LGBT People and Allies Have Historic, National Response to Anti-Gay Prop. 8
November 17, 2008 by Paul
The following post was written by Adam Bass, GLAAD’s Media Field Strategist for the Western Region.
Well over 10,000 people gathered near Los Angeles City Hall on Saturday, for a peaceful rally and march against Prop. 8. Similar events were held concurrently in over 100 cities throughout the country, marking the first coordinated nationwide demonstration since protesters began pouring into the streets immediately following Election Day.
Community leaders addressed the crowds for more than an hour in record-breaking heat. Actor Darryl Stephens of Logo’s Noah’s Arc implored the protesters to focus on repealing Prop. 8, rather than blaming any segment of the community. Prop. 8 passed primarily because proponents of the discriminatory measure distorted the truth, Stephens and other speakers reminded the crowd.
Several local and national media outlets continued their steady stream Prop. 8 coverage, including the Los Angeles Times, CNN and the Dr. Phil Show, though many media outlets had their attention focused on the LA-area wildfires. In fact, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa flew to City Hall via helicopter from the fires, and shortly after delivering an impassioned speech about equality, the Mayor returned to the fire front lines.
This was the fourth major march in Los Angeles since Election Day, and the pain and frustration of LGBT community members and allies was palpable. The passage of Prop 8 is a blow for everyone who believes in the values of equality and inclusion. And it’s an especially painful disappointment for the couples and families who’ve made a commitment to each other for life and seek only an equal commitment under the law.
Despite the setback, Californians have made significant progress on the issue. In 2000, the vote on Prop 22 was lost by a margin of 23 points. In 2008, the gap narrowed to just four points. Clearly the numbers are moving in favor of equality. An increasing number of Californians understand that the freedom to marry is about love, commitment, and treating others as you’d want to be treated, with equality under the law.
Couples Wed in Connecticut
November 12, 2008 by Paul
Connecticut married its first same-sex couples today after a final ruling on the case of Kerrigan et al v. Commissioner of Public Health et al. Couples in Connecticut were cheerful as they marched to New Haven City Hall today to get marriage licenses.
The first license issued in New Haven went to plaintiffs Robin and Barbara Levine-Ritterman, who have been together since 1989. A crowd of about 100 people outside city hall applauded as Barbara Levine-Ritterman proudly held up the license.
“It’s thrilling today. We are all in one line for one form. Love is love, and the state recognizes it,” she said to The Associated Press.
The Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), the Boston-based legal group who litigated on behalf of Connecticut’s committed gay couples, says civil unions are still valid and those in civil unions may marry the person with whom they have the union. According to the state public health department, 2,032 civil union licenses were issued in Connecticut between Oct. 2005 and July 2008.
“Today, Connecticut sends a message of hope and promise to lesbian and gay people throughout the country who want to be treated as equal citizens by their government,” said Ben Klein, a lawyer with Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, a Boston group that litigated the Connecticut case who was quoted in The New York Times. “It is living proof that marriage equality is moving forward in this country.”
Media outlets in Connecticut have been covering the first group of marriages, talking about both the legal issues as well as the relaxed response from residents throughout the state.
California Lawmakers react to Prop 8 Decision
November 12, 2008 by Paul
Many prominent California politicians have taken to the media to express their disapproval of anti-gay initiative Proposition 8 passing and to offer guidance as same-sex couples move forward.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger told CNN on Sunday that he hoped the California Supreme Court would overturn the initiative, and urged opponents of Proposition 8 to continue the fight. “It’s unfortunate, obviously, but it’s not the end,” Schwarzenegger said. “I think that we will again maybe undo that, if the court is willing to do that, and then move forward from there and again lead in that area.”
Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday that she believes some voters didn’t fully understood the initiative. “Unfortunately, I think people thought they were making a statement about what their view of same-sex marriage was,” she said. “I don’t know if it was clear that this meant that we are amending the Constitution to diminish freedom in our state.”
