Atlanta, GA and Campbell, CA Add Openly Gay Asian Americans to Political Posts
December 2, 2009 by GLAAD Blog
Gay Chinese Americans have made headlines in Georgia and California this week as Alex Wan and Evan Low were elected to high ranking political posts. Wan, the first Asian American and openly gay man elected to District 6 of the Atlanta City Council, now sits on the so-called “gay seat” which has been occupied by a gay person for the past 12 years, but never by a gay Asian person.
Evan Low, 26, also made history with his election as the nation’s youngest openly gay and youngest Asian American mayor. In addition to his newly acquired duties as mayor, Low works full time as senior district representative to Assemblyman Paul Fong, D-Sunnyvale, and is pursuing a Master’s degree in public administration from San Jose State University.
Low is very committed to the city of Campbell. “For me, it’s about making a difference in the community I live in,” he said. “Campbell is my home.”
Related Posts:Second Lieutenant Sandy Tsao’s Story Covered By MSNBC, Online Media
May 8, 2009 by Andy Marra, Senior Media Strategist @ GLAAD
As a result of yesterday’s blog post featuring Second Lieutenant Sandy Tsao and her handwritten letter from President Obama, media outlets and interested online users alike have taken notice and have begun including Sandy’s story in the public debate over the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” military ban.
Thousands of people came here to read about Sandy’s story, and online outlets like The Huffington Post featured links back to the post or included information about Sandy when discussing other cases of DADT.
We had also pitched the breaking news about President Obama’s handwritten letter over to MSNBC producers at The Rachel Maddow Show. Producers immediately took interest and Rachel Maddow shared Sandy’s incredible news as the lead story.
You can watch the piece below:
Rachel Maddow followed Sandy’s story with that of First Lieutenant Dan Choi, who was discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell for coming out as gay on an earlier show. Choi is also the founder of Knights Out, an organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) US military academy alumni and their supporters.
Here is video from his previous appearance on The Rachel Maddow Show:
Please continue to check back as we continue to ensure fair, accurate and inclusive coverage on this issue. I will be working closely with Sandy, Dan and others in the immediate future to share their stories and show the public the emotional toll Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell has played on these soldiers’ lives.
A Personal Promise From President Obama On “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
May 7, 2009 by Andy Marra, Senior Media Strategist @ GLAAD
Last night, I received a phone call filled with exciting news from a close friend to GLAAD, Second Lieutenant Sandy Tsao. Sandy is a Chinese American woman and army officer based out of St. Louis, Missouri. Sandy originally reached out to me last January as a result of her brave decision to come out as gay.
At the same time, Sandy also sent a heartfelt letter to President Obama urging him to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT).
Second Lieutenant Sandy Tsao
An excerpt from her original letter in January reads:
Today is Chinese New Year day. I hope it will bring good fortune to you and your newly elected office. Today is also the day I inform my chain of command of who I am. One of the seven army values is integrity. It means choosing to do the right thing no matter what the consequences may be. As a Christian, this also means living an honest life.
In closing, she wrote:
We have the best military in the world and I would like to continue to be part of it. My mother can tell you it is my dream to serve our country. I have fought and overcome many barriers to arrive at the point I am at today. This is the only battle I fear I may lose. Even if it is too late for me, I do hope, Mr. President, that you will help us to win the war against prejudice so that future generations will continue to work together and fight for our freedoms regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin or sexual orientation.
Obama's Letter (click to view larger image)
This past Tuesday, May 5, Sandy received a package from the White House. As Sandy unwrapped the thick envelope and looked inside, she tearfully fell to her knees. Protected between two pieces of cardboard, the parcel contained a handwritten note from President Obama.
The President, responding to Sandy’s letter, wrote:
Sandy – Thanks for the wonderful and thoughtful letter. It is because of outstanding Americans like you that I committed to changing our current policy. Although it will take some time to complete (partly because it needs Congressional action) I intend to fulfill my commitment. — Barack Obama.
