and Lesbian Alumni/ae of Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College, as well as GLAAD. GLAAD’s op-ed will be submitted this week. The editor that made the dangerously misguided decision to publish the cartoon resigned from the paper, and the Editor in Chief has decided to cancel future publication of the cartoon.
Additionally, the President of the University of Notre Dame issued a statement about the cartoon: “The University denounces the implication that violence or the expressions of hatred toward any person or group of people is acceptable or a matter that should be taken lightly.”
The Editor in Chief of The Observer is revising internal policies to avoid this type of dangerous content from being published again. One of the very first actions she took was to place a copy of GLAAD’s Media Reference Guide at every work station at the paper.
GLAAD will continue to work with The Observer to foster fair, accurate and inclusive future coverage of LGBT people and issues.
Related Posts:Notre Dame Student Newspaper The Observer Apologizes For Publishing Dangerous Anti-Gay Cartoon
January 14, 2010 by Adam @ GLAAD
On Wednesday, 13 January, The Observer, the student newspaper at Notre Dame University ran an incredibly troubling cartoon that promotes violence against the LGBT community.
The cartoon depicted a conversation between two figures. The conversation read,
"The Mobile Party" from The Observer January 13, 2010
“What’s the easiest way to turn a fruit into a vegetable?”
“No idea.”
“A baseball bat.”
As many people know, “fruit” is often used as a derogatory term for members of the LGBT community.
This type of advocacy of anti-LGBT violence must stop. It isn’t funny. What’s more, it promotes hate crimes, which are all too prevalent in society today.
The cartoonist had posted on his blog – though it’s since been removed – his original version of the cartoon. In the original version, it shows that the punchline read, “AIDS” instead of “A baseball bat.” The paper, he reported, preferred “not to make light of fatal diseases.”
The Observer made a dangerously misguided decision that promoting violence was somehow superior to making fun of HIV/AIDS. Both versions of the cartoon were abhorrent.
GLAAD contacted The Observer immediately upon seeing this cartoon. The Editor in Chief Jenn Metz relayed a tearful and what appeared to be heartfelt apology by phone. She explained that she was not present when the decision to run this cartoon was made, and that she was incredibly upset that others on staff had made that decision.
Metz plans to run what she describes as a “full retraction and apology,” in Friday’s edition of The Observer. GLAAD will watch for that retraction and apology. Additionally, GLAAD asked Metz to ensure that the staff responsible for running this cartoon – both the cartoonist and editor who decided it was fit for print – be reprimanded.
GLAAD has also reached out to the office of the President of Notre Dame University, and called upon that office to issue a statement condemning violence and this cartoon that promotes violence. We await response from the University on how they plan to address this type of violent dialogue from continuing to be advanced on campus.
We’ll update this post when we receive Metz’s written apology and when we hear back from the University.
Update: Today The Observer published an apology for the cartoon. It read, in part, “The editors of The Observer would like to publicly apologize for the publication of “The Mobile Party” in the Jan. 13 edition. The burden of responsibility ultimately lies on us for allowing it to go to print. There is no excuse that can be given and nothing that can be said to reverse the damage that has already been done by this egregious error in judgment.”
Related Posts:Actress Michelle Clunie Says, “Approve 71”
October 27, 2009 by Adam @ GLAAD
Michelle Clunie, an actress and activist, released a video today that encourages Washington voters to Approve Referendum 71 and get involved with the campaign.
“It’s just wrong,” Clunie says about the attempt to take away the protections that Washington’s domestic partnership law provides to lesbian and gay couples.Watch Actress/Activist Michelle Clunie on Approve 71 here.
Washington voters have until Tuesday to mark their ballots, “Approved,” stamp and sign the envelope and mail them. Washington voters should not delay and mail their ballots today to help ensure Referendum 71 is approved.
Michelle Clunie
When Clunie called the Referendum 71 campaign last week and asked, “What can I do to help?” GLAAD’s Senior Media Strategist Adam Bass began working with her to develop a video message to voters in Washington encouraging them to get involved in the campaign and cast their ballots. Her video today is the results of that work between Clunie, GLAAD and the Referendum 71 campaign.