And in a post-Election Day press conference in Los Angeles last Wednesday, California U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer said that although the passage of Prop. 8 put a “damper effect” on election night, it was not the end for marriage equality. Boxer noted that she recently saw the film Milk, based on the life of slain San Francisco gay rights leader Harvey Milk, and learned how past leaders can inspire us to continue working for marriage equality.
“What I came away with was what a struggle it’s been, going back to the olden days where people had to hide their faces from the cameras and get thrown into jail just for being who they are,” she said. “It was a terrible time in our country.”
“And if you brought someone back from those days who had been asleep all those years, and they saw how far along we progressed, they would say, ‘Wow.’ And then you’d say, ‘Yes, but we lost gay marriage by two points or three points.’ They would say, ‘Keep on working.’”
Prop 8 Protests Staged in California and Across the Country
November 12, 2008 by Paul
This past weekend, the Associated Press reported on the grassroots protests that sprang up across California and Utah in response to Proposition 8’s elimination of marriage for gay and lesbian couples. The No on 8 campaign, in one of its final statements, urged protesters not to “isolate the people who did not stand with us in this fight,” and emphasized that “people of all faiths, races and backgrounds stand with us in our fight to end discrimination.”
The first protests occurred in West Hollywood the day after the elections, and lasted past midnight, with chants such as “Yes We Can!” and “Gay or Straight! No on 8!” Thousands gathered to bring voice to the Californians who were affected by the passage of Prop 8.
The next day, more than a thousand gathered on Santa Monica Boulevard in Westwood outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the group that bolstered the “Yes on 8″ campaign with significant donations of both financial support and volunteer hours.
Corey Sholibo, The Advocate’s arts and entertainment editor, was in Westwood, and he wrote a follow up piece calling upon younger LGBT people to get involved. Initially ambivalent about whether he would take action, Sholibo decided to attend the protest in Westwood, where he said, “Standing in the streets holding a sign for the first time in my overprivileged life, I now know: This is not the end. This is just the beginning.”
The protests have ranged in size and style – 5,000 people peacefully marched in Silver Lake, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, while 1,000 gathered for a quiet candelight vigil in Laguna Beach. In Palm Springs, the mood was much more heated, while demonstrations also formed on the Capitol steps in Sacramento and outside the Mormon Temple in Oakland Hills.
In Salt Lake City, protesters gathered outside the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. State Senator Scott McCoy, one of three openly gay Utah legislators and whose district includes the Mormon church headquarters, spoke at the rally: “I do not hate the L.D.S. church, nor any of its members and neither should you…I will help them understand that civil rights for our community does not come into conflict with the religious rights to worship as your conscience dictates.”
In New York, a peaceful demonstration is planned for tonight, Wednesday, November 12 at 6:30pm outside of the Mormon Temple on Columbus Ave. on 65th St. Although held outside the church, the protest will rally against all voters who came together to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California.
No on Prop 8: “Divisive” Ad
November 3, 2008 by Paul
The NO on Prop 8 campaign released a new ad that features quotes and pictures of Sen. Barack Obama, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sen. Dianne Feinstein establishing their opposition to Prop. 8.
This Weekend – Our Family Matters Affirming Faith Conference in Nashville
October 24, 2008 by Paul
This weekend, folks in Nashville, Tennessee are in for a one-of-a-kind faith conference that helps LGBT participants to affirm their spiritual worth: Our Family Matters.
This unique event, launched by Kim Clark, is based off her partner Luane Beck’s acclaimed documentary God and Gays: Bridging the Gap. The documentary takes the viewer through firsthand experiences of those wanting a relationship with the religious traditions that have rejected them.
The conference, like the documentary, provides a safe space where attendees can reconcile their sexual orientation with their faith.
