National Media Follows the Latest on Proposed ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Repeal
March 18, 2010 by Anna Wipfler, GLAAD's Transgender Advocacy Fellow
This morning, the Senate Armed Services Committee held an informal hearing on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ where they heard testimony from Former U.S. Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade Jenny Kopfstein and Air Force Major Mike Almy, both Iraq/Afghanistan veterans who explained the detrimental effect of the current law on the strength of their units and their own lives.
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network executive director Aubrey Sarvis stated in this morning’s press release, “Not only did they explain how the archaic ban is harming military preparedness, but they illustrated the generational divide on the issue” – referring to the opposing stance of some older members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In testimony before the same committee just two days ago, however, General David Petraeus said “the time has come to consider a change” to the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, according to CBS News. With these sentiments, Gen. Petraeus joins the ranks of Adm. Michael Mullen, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and Gen. Colin Powell calling for a thorough review of the policy.
On the Senate floor, the historic bill Military Readiness Enhancement Act authorizing the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ introduced by Senators Joseph Lieberman and Carl Levin has picked up 25 cosponsors in two weeks.
Across town this afternoon, ABC News reported that Lieutenant Dan Choi and Captain James Pietrangelo II chained themselves to the front gate of the White House in protest of the policy, resulting in their arrest – which ABC News captured on video.
GLAAD will continue to keep you updated on mainstream media coverage of the push to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’.
Related Posts: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 Trained Couples First to Wed as Ceremonies Begin in D.C.
March 9, 2010 by Anna Wipfler, GLAAD's Transgender Advocacy Fellow
Today marks the first day that same-sex couples can legally marry in Washington, D.C. After applying for marriage licenses last Wednesday, couples were finally able to be married this morning. First among these pioneering gay and lesbian couples to say their vows and have their marriage license signed were Sinjoyla Townsend and Angelisa Young, one of the couples for whom GLAAD was happy to provide media training and assistance on the ground over the past week.
Sinjoyla Townsend (L) and Angelisa Young (CNN.com)
Working in conjunction with Campaign for All DC Families, GLAAD’s Senior Media Field Strategist, Adam Bass, is present at the Equality Center-- where the first ceremonies are taking place – and live tweeting the historic and touching moments from the proceedings. At 8:30 this morning the marriage licenses for those who applied last Wednesday were available for couples to pick up. By 10:45 am EST Sinjoyla and Angelisa were married, and at 11:00 am their license was signed, making the bond official.
Rocky Galloway (L) and Reginald Stanley with Rev. Sylvia E. Sumter (AP)
Following that ceremony, Rocky Galloway and Reggie Stanley and then Candy Holmes and Darlene Garner became the second and third same-sex couples to legally wed in the nation’s capital city. Jessica Gresko of the Associated Press described 100 guests sitting on white chairs, surrounded by snapdragons, roses, and carnations as the pastor pronounced the couples “partners in life this day and for always.”
These first marriages were highly celebrated, and AP also talked to many same-sex couples who planned to wed at the courthouse over the next weeks. The courthouse, which normally holds 3-4 weddings each day is expecting 10-12 per day over the next several weeks.
Darlene Garner (L) and Candy Holmes (AP)
GLAAD applauds the media for its extensive coverage of this historic moment and congratulates all those couples who are paving the way toward full marriage equality.
Related Posts:GLAAD On the Ground In D.C. As Couples Prepare to Marry
March 3, 2010 by Anna Wipfler, GLAAD's Transgender Advocacy Fellow
Two of GLAAD’s media field strategists are in Washington, D.C. helping elevate the voices of numerous couples who are set to marry. By 9 am this morning, 60 same-sex couples had lined up outside the D.C. Superior Court to file their applications for marriage licenses, according to The Washington Post. Today marks the first day that the District of Columbia will accept same-sex applications, and the first couples will receive their licenses as soon as Tuesday, March 9th.
The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009 passed the D.C. Council and was signed by D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty in December but then had to survive the mandatory congressional review period as well because Washington is a federal district. With the review period’s expiration on Tuesday and Supreme Court Justice Robert’s denial of a last-minute request by opponents to stay the new law, however, the marriage equality bill went into effect this morning, making D.C. the sixth location in the country to issue licenses to same-sex couples (joining Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont).
In preparation for the day, commemorative pens and celebratory cupcakes were on hand at the court. The Associated Press reported that the D.C. marriage bureau also changed the language of its applications and civil marriage ceremonies to be gender-neutral.
GLAAD media field strategists, Adam Bass and Daryl Hannah are on the ground in D.C. providing extensive media assistance to couples as they apply for their newly-legalized marriage licenses. GLAAD is proud to support loving couples who are making lifelong commitment to take care of and be responsible for one another. We’ll continue to keep you updated on all of the latest developments.
Related Posts:Crate & Barrel Holds Inclusive ‘Ultimate Wedding’ Contest, Anti-Gay Blogger Attacks
March 1, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
Contemporary houseware giant Crate & Barrel is giving one lucky couple $100,000 to make their ‘Ultimate Wedding’ dreams come true. The winning couple can be gay or straight, the company says.
‘The Ultimate Wedding’ sweepstakes asks couples to post a small profile to Crate & Barrel’s website that gives a brief synopsis of their love story. The couple must then earn votes from online users in order to advance to the next stage of the competition. The 50 contestants who receive the most votes will move to the final round of the contest and Crate & Barrel judges will select one lucky couple to win their ‘Ultimate Wedding’.
Numerous same-sex couples are already strong contenders in the race. Longtime partners Gregory Jones and Jonathan Howard, for instance, currently hold the #2 spot for most votes earned.
Howard was the victim of a bias-motivated crime in August 2008, during which he suffered significant head and spinal injuries. Howard says his love for Greg helped him get through the attack.