Sandy and I have spent the past few months sharing her story in the media so others know about the unfortunate reality facing gay, lesbian and bisexual citizens in the armed forces. We began sharing her story with Asian Pacific Islander media, mainly because of their growing interest for more LGBT stories. We had also shared her story with mainstream media outlets, but received no response.
I initially pitched her story to Audrey, a magazine reaching more than 10,000 Asian American women across the country.
Click here for the full story by Sandy
Audrey’s Editor-in-Chief, Anne Kim, readily agreed to pick up Sandy’s personal account about coming out in the military. Her editorial can be found in the April/May issue that is currently on newsstands (or by clicking on the image to the left).
I also reached out to my contact at The World Journal, a Chinese language daily newspaper reaching nearly 350,000 readers. The reporter immediately interviewed Sandy and subsequently wrote a feature piece on DADT and its impact on openly gay, lesbian and bisexual service members.
Sandy’s last day in the army is May 19. She is being forced to leave the military, another service member discharged under the DADT policy.
Right now, she is preparing to rejoin everyday life as a civilian. But even though Sandy is sad to leave her dream job, she hopes her story will contribute to repealing the military ban. Sandy is even more encouraged by President Obama’s personal promise to allow others like her to serve openly in the military with pride and dignity.
The White House Web site
The debate over Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is still alive in the media landscape. Bloggers like Joe. My. God recently found the White House Web site had revised its language on President Obama’s commitment to lift the ban for openly gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans from serving in the military.
While the story of revised White House Web site language may fall out of the news cycle, we can be sure that DADT will continue to capture the media spotlight. The advocacy, reports and media coverage surrounding the ban have only expanded the public debate, scrutinizing the reasons and rationale for delaying the day when openly lesbian, gay and bisexual people can serve in the military.
The President’s personal reply extends beyond Sandy and her story. It’s a powerful message to the American people that one day everyone will be able to serve their country free from the fear of being discharged simply because of their sexual orientation. However, as the President’s note alludes to, the timeline to fulfill that commitment remains unknown.
My work with Sandy is one example from many that highlights the very reason why we need GLAAD’s Asian Pacific Islander Media Program. Whether we are providing a media training for LGBT community leaders from Mainland China to pitching a Seoul-based newspaper a hate crimes story, my work aims to harness the power of media with cultural competency. GLAAD’s commitment to the Asian Pacific Islander community and other communities of color is united by a simple belief that we must bring all of our experiences to the table when engaging in meaningful debate for fairness and equality.
Below, you can watch a clip from The Rachel Maddow Show which followed the story of the White House Website revising its DADT language:
And here is a collection of media coverage related to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell:
Related Blog Coverage
Joe. My. God:
- White house fixes DADT Language on website, “repeal” replaces “change”
- White house restores LGBT rights promises on website (but changes DADT wording from “repeal” to “change”
- White house shrinks LGBT rights commitments list on official site
The Bilerico Project:
- Disrespecting the troops, one thousand officers at a time
- Obama hits pause on the repeal DADT button
- Robert Gates wants to “push” DADT repeal “down the road a little bit”
Milk Acceptance Speeches Censored by News Corp Subsidiary
February 26, 2009 by Andy Marra, Senior Media Strategist @ GLAAD
Film buffs from around the world are still buzzing about this year’s Oscar winners. GLAAD was thrilled about Milk being nominated in eight categories and receiving the Oscar for BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY for screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, and PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE, to Sean Penn for his role as the openly gay leader Harvey Milk.
Both of their acceptance speeches that night received rousing cheers and applause from within the Kodak Theater. But millions of TV viewers missed out on their full speeches because they were censored.
Who is responsible? News Corp.
It’s the same media company under fire from many organizations for its defamatory political cartoon in The New York Post.
Specifically, STAR is an Asian TV satellite company and a News Corp subsidiary. The TV service reaches more than 300 million viewers in 53 countries. STAR aired the full broadcast live, but later in the evening showed an edited version of the recorded telecast. Evening viewers tuning into the recorded awards show found the company had edited out the words “gay” and “lesbian” every time they were said on-stage by the screenwriter or actor.