Related Posts:Approve Referendum 71 Maintains Slight Lead While GLAAD Continues to Contribute to Campaign
October 26, 2009 by Adam @ GLAAD
GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios, Senior Media Strategist Adam Bass and 20-plus volunteers made more than 4,000 phone calls on Sunday, October 25th.
GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios calls voters for Approve 71
The campaign released a tracking poll on Monday, showing that the hard work of Washington Families Standing Together (WAFST) is beginning to pay off. Although the polling shows a lead for the “approve” vote – this lead could easily be lost if lesbian and gay couples stop sharing their stories or if they fail to vote. This is why the last week of the campaign is so important.
GLAAD has been on the ground in Seattle assisting the WAFST coalition since August. We continue to be committed to helping Washington voters understand the real life struggles and successes of lesbian and gay couples and understanding the harms that would result if voters take away domestic partnership protections.
Related Posts:Referendum 71 Earns Endorsement by Editorial Boards throughout Washington
October 26, 2009 by Adam @ GLAAD
Newspapers throughout Washington have endorsed Approve 71
The coalition to Approve Referendum 71 is growing stronger. In addition to major contributions from large employers like Microsoft, Starbucks, Puget Sound Energy, Boeing, and Nike, numerous editorial boards are also endorsing Approve Referendum 71. As the Nov. 3 election date nears, influential media like the Seattle Times, the Olympian, and the Oregonian editorial boards are casting their votes to keep the domestic partnership law. Here is what they have to say:
The Union Bulletin Editorial Board calls domestic partnership protections “sound public policy” and the Federal Way Mirror “recommends approving Referendum 71” because “this legislation helps maximize personal freedom and independence for a small slice of the population.”
The Oregonian Editorial Board states that the Approval of Referendum 71 “would be a big, and important, lurch forward” while students at Western Washington University are using their independent newspaper, The Western Front, to endorse Referendum 71: “Should the families of dedicated public servants be denied basic rights simply because their family breaks the traditional mold?”
The Olympian makes sure to note in its endorsement that Referendum 71 is about protecting families, creating legal protections for domestic partners and “ensuring that the 12,000 registered domestic partners in committed relationships in Washington State enjoy the same rights, responsibilities and benefits as married couples.”
The Seattle Times Editorial Board has been even more vocal about Referendum 71: penning multiple endorsement articles that urge the public to remember that these adjustments are vitally important, but “hardly radical” and that “nothing is taken away from one person, one couple or one family and given to another. This is about equal treatment for all Washington residents going about their private lives.”
Despite strong support from Microsoft, Nike, and others, The Seattle Times Editorial Board warns that these endorsements are only part of the equation and that they are “no substitute for a strong turnout during an off-year election. An array of endorsements reinforces the importance of this thoughtful extension of the state’s domestic-partnership law. Adoption of R-71 is still grounded in casting votes to approve its passage.”
Above all, it states, “The law at the heart of R-71 is about fundamental fairness for Washington families. Of course it should be approved.”
Endorsements have flooded in from the editorial boards of The Spokesman Review (“many people changed their minds because the basic unfairness violated their traditional values”), the Chinook Observer (“Discrimination based on who someone falls in love with just isn’t right”), the Daily Herald (“these protections are necessary precisely because gays and lesbians cannot legally marry,”) and the Wenatchee World.
Community groups, professional organizations, civic associations, and many of the region’s largest employers support the Referendum because it is about protecting committed couples, and they believe it’s wrong to take away the protections the domestic partnership law provides these couples.
Other endorsements have come from such groups as The Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Washington State Bar Association and the Washington Association of Churches.
By endorsing Referendum 71, each of these groups displays a commitment to basic fairness for all Washington families.
Related Posts:GLAAD, Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and Approve 71 Team Up
October 22, 2009 by Adam @ GLAAD
GLAAD continues to work with local leaders and organizations in Washington to help get Referendum 71 approved. One unique way we are reaching voters is by teaming up with the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. The festival, organized by Three Dollar Bill Cinema, runs for ten days and expects up to 10,000 visitors.