Our Family Matters Conference -- October 22-25, 2008 -- from OFM Website
The four-day event began Wednesday, offering a contemporary Christian perspective on being gay and Christian and acting as an affirming alternative to the so-called “ex-gay” ministries that have tried to monopolize the Christian response to gay and lesbian church members in Tennessee.
The full schedule includes three days of workshops, a film festival, live concerts including Dove Award winner and “Thank You” recording artist Ray Boltz. His performance at Our Family Matters will actually be his first time performing in Nashville, the homeland of Christian Contemporary Music (CCM), since coming out publicly last month in the Washington Blade.
Other national keynote speakers will be Rev. Deborah L. Johnson, founder of Inner Light Ministries, Dr. Jack Rogers, author of Jesus, the Bible, And Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church, and Peterson Toscano, a GLAAD-trained spokesperson and brave “ex-gay” survivor who actually attended the so-called “ex-gay” Love In Action program in Tennessee.
Kim Clark also organized the event to raise awareness about the LGBT inclusive congregations in Tennessee, especially in light of the tragic church shooting in Knoxville earlier this summer. Our Family Matters offers healing and support for communities of faith affected by this tragedy.
“We’re revealing the enormous support for God ‘and’ gays, it’s no longer ‘or.’ In Christ’s love, orientation and faith are already reconciled,” says Kim. 
Elderly Indiana Couple Brutally Murdered
October 24, 2008 by Paul
Just two weeks ago marked 10 years since Matthew Shepard’s brutal murder. When we think about hate crimes, we often think about Matthew and about other young people whose lives were tragically cut short by hate. But what about hate crimes against other members of our community?
I was shocked to read that two elderly men were murdered in their Indiana home in what may likely be an anti-gay hate crime. The police are not yet letting anyone know how the men were killed, or when. All they will say is that their murders were done by “violent means.”
Both of the men were in their 70s; one of them used a wheelchair.
Neighbors and news media investigate the tragedy at Milton and Eric's home.
I didn’t know Milton Lindgren, 70, or Eric Hendricks, 73, but their relationship is something a lot of gay folks dream of: having a loving partner to share your life with. The recent marriage rulings in California and Connecticut marked another milestone for our community, and reinforced the possibility that the laws that allow people to take care of each other into their retirement years will catch up to the commitments that so many couples have already made to one another.
Those who lived on Milton and Eric’s southwest-side block counted them as friendly, kind neighbors. But nice neighbors withstanding, Milton and Eric were victims of anti-gay harassment and vandalism in their home for at least the past few months.
Police reports verify that someone had cut the couple’s phone and cable lines twice in the past few months. Not only that, but signs with anti-gay sentiments, including the f-word, were posted on their front door.
I can’t imagine growing up gay in the 1940s, and then finally making it to 2008—a time when marriage is an option for a few states and counting, more and more states offer nondiscrimination protections—and finding that even in a large city, your home can be vandalized and your life can even be taken simply because you’re gay.
We have made progress, but there is much work to be done changing people’s hearts and minds about us and our community.
Media Reports on Threats Made by Proposition 8 Supporters
October 24, 2008 by Paul
Business owners have received threatening letters, including a San Diego business owner, from backers of California’s Proposition 8.
The letters, sent by certified mail from those trying to take away the right to marry for same sex couples, threaten to expose and publicize information about the business owners. They demand that those who have donated to the “No on 8” campaign give a donation of a “like amount” to support the amendment, or face consequences.
“It’s truly an outrageous attempt to extort people,” said Geoff Kors, the executive director of Equality California.
Media Coverage Exposes Lies About Proposition 8
October 24, 2008 by Paul
Proponents of California’s Proposition 8 have been talking about everything but taking away the right of gay couples to get married in their effort to win in November. Experts (see here and here) from various fields have uniformly denounced the dishonest approach, and the mainstream media has also determined the claims of proposition supporters to be false (take a look here and here).
Polling numbers released Thursday show that when presented with the false claims, voters in California are beginning to move more towards defeating the proposition.