The Associated Press reported the following reason for why “gay” and “lesbian” were cut out of the telecast:
Jannie Poon, STAR’s Hong Kong-based spokeswoman, stressed that the company had no intention of upsetting any viewers, but said it has ”a responsibility to take the sensitivities and guidelines of all our markets into consideration.”
Poon said she was not immediately aware that the speeches had been censored, but noted that STAR’s preliminary ratings for the Oscar broadcasts indicated ”record-breaking” audiences, especially in India and Taiwan.
I don’t think anyone is surprised by the record-breaking audiences. Millions of viewers from around the world tuned in to celebrate some of the best films of our time including gay cinema. Moviegoers were touched by Milk and its historic story about gay and lesbian inequality.
How is STAR being responsible for editing out the words “gay” and “lesbian” when some of its viewers happen to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender?
In the same AP story, it reported that some people have spoken out on the censorship by STAR. :
”As a gay man, I am truly offended,” Pang Khee Teik, a prominent Malaysian arts commentator, wrote in a letter sent out to several media organizations. ”Stop censoring the words that describe who I am.”
Pang said the move ‘’sent a message … that gays and lesbians are still shameful things to be censored from the public’s ears.”
For those interested in expressing their concerns to STAR, you can contact them here:
Jannie Poon
Phone: 852-2621-8728
Fax: 852-2621-8620
E-Mail: janniep@startv.com
Uncensored Dustin Lance Black acceptance speech:
Uncensored Sean Penn acceptance speech:
Did you see
Korean Court Convicts Man for Raping Transgender Woman
February 24, 2009 by Andy Marra, Senior Media Strategist @ GLAAD
In a landmark ruling, a Korean Court found a 28-year-old man guilty for robbing and raping a transgender woman last August. The 58-year-old woman found the man breaking into her home. He stole 100,000 won ($70USD) and then proceeded to rape her.
Busan District Court
The Busan District Court convicted the man and sentenced him to three years in prison, but suspended his sentence for four years. The court also ordered him to complete 120 hours of community service.
Prosecutors originally tried to secure a five-year sentence.
Yonhap, the state news agency produced two stories (text and audio) on the legal milestone. Other media outlets like the The Korea Herald and The Chosun Ilbo have also generated coverage on the sexual assault case.
The verdict signals another milestone for transgender Koreans. In 2006, the South Korean Supreme Court ruled in favor of a transgender woman’s request to amend her gender on official documents. The South Korean military reformulated its medical examination procedures, making transgender people eligible to serve.
Ha Ri-su and Micky Chung
Ha Ri-su, the famous transgender Korean singer and actress, was then able to apply for amended identification that reflected her gender.
She was also able to legally marry her partner, Micky Chung. The couple plans on adopting children in the future.
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has played a leading role for ensuring transgender people among other minority groups are protected and upheld in law and policy.
In 2006, GLAAD met with a delegation from the top human rights group. We spent time with the delegation to provide resources and guidance for their national LGBT efforts.
Korea’s continued progress for protecting all of its citizesn regardless of their gender identity is absolutely worth its weight in media coverage. Hopefully, these stories will propel similar advances in the region and around the world.
Members of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea
Beijing Witnesses Marriage Equality Event on Valentines Day
February 17, 2009 by Andy Marra, Senior Media Strategist @ GLAAD
Millions of people celebrated Valentines Day this past weekend with their loved ones. Same-sex couples also joined in the festivities by participating in the National Freedom to Marry Week; the week-long event generated local activities taking place across the country in support of marriage for gay and lesbian couples.
This year’s week was organized by Freedom to Marry, Marriage Equality USA and Join the Impact.
A same-sex couple a part of the demonstration
Coincidentally, a similar event took place half-way around the world in Mainland China. The China Daily, a government-run newspaper covered a story out of Beijing involving a Valentine’s day mock wedding featuring gay and lesbian couples.