With ballots due on Referendum 71 in only two weeks, it’s important to energize voters to head to the polls, mail in their ballots and volunteer to help others do the same.
GLAAD teamed up with several local activists led by Shad Reinstein and Jody Laine to produce trailers for the Approve 71 campaign to run before all film festival movies. There are three trailers running throughout the festival. At the film festival’s opening night film, “An Englishman in New York,” the Approve 71 trailer was met by widespread applause.
In today’s world of digital media, everyone has the ability to communicate to a broad audience. Shad and Jody are examples of community members who had something to contribute. Their idea to create these trailers could potentially generate hundreds or thousands of votes for the Approve 71 campaign. Mail-in ballots have already been distributed in Washington and people must postmark their ballots by November 3rd for them to be counted. We hope these movie trailers will help encourage people to get involved and remember to vote.
At GLAAD we always encourage people to stand up and tell their stories – whether through a blog, a letter to the editor or making a video like Shad and Jody did.
Additionally, GLAAD partnered with the film festival for a special screening of “Training Rules,” on Saturday, October 24th. GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios will be in Seattle for the screening and a special panel on “Homophobia in Sports” will follow. Please join us at the event!
For those in Washington or interested in the campaign, visit the Approve 71 website today to see how you can get more involved.
Related Posts:Washingtonians Write Letters to the Editor About Referendum 71
October 20, 2009 by Adam @ GLAAD
GLAAD’s Senior Media Strategist, Adam Bass, is in Washington State working on the Approve Referendum 71 Campaign with the Washington Families Standing Together Coalition (WAFST).
GLAAD is exclusively focusing on the communications efforts of the campaign and is assisting the campaign’s communications team with coordinating dozens of tasks on a daily basis. Recently, GLAAD took the lead on a statewide push to help secure editorial page conversations about the need to Approve Referendum 71.
GLAAD authored a series of key talking points for letters to the editor along with an e-mail blast to the WAFST constituency that encouraged people concerned about Referendum 71 to write letters through WAFST’s on-line letter writing tool.
The campaign issued the call for letters mid-day Wednesday, and in less than 24 hours over 150 letters had been generated to papers large and small in every corner of the state. People told their personal stories to their neighbors, through letters to the editor, about why it’s vital Washington voters Approve Referendum 71 on ballots that arrived last week.
One submitted letter, in particular caught our attention, and we wanted to share it here:
Approve Ref. 71
I’m a retired fire captain and a lesbian. For 33 years, I fought fires and responded to medical emergencies. I have earned a good pension.
My domestic partner stood by me as other firefighters’ spouses stood by them, sleeping alone while I worked my 24-hour shifts, not seeing me for several days when I worked overtime, caring for me when I was injured, and knowing that I could face a life-or-death situation every time I went to work.
The married firefighters I worked alongside had the security of knowing that their families would be taken care of if they were injured or killed in the line of duty. Once they retired, they knew their spouse would receive a pension benefit after their death.
Lesbian and gay firefighters are treated differently. Under Washington law, my domestic partner would receive no compensation if I were injured or killed, and she is not entitled to any of my pension when I die.
When you call 911, we come to your aid regardless of your sexual orientation. Referendum 71 is your chance to do the same for us. Please vote to approve my domestic partner benefits. Approve Referendum 71.
Michele Kämmerer
Bellingham, WA
When people like Michele Kammerer, and her partner Janis, tell their story, people’s hearts and minds change on these important issues. At GLAAD, we’re grateful for the incredible response that people like Michele and the other 150-plus letter writers have shown to this call to action. We encourage lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people and our allies to keep telling their stories as we work together to help get Referendum 71 Approved.
Related Posts:GLAAD Provides Media Assistance to Washington Campaign
October 13, 2009 by Adam @ GLAAD
This election season, Washington voters will be asked to either approve or reject Referendum 71, regarding whether or not to keep the state’s existing domestic partnership law intact.