GLAAD Celebrates Pride in Iowa
October 23, 2008 by Paul
The below post is by Sarah Kennedy, the Central Region’s Media Field Strategist here at GLAAD.
During the weekend of October 4th, Des Moines, Iowa held its 30th annual Capital City Pride. This year, for the first time ever, GLAAD was in Des Moines to celebrate and participate in their annual festivities.
Though the festival and parade were supposed to take place in June, like many other local Pride celebrations, flooding across the region caused it to be delayed.
As GLAAD’s Central Media Field Strategist, I made the trip down to Iowa. That Friday I got to attend Iowa Pride Network’s Pride Institute, a roundtable style workshop with the leaders of LGBT and ally groups across the state on. Attendees included leaders of statewide LGBT organizations, Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa, the ACLU of Iowa and the Eyechaner Foundation, as well as leaders in the public health field.
Right before I headed off to discuss LGBT stories with a writer who works for Juice and The Des Moines Register, Iowans got the news that Iowa’s Supreme Court will revisit the marriage case on Dec. 9. What an exciting time for me to be in Iowa!
The next day, I conducted a larger-scale Media Essentials workshop to a group of more than 60 activists at One Iowa’s Leadership Summit.
The workshop focused on empowering everyday Iowans to be spokespeople for marriage equality. After the workshop, I also discussed interview tips with Sean Fritz and Timothy McQuillan, the only couple that managed to marry last August during the brief window when marriage for gay couples was legal in Iowa.
Sunday morning I brought GLAAD banners, brochures, postcards, GLAAD-logo temporary tattoos, and more to the city’s East Village to set up GLAAD’s Pride Festival booth. I visited with hundreds of Iowans at our booth, discussing GLAAD’s powerful work changing hearts and minds, whether it was chatting with folks who had seen the 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards on Bravo or engaging local activists about our work on transgender issues, we had some great conversations and I met some great folks.
GLAAD is looking forward to continuing our work with One Iowa, and all of the other LGBT and ally organizations across the state, as the marriage decision comes down in early December.
Arkansas Families First Releases New Ad
October 22, 2008 by Paul
Arkansas Families First, a coalition of citizens who oppose a ballot initiative that would ban adoption by unmarried couples (including gay and lesbian couples), has just released a new ad.
The ad features former foster kids talking about how there shouldn’t be laws to make it harder for kids to find safe and loving homes.
You can watch the ad below:
GLAAD Works with Advocates Across the Country to Honor Matthew Shepard
October 13, 2008 by Paul
As I posted on Friday, in honor of Matthew’s memory and the legacy he has left behind, we at GLAAD launched a project to get those stories told – to look at where we were ten years ago, where we are today and where we still need to go.
Collaborating with folks from across the country we went to work writing, editing and pitching editorials and op-ed pieces to newspapers in almost every state in the nation.
This comprehensive approach – to tell Matthew’s story nation-wide, but uniquely in different communities around the country – is intended to raise awareness on the local level of the continued violence against gay and transgender people.
Below are some of the placements GLAAD has helped to secure this week. We will be posting more as the become available to us online.