Crowds gathered nearby Tiananmen Square to watch the demonstration with organizers handing out roses and resources explaining same-sex marriage. The wedding-themed event was performed to raise visibility and support for China’s government to legally recognize same-sex marriage.
Reuters, The Wall Street Journal and the popular gay Asian portal Fridae.com also covered the story.
A same-sex couple participating in the demonstration
GLAAD’s Asian Pacific Islander Media Program frequently works with the very same gay and lesbian advocates who organized the event.
Last August, we at GLAAD offered important resources and urged reporters to take a closer look at China’s LGBT community and its relationship to the country’s human rights record during the Beijing Olympic Games.
We also connected outlets including The Southern Voice and CBS News on LOGO with LGBT groups like Common Language and Aibai in China to share their experiences of being gay or lesbian in the communist country.
As time passes and our work continues, we anticipate more exciting developments impacting LGBT people to come out of Mainland China.
New PSA Speaks to API Transgender Women
December 3, 2008 by Mik @ GLAAD
In what media reports are calling a “seminal” event, a new public service announcement for the 20th observance of World AIDS Day was revealed yesterday. What makes this PSA stand out is that it’s the first one developed by and aimed at the wellness of the Asian Pacific Islander transgender community.
Medical News Today reports that the PSA is:
“The first of its kind to specifically address transgender women-particularly in the A&PI community-who are at higher risk for HIV infection and face discrimination for being transgender, of color, or both.”
The spot, produced by the non-profit organization The Banyan Project, will air nationally and online. The Banyan Tree Project is a national campaign dedicated to reducing HIV-related stigma in Asian Pacific Islander communities.
HIV is a prevalent issue in transgender communities. Just this year the Chicago-based publication Positively Aware, a bi-monthly magazine that reports on aspects of HIV/AIDS, dedicated the July/August edition to transgender issues. According to the article in Medical news Today, national studies suggest that 27.7% of transgender women have HIV. Two different 2004 studies conducted in San Francisco estimated that up to 27% of Asian Pacific Islander transgender women have HIV.
The PSA focuses on reducing stigma and shame related to discussing HIV and AIDS in the Asian Pacific Islander community. From the article:
“This community is often overlooked, and many of the outreach and prevention programs servicing transgender women are in danger of dissolution due to state and local funding cuts. This PSA is one way to continue the dialogue with an underserved, high-risk community in this historically unprecedented economic environment.”
The PSA features Tita Aida, Asia Vitale, and Erica Raney. Tita Aida is a long-time AIDS activst who was recently appointed to be the first transgender woman to sit on the Commission of Status of Women in San Francisco. Asia Vitale is well known for work in the 2006 documentary Beautiful Daughters, and Erica Raney currently serves as the peer leader for the Asian & Pacific Islander Transgender Empowerment program. Read the script below, or watch the PSA:
“I am in control of who I am and how I live my life. As Asian & Pacific Islander transgender women, we are at risk of getting infected with HIV. But we can change that. We can call the shots. Be in control of your health and life. Talk to your partner about using protection every time you have sex.”
Let California Ring Launches One of the Biggest Ethnic Media Ad Buys in History
September 24, 2008 by Paul
One of the biggest public education efforts launched in California in recent years, Let California Ring is making waves with an innovative ad campaign for ethnic press, which features community leaders, LGBT couples and their families.
The print, radio and online banner ads are slated to run through the end of September in more than 150 API, Spanish-language and African-American outlets statewide.
All told this public education campaign is expected to reach more than 15 million people.
The campaign kicked off last fall with a TV commercial, media coverage of the campaign reaching more than 8 million people worldwide, and house parties where guests gained the tools to have conversations about marriage with their own friends, family and community members.
GLAAD has played a key role since the beginning of this exciting campaign. We’ve helped shape the ad campaign and generate media coverage, we’ve spokesperson trained LGBT couples and their families and we’ve been working diligently to provide media professionals with important resources.