There are over 12,000 registered domestic partnerships in the state of Washington and a vote to approve Referendum 71 will ensure that important protections for these families are protected. Voting to approve Referendum 71 will guarantee all families the same protections under the law, including the right to take medical leave to care for an ailing family member, collect worker’s compensation and pensions, and have insurance coverage. The referendum ensures that important protections will not be taken away from committed couples and that they will continue to be able to take care of each other, especially in times of crisis. 
The domestic partnership legislation was signed into law in May of this year but before it could take effect in July, the opposition presented the Secretary of State’s office with barely enough valid signatures opposing the law to force a referendum vote.
This is an important issue for GLAAD and the LGBT community as a whole. GLAAD was the first national organization on the ground in Washington beginning in mid-September. GLAAD has assisted the campaign with fielding reporter inquiries, pitching stories, promoting letters to the editors, developing positive messages, and spreading the word about this important law. This week the campaign released it’s first television advertisement, “Together,” that will begin playing in Washington immediately.
Major contributors to Approve Referendum 71 include companies vital to Washington’s economy, including: Microsoft, Puget Sound Energy, Boeing, Nike, RealNetworks and Vulcan Development. High profile endorsements have also flooded in from the Seattle Times, the Olympian, The Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Washington State Bar Association, the Children’s Alliance, and the Washington Association of Churches, just to name a few.
The Washington Families Standing Together coalition and their supporters encourages Washington voters to mail in their ballots early and to vote to APPROVE Referendum 71.
The ballot will read as follows:
REFERENDUM 71 Ballot Title Statement of Subject:
The legislature passed Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5688 concerning rights and responsibilities of state-registered domestic partners [and voters have filed a sufficient referendum petition on this bill].
Concise Description: This bill would expand the rights, responsibilities, and obligations accorded state-registered same-sex and senior domestic partners to be equivalent to those of married spouses, except that a domestic partnership is not a marriage.
Should this bill be:
Approved ___ Rejected __
Utah Paper Continues to Refuse Gay Couple’s Announcement
August 14, 2009 by Adam @ GLAAD
As we noted here yesterday, the Spectrum, in St. George, Utah received – and refused – a paid wedding announcement from Spencer Jones and Tyler Barrick. The couple was married last June, in California, but they are having a wedding reception and celebration in Southern Utah with their family on August 22, 2009. They wanted to share this moment with their family, friends and community by publishing their announcement in the “Celebrations” section of the Spectrum.
Barrick and Jones
After the publisher, Donnie Welch, refused this announcement, Jones called on GLAAD for help. We reported yesterday that we had reached out to the paper, and encouraged you to reach out to Mr. Welch and ask him to reconsider his position. We would ask you to continue to reach out to Mr. Welch, and respectfully ask him to print Spencer and Tyler’s announcement.
A report last night on Utah’s KUTV evening news broadcast indicated that Mr. Welch had heard from many people, and is reconsidering the paper’s policy and might publish this announcement. Please continue to encourage him to do so:
Donnie Welch
President/Publisher, Spectrum
435-674-6222
GLAAD also reached out to Gannett Co., the owners of the Spectrum. Robin Pence the Vice President of Communications at Gannett reported to us that policies like this exclusionary one at the Spectrum, are, “up to the local publisher.” Most Gannett Co. newspapers are accepting of advertisements from gay couples. It’s time for Gannett to ensure that none of their newspapers have exclusionary policies. We hope you’ll reach out to Gannett and encourage them to reconsider their hands-off approach:
Robin Pence
Vice President of Communications
Gannett Co.
703-854-6049
GLAAD pitched this story and yesterday’s GLAADblog entry to several reporters, and saw widespread media coverage of the story, including in the Spectrum itself:
- The Associated Press – “Paper rejects same-sex wedding announcement”
- The Salt Lake Tribune – “Newspaper rejects same-sex wedding notice”
- KUTV – “Spectrum Wedding Announcement Controversy”
- City Weekly! – “Spectrum doesn’t like gay marriage”
- Spectrum – “Paper refuses same-sex notice”
Yesterday, GLAAD contacted 14 major corporations that advertise with the Spectrum, that also have non-discrimination policies covering sexual orientation (and about half also cover gender identity). We asked those companies to pull their advertising dollars from the paper because of this exclusionary policy.