ALABAMA
“Alabama Voices: Expand Alabama Statute”
by Danny Upton, Executive Director of Equality Alabama
Montgomery Advertiser
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081007/OPINION0101/810070301/1006/OPINION
“State’s hate-crime law not inclusive”
by Danny Upton, Executive Director of Equality Alabama
Birmingham News
http://www.al.com/opinion/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/opinion/122319450782970.xml&coll=2
ALASKA
“Remembering Matthew Shepard”
by Leslie Wood
Juneau Empire
http://juneauempire.com/stories/101208/opi_343196289.shtml
CALIFORNIA
“Fear, ignorance, hatred take lives of Shepard and King”
by Jay Smith, Executive Director of the Ventura County Rainbow Alliance in Ventura
Ventura County Star
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/oct/05/fear-ignorance-hatred-take-lives-of-shepard-and/
COLORADO
“Ten years after Matthew Shepard, no change”
by Monica Zapata, sister of hate crime victim Angie Zapata
Denver Post
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_10661633
“A hate crime remembered”
Editorial inspired by GLAAD’s recent work with the paper
Denver Post
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_10671319
“Judy Shepard statement on the 10th anniversary of Matthew’s death”
by Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard
Rocky Mountain News
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/oct/09/judy-shepard-statement-10th-anniversary-matthews-d/
CONNECTICUT
“Stand Against Hate Crimes: On Shepard Killing Anniversary, Federal Law Still Needed”
By Rev. Terry Davis, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Hartford
Hartford Courant
http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/commentary/hc-commentarydavis1012.artoct12,0,7489785.story
OKLAHOMA
“It’s time for Oklahoma to act”
by Laura Belmonte, President of Oklahomans for Equality
Tulsa World
http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/article.aspx?subjectID=65&articleID=20081009_65_A13_Tiekay288739
MARYLAND
“10 Years After Matthew Shepard”
by Mark Jason McLaurin, Director of Legislative Affairs, Public Justice Center
Baltimore Examiner
http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/opinion/Ten_years_after_Matthew_Shepard.html
MISSISSIPPI
“Remembering Matthew Shepard”
by Jamie Carter, Vice-President of the University of Mississippi Gay Straight Alliance
The Daily Mississippian
http://www.thedmonline.com/remembering_matthew_shepard
MONTANA
Letter: Shepard’s death galvanized a movement
by Ken Spencer
The Missoulian
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/10/12/letters/more/letters83.txt
SOUTH CAROLINA
“Ten years later, still no hate crime law”
by Elke Kennedy, mother of hate crime victim Sean Kennedy
The State
http://www.thestate.com/editorial-columns/story/548100.html
“South Carolina still doesn’t have a hate crimes law”
by Elke Kennedy
Greenville News
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081011/OPINION/810110311/1004/NEWS01
UTAH
“Remembering Matthew Shepard”
by Milton Monson
The Salt Lake Tribune
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_10697785?source=email
VERMONT
“My Turn: Pass law to protect LGBTQ people”
by Kara DeLeonardis, Executive Director of RU12? Community Center in Burlington
Burlington Free Press
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081010/OPINION/810100303
VIRGINIA
“Virginia doesn’t protect gays”
by Dyana Mason and Mark E. Board, Executive Director and Board Chairman of Equality Virginia
The Roanoke Times
http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/commentary/wb/179597
GLAAD Travels to Missouri for Annual LGBT Conference
October 13, 2008 by Paul
Recently GLAAD’s Central Region Media Field Strategist, Sarah Kennedy, visited Kansas City, Missouri, to participate in PROMO’s Annual Equality Conference and engage local journalists in conversations about reporting on LGBT issues.
Sarah arrived on Friday, in time to meet with the past and current board presidents of the Kansas City Anti-Violence Project (KCAVP) for breakfast. They discussed the state of local media and LGBT issues, and also laid groundwork for future collaborations between Sarah and the KCAVP’s communications committee.
Later that day, Sarah met with the Executive Director and Associate Director of the ACLU of Kansas and Western Missouri to discuss their work on LGBT issues.
Sarah was also able to speak with local journalists, including the editor of LGBT publication Camp KC, and the Readers’ Representative of the Kansas City Star, one of the top 50 largest-circulation papers in the country. A big part of GLAAD’s successful media advocacy work comes from our relationships with media.
Our work with local community partners is also vital to success. GLAAD met up with supporters, members and staffers of PROMO at an event at one supporters’ home Friday evening. The event was well-attended by both new and longstanding supporters. Local LGBT and LGBT-friendly politicians were on hand to talk about PROMO’s great work throughout the state as well.