The conversation about marriage is more important than ever since California state law now allows LGBT couples to marry.
Since the campaign launched we’ve seen an exponential spike in traffic to the website. People are talking about marriage, and those are the exactly the conversation that we know are changing hearts and minds about the issue.
Join the conversation, or share your story at www.LetCaliforniaRing.org. We want to hear from you!
Kenneth Cole Sets Trend for Inclusion
September 17, 2008 by Cindi Creager, GLAAD's Director of National News
The below post was submitted by Andy Marra, GLAAD’s Asian and Pacific Islander Media Strategist.
Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. is known for setting the bar high when it comes to creative advertising to its customers. The fashion company has long tied its brand to social causes including advertising for the LGBT community and AIDS awareness.
Another ad featuring Log Cabin Republicans President Patrick Sammon
When Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian on the cover of Time magazine in 1997, Kenneth Cole used catchy ads to announce their support of her.
More recently, Kenneth Cole’s We All Walk In Different Shoes campaign has featured Log Cabin Republican President Patrick Sammon and LGBT families.
One of the newest ads in the campaign shows Nina Poon, a transgender woman of Chinese descent and her boyfriend Robert Jason about to kiss. The ad shares Nina’s story of growing up in Vietnam, coming to terns with her gender identity and how she now juggles being a successful illustrator, make up artist and girlfriend.
The new campaign features people from all walks of life, with its theme stemming from the company’s history of making footwear. Other people appearing as a part of the campaign include a punk evangelist, a survivor of ovarian cancer, an African American woman with albinism and a Hasidic reggae artist.
Hats (or shoes?) off to Kenneth Cole for providing the world great ads with an inclusive message.
Asian Pacific Islander LGBT Leaders Convene in Denver
September 11, 2008 by Cindi Creager, GLAAD's Director of National News
The below post is from Andy Marra, GLAAD’s Asian and Pacific Islander Media Strategist about her recent trip to Denver, Colorado. (Click here for the Asian Pacific Islander Community Media Resource Kit)
A week after the Democratic National Convention was held in the “Mile High City,” I found myself on Frontier Airlines flying to Denver, Colorado. I was traveling to present a briefing and media training at the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) Leadership Convening. The weekend-long event was developed for leaders of LGBT Asian Pacific Islander (API) organizations to network, learn about current issues, share strategies and build their infrastructure.
At the convening I found myself among more than 40 colleagues and organizational leaders from across the country. While I regularly travel to meet with these groups to provide media advocacy support and build their media relations and outreach capacity, it was an absolute pleasure to see everyone together in one place exchanging ideas and discussing future opportunities to collaborate.
Andy Marra briefs attendees at NQAPIA
On Saturday, I presented a briefing to the participants on where the API community is with its media visibility. The major theme – we’ve come a long away, but we still have much to do to in order to amplify our voices.
I also conducted a media training for about 15 new API LGBT leaders interested in developing communications plans for their organizations. Each participant received a package of our Media Essentials Toolkit, Announcing Equality report and palmcards about our work in the community.
The weekend also gave me a chance to sit down with various leaders of API LGBT organizations to hear updates on their work and how GLAAD assist them with upcoming projects. Many of the groups shared their plans for various advertising campaigns and new media projects. A few days back from the convening, I have already begun assisting some of them with their work!
Group Photo from NQAPIA
The convening in Denver was made possible with the help and support of both the Gill Foundation and Astraea Lesbian Action Foundation. Morris Price, a Program Officer for the Gill Foundation, was primarily responsible for making this event happen. It was great to catch up Morris, a good friend and colleague.
I owe a special thanks to my friends and NQAPIA founders Glenn Magpantay, Ben De Guzman and Mala Nagarajan for pulling this historic event together.
GLAAD has committed itself to being a resource for NQAPIA as it grows and develops. I am excited by their vision and plans to continue bringing the API LGBT community together.