We will update this blog with any additional information about this story.
Related Posts:Utah Newspaper Refuses Gay Couple’s Wedding Announcement
August 13, 2009 by Adam @ GLAAD
Spencer Jones and Tyler Barrick were married at San Francisco City Hall on June 17, 2008. The couple rushed to get married on the first day California gay couples were legally allowed to do so – and were lucky enough to have their marriage upheld by the California Supreme Court post Proposition 8.
Jones and Barrick planned to return to their hometown in Southern Utah on August 22, 2009 to have their formal wedding reception with their family and friends.
Like any other happy couple, they planned to announce their reception in their local paper – both to celebrate their happiness and to make sure all their friends knew where to celebrate with them.
But, their hometown paper, The Spectrum, in St. George, Utah rejected their ad.
At first, the paper said they could run the announcement in the “celebrations” section of the paper – but only if there was no picture.
Jones and Barrick objected to being told their picture would be excluded, and in response president and publisher Donnie Welch decided that no announcement would run at all. He told the couple, “As our policy is to run marriage announcements recognized by Utah Law, I have made the decision to not run this announcement.”
When Jones and Barrick were first married in June 2008, they received widespread media coverage, from People Magazine to the Bay Area Reporter. They also were mentioned and pictured by USA Today – which, like The Spectrum, is owned by Gannett. Tyler’s mom created a video that shows all the media coverage.
The advertisement that Jones and Barrick submitted looked like this:
Spencer Jones and Tyler Barrick
Tyler Jerome Barrick and Spencer Kent Jones
Tyler Jerome Barrick and Spencer Kent Jones will celebrate their marriage in a ceremony on September 6, 2009, at the Rio Villa Resort on the banks of the Russian River in Sonoma County, California. An open house and reception will be held in their honor on August 22, 2009, at 7PM, at 908 Madison Heights in Washington, Utah.
Spencer is the son of Leon and Cherie Jones, currently of Stansbury Park, Utah, and formerly of St. George, Utah. Tyler is the son of Steven and Linda Stay of Washington, Utah.
The grooms met in St. George, Utah, in 2001, while Spencer was home on winter break from Dartmouth College and Tyler was attending Dixie State College. The couple has subsequently lived together in Washington, DC, Tokyo, Japan, and San Francisco, California. Spencer graduated with a B.A. in government and history from Dartmouth in 2002, subsequently obtained a Juris Doctorate from Stanford Law School in 2007, and currently works as a litigation associate for the international law firm of O’Melveny & Myers LLP in San Francisco. Tyler graduated with a B.S. in nursing from the University of San Francisco in 2007, and he currently works as a cardiac R.N. at the UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco. Tyler and Spencer were among the first dozen same-sex couples to legally obtain their marriage license in San Francisco last year, on June 17, 2008. The couple has made their home in San Francisco, where they reside with their dog Cooper.
GLAAD reached out to Mr. Welch with concerns when we heard this story. We shared with him a few important facts:
- The Spectrum is a Gannett newspaper, and 85% of all Gannett newspapers that run any type of wedding announcement will, under most circumstances, run the ads of same sex couples, like Jones and Barrick.
- GLAAD launched the Announcing Equality campaign in 2002 after working with The New York Times to open its weddings and celebrations pages to same-sex couples.In 2002, there were only 70 daily papers in the U.S. willing to print a wedding/commitment ceremony announcement for a same-sex couple. After The Kansas City Star joined the list of LGBT-inclusive papers in June of this year, this number today stands at 1,052.
- In 2008, another paper in Utah, The Herald Journal, which has an even smaller readership than The Spectrum printed it’s first same sex wedding announcement – and faced relatively little community push back. There were a few very vocal opponents, but overall, the decision had little-to-no business impact.