Sen. Jolie Justus
Most memorable perhaps was when openly lesbian Sen. Jolie Justus addressed the crowd and talked about how vital PROMO’s support was to her campaign win.
Rounding out the weekend, Sarah presented a Media Essentials workshop to attendees of PROMO’s yearly Missouri Equality Conference, which brought together LGBT activists, faith leaders, college students and allies. All participants left the training with talking points and counsel on sharing their individual and organizational work with local media.
GLAAD's College Media Reference Guide
Later in the conference, Sarah met with student activists and reporters from St. Louis’ Washington University to distribute copies of GLAAD’s Media Reference Guide for College Journalists.
Sarah’s trip to Missouri was a very productive and successful one, further building GLAAD’s relationships while also helping to educate many advocates and allies.
GLAAD’s Matthew Shepard Op-Ed Project
October 10, 2008 by Paul
Matthew Shepard’s murder was a dark moment in our nation’s history. Matthew Shepard’s legacy, however, has been one that has acted as a guiding light. His tragic story has provided others with the courage to speak out, come out, and share their own personal stories.
In honor of Matthew’s memory and the legacy he has left behind, we at GLAAD launched a project to get those stories told – to look at where we were ten years ago, where we are today and where we still need to go.
The Matthew Shepard Op-Ed project led GLAAD to reach out to local partners in communities around the country and identify opportunities to get personal stories, the stories of other victims of hate, and updates on progress in fighting hate crimes printed in local and regional media outlets. We’ve successfully helped people in writing, editing and pitching editorials and op-ed pieces to newspapers in almost every state in the nation.
Working with our community partners op-eds and editorials have already been published in South Carolina, California, Colorado, Alabama, Virginia, and Oklahoma just to name a few. Many more pieces will be published today and through the weekend.
Remembering Matt is a charge we take seriously. Given the lack of media coverage of other hate crimes, GLAAD felt more needed to be said about Matt’s story and the legacy his family and the LGBT community proudly carry on.
As you will read, hate crimes are still a tragic reality and the stories of people like Sean Kennedy, Lawrence King, Angie Zapata and many other victims of anti-LGBT hate crimes need to be told.
This is an opportunity for you to get involved. We encourage everyone around the country to engage their local media outlets and submit letters-to-the editor responding to stories about the 10-year remembrance of Matthew Shepherd or to create a conversation in media outlets where none have happened.
We all have the power to honor Matthew Shepherd’s legacy by making sure his story, and the countless stories of other victims of anti-LGBT violence, are never forgotten.
Stop the Hate Benefit Concert to Remember Matthew Shepherd
October 10, 2008 by Paul
A decade after his murder, organizations and communities around the country are remembering the legacy of Matthew Shepherd in many ways.
Campus Pride’s Stop The Hate program has partnered with the Matthew Shepard Foundation to put on a special benefit concert to raise awareness about hate crimes on college campuses.
According to the 2006 hate crime statistics compiled by the FBI, school campuses continue to be the third most common place for hate crimes to occur.
“We are very pleased to be intimately involved in Stop the Hate and this concert,” said Judy Shepard, Matthew Shepard’s mother and the Executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. “I know that such collaborative efforts make a real difference on our college campuses, and in the 10 years since Matt’s murder, programs like Stop The Hate have made our college campuses safer places to learn and work.”
Since its creation in 2001, Stop The Hate has trained over 1,000 students, faculty and campus officials on campuses across the country with their 250 page curriculum manual. The trainings prepare participants to conduct workshops designed to raise awareness about hate crimes and bias incidents as well as develop effective strategies to prevent such acts.
Campus Pride’s innovative educational initiative Stop The Hate “Train the Trainer” program is dedicating their Fall and Spring trainings in North Carolina and California to the memory of all victims of hate.
Check out Stop The Hate’s PSA that has aired on MTV to over 700 universities and 5.5 million viewers.