But Welch still declined to publish Jones and Barrick’s announcement, telling GLAAD he was, “making a business decision.”
The Spectrum boasts advertising from major companies in the circular section of it’s website. Of the 18 companies listed, 15 have non discrimination policies covering sexual orientation, 8 also include gender identity – according to HRC’s Corporate Equality Index.
GLAAD’s Senior Director of Media Programs, Rashad Robinson issued this statement about Welch’s decision:
“We believe all couples should be able to celebrate their weddings with their local communities. What’s more meaningful than a wedding-the joining of a couple in a loving commitment? We believe everyone should have this opportunity and we’ll continue to work so that couples in every locality – including St. George, Utah – can share this rich part of their lives.”
GLAAD encourages you – particularly those who live in Utah – to reach out to The Spectrum’s Donnie Welch, and urge him to publish Spender and Tyler’s announcement.
Contact:
Donnie Welch
President/Publisher, The Spectrum
435-674-6222
Jones has also contacted the National Center for Lesbian Rights, a national LGBT legal organization, to alert them to this incident. Executive Director Kate Kendell made a statement that “NCLR is very disturbed and disappointed to hear about the treatment that Spencer and Tyler experienced. No family or couple should be made to feel like their relationship is somehow of a lesser status simply because of their sexual orientation.” Both GLAAD and NCLR will continue to keep a close eye on the situation as it develops.
Related Posts:Accused Murderer of Gay Sailor Found Dead
August 3, 2009 by Adam @ GLAAD
On June 30th Navy Seaman, August Provost was found shot to death, and his guard shack burned at Camp Pendleton, a Marine base in the San Diego area.
August Provost
August Provost was a 29-year-old African American man that many media outlets have reported as identifying as gay or bisexual. Media outlets also reported that Provost’s boyfriend, Kaether Cordero, and family members said that he had been harassed about his sexual orientation prior to his death.
The family and his boyfriend believe Provost was killed for being gay and because of his race.
On Thursday, 23 July, the Navy announced charges against Jonathan Campos, in conjunction with the murder of August Provost. Campos was charged with multiple crimes, including murder. However, the navy maintains that there is no evidence that the murder of Provost was a hate crime.
Now we may never be able to find out what happened, because on Friday July 31, Campos was found dead in his jail cell. It is believed he committed suicide, by stuffing toilet paper in his own mouth.
GLAAD will continue to report on any new developments.
**UPDATE: The Navy says that the investigation into Provost’s murder remains open, despite Campos’ death.**
Salt Lake City Prosecutor Drops Charges Against Gay Couple
July 31, 2009 by Adam @ GLAAD
As we mentioned here on July 15th, a gay couple was detained and roughed up by Mormon Church Security Guards for kissing on the church-owned Main Street Plaza in downtown Salt Lake City.
The Plaza quite literally used to be one block of Main Street, but the city sold it to the church over a decade ago, and the church turned Main Street into a pedestrian walkway.
Matt Aune and Derek Jones were walking home early in July when they stopped to hug and exchange what they describe as a peck on the cheek on the Main Street Plaza. Church security guards confronted the men and accused them of inappropriate behavior.
Derek Jones and Matt Aune, pictured in The Salt Lake Tribune
When the men didn’t immediately leave, and confronted the security guards on their double standard (straight couples are often seen kissing and being physically intimate on the Main Street Plaza), the security guards forcibly separated the men, forced Derek to the ground and physically detained them while waiting for Salt Lake City Police to arrive at the scene.
Police cited the men for “trespassing.” On Wednesday, Salt Lake City Prosecutor Sim Gill dropped the charges against Jones and Aune. “The two individuals believed — albeit mistakenly — that they had the right to be there,” Gill is quoted as saying in The Salt Lake Tribune. “Fairness requires that either that property be not open to the public or you condition that [openness] in a way that the person who comes on understands that it is private property.”+
The Salt Lake Tribune editorialized in favor of the prosecutor’s decision.
The Mormon Church released video surveillance showing their own security guards forcibly detaining the gay men to the city prosecutor, and The Salt Lake Tribune obtained and posted that video through an open records request.
As for Aune and Jones, they, along with their attorneys, held a press conference held after the charges against them had been dropped. “We never thought we were doing anything wrong,” Aune said Wednesday. “We’re glad the city agreed with us.”
Related Posts:Gay Couple Detained for Kissing
July 15, 2009 by Adam @ GLAAD
It used to be Main Street in Salt Lake City – a road through the heart of downtown. Now it seems a stroll down this stretch of land can result in fines and physical restraint if you appear to be a gay couple who shows any type of innocent affection towards each other.
On July 9, on the Mormon Church-owned Main Street Plaza in Salt Lake City, a gay couple of five years was roughed up and detained by Mormon church security for what the couple and most media outlets report to be a mere kiss on the cheek.
According to their own accounts, the couple, Derek Jones, 25, and Matthew Aune, 28, were walking home when they paused for a brief hug and peck. Mormon Church security officers demanded the couple leave for engaging in “inappropriate behavior.” Aune demanded to know why they were being kicked out. After a brief argument, the security officers pushed Jones to the ground and then handcuffed both of the men. The couple was detained while waiting for Salt Lake City police to arrive. The police cited both men with misdemeanor trespassing charges.
Matt Aune and Derek Jones pictured in The Salt Lake Tribune
This was a highly visible news story, and received coverage in both the state’s major newspapers, major radio stations and all the local television news shows.
What’s striking is that the coverage of the Mormon Church-owned media outlets – KSL (NBC affiliate) and the Deseret News – reported the story differently than the rest of the media outlets.
A look at the headlines about the incident makes the discrepancy very clear:
· The Salt Lake Tribune: “Trespassing case? Gay couple detained after kiss near LDS temple”
· The Associated Press: “Gay couple detained near Mormon plaza after kiss”
· KUTV (CBS affiliate): “LDS Security Detains Affectionate Couple on Plaza”
· Deseret News: “2 Men Cited in Trespassing on LDS Plaza”
What’s more, every news report about the incident makes clear that it was a kiss on the cheek or a peck, except the Deseret News, which is much less clear about what Aune and Jones were actually doing. The Deseret News description of events is also sparse on details about how many security guards out-numbered the couple and the physical force used by officers to detain the couple. Though neither Aune nor Jones required medical attention, both had bruises and scrapes from the force used by the security officers. KSL, the church-owned NBC affiliate’s story is also heavily one-sided.
In response, former Salt Lake City Councilwoman Deeda Seed organized a Sunday “Kiss-In” at the plaza to publicly demonstrate how Aune and Jones were singled out for engaging in behavior that is otherwise accepted at the same location when engaged in by straight couples.
The follow-up reports by The Salt Lake Tribune recounts, “This time, though, they had an audience of more than a hundred,” when talking about the “Kiss-In.” The Associated Press reports, “About 100 people gathered.” The Deseret News reports, “…about 60 people.” The church-owned NBC affiliate, KSL, reports, “Dozens of people.” It is curious how the church-owned newspaper and television station come up with a number approximately half what other media outlets report.
This could all be circumstantial, but as GLAAD has reported on this blog before, the Deseret News has been widely criticized – even by its own reporters – for not giving accurate and fair accounts of LGBT issues.
In May, the Columbia Journalism Review gave the Deseret News a “Dart,” for “dereliction of journalistic duty” in coverage of the Mormon Church’s involvement in Proposition 8 and the National Organization for Mariage.
The Deseret News is owned by the Mormon Church. However, not until recently has the paper’s journalistic integrity began to be questioned. The Deseret News, and any media outlet, fails to retain journalistic integrity when it ceases to fairly and accurately report on LGBT issues, and downplay any potentially negative coverage of the Mormon Church’s treatment of LGBT issues. This week, the one-sided reports related to Aune and Jone’s brief kiss, and the physical force church officials allegedly used in reaction to that affection, is just another example of why the paper continues to lose credibility.
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