“After the attack and the trial Greg stood by my side,” Howard writes. “He held me up and he pushed me forward. He was there with me through the constant nightmares and my struggle to understand. He was also the one who helped me gain the courage to speak out about what happened to me.”
Now, some bloggers are harassing Jones and Howard about their success in the competition. One Chicago-based blogger who claims to be in the “law enforcement industry” was particularly menacing with a post that called Jones and Howard a “fruit loop couple” and made other crude and defamatory comments.
Anonymous comments following the post referred to the couple as “flammin fa**ots.”
That content has since been removed from the blogger’s website.
Discouraged by the comments, Howard considered dropping out of the contest, but quickly realized he had to stay visible and make a difference:
“I think about all that I have been through,” Howard writes on his blog. “My struggle to come out, the lack of acceptance, being attacked for being true to myself, finding the perfect man and loving him openly and honestly, getting engaged and making the decision to enter a contest knowing that it would be a difficult road.
“There is no way that I can drop out of this competition and retreat. I cannot stop being who I am and I need to make a difference. Words are powerful, and so are actions. And just like words of hatred can have power over people, words of hope can have power over people as well. We have the power to change society, we have the power to make a difference.”
Other same-sex couples who are performing strongly in the contest include ‘Mikey and Earl’, ‘Emily and Rachel’, and‘Ed and Erwin’.
Be sure to support your favorite couples at http://www.ultimateweddingcontest.com/
GLAAD applauds Crate & Barrel for its inclusive rules in the ‘Ultimate Wedding Contest’ which give visibility to loving and committed same-sex couples everywhere. We also commend Gregory Jones and Jonathan Howard for their courage in standing up and celebrating their love despite some defamatory attacks.
For more information, visit http://www.crateandbarrel.com
Related Posts:No Gold Medal for Homophobic Olympics Coverage
February 26, 2010 by Jarrett Barrios, President of GLAAD
Jarrett Barrios, President of GLAAD, wrote about the problematic media coverage of Olympic Men’s Figure Skating, in The Huffington Post on Friday, February 26, 2010. Read the full article at The Huffington Post or on GLAAD Blog.
Jarrett Barrios
This post was originally published at The Huffington Post. See original post.
It was last week that MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Scarborough and co-host Willie Geist yukked it up about the Olympics, choosing to get their laugh lines in the area of Men’s Figure Skating:
WILLIE GEIST: Joe, I know you’re very, very excited about the uh Men’s Figure Skating tonight. It should be a real battle.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Well, it’s always, every four years I look forward to it. It’s a great chance for me to do a couple things at once. It’s usually where I get my nails buffed and polished while sitting there watching Men’s Figure Skating.
GUEST COMMENTATOR: One thing it does do though, it gives you a preview of what Willie will be wearing when he comes back here to New York.
Perhaps Joe and company should be congratulated for keeping their homophobia and gender stereotyping to at least a PG level. What, with talk radio personalities like Dallas KRLD-FM’s Gregg Henson “quipping” about US figure skater Johnny Weir: “We know you’re gay, queen. It’s your choice to live that ‘lifestyle.’” Gotta love talk radio for not holding anything back, huh?
As noted in GLAAD Blog’s coverage analysis, in both national and international sports media outlets, homophobic comments and jabs about male figure skaters who break gender norms, Johnny Weir in particular, dominated sports-oriented talk radio and television throughout the Vancouver Winter Olympics. One commentator even suggested Weir should undergo gender verification testing and another suggested Weir become a U.S. entry into the Women’s skating event.
The list of famous Olympians who are or were openly gay or lesbian is, well, short. And it’s easy to see why when outlets like the Chicago Tribune post polls asking whether people ‘cared’ whether Weir was gay or not when he competed during the 2006 Winter Games. The sports commentator’s impulse to analysis – even apparently harmless polls like the Chicago Tribune’s–is born of a deep and deeply troubling assumption in the minds of sports commentators that “it’s a man’s world” and that means gay people or those who break gender norms aren’t welcome.
The Olympics are intended to bring together a global community to celebrate diversity and sportsmanship. Can it be–even if for just these two weeks–Morning Joe lets Johnny Weir do his triple lutzes and lets the rest of it go? Or that editors and producers sit up and take notice: the whole world is watching and that means they’re watching the homophobic coverage and commentary, too, that perpetuates stereotypes, feeds a climate of intolerance, and ultimately can lead to violent acts against gay and transgender people.
At GLAAD, we triage cases everyday of bad behavior in the media because such anti-gay ridicule trickles down to shape how individuals treat members of our community and families. How does that happen? Here’s a story. A personal one. My son was ridiculed to the point of tears on his third day of baseball practice last year because he told some of his new teammates that he had two dads. Where did these boys get the idea that it was okay to say these things? We already know the answer–and that’s why Morning Joe and all the other put-down artists who call themselves journalists need a wakeup call.
Is this muzzling the media? How about we ask the question back to them: why are you refusing to cover those lesser-known Olympians who are out as gay or lesbian? This year’s problematic Olympics coverage comes after a refusal by mainstream press to cover those openly LGBT Olympic athletes like diver Matthew Mitcham during the 2008 Summer games and omit mentions of their partners in profile pieces.
To be sure, after GLAAD spoke with editors and producers regarding coverage of Weir, apologies issued forth. Stories were corrected online. That’s all important. But the real question is why it happened in the first place. And why it will happen again. To the sports media: Heal thyself. The industry needs to reflect deeply on how it covers sports, and how that coverage perpetuates stereotypes that can lead to intolerance and violence.
In the end, it seems Johnny Weir’s words sum it up the best:
“I’m totally for freedom on speech and voicing your opinion [but] I want them to think before they speak. I want them to think about not only the person they’re talking about but also the other people like that person. I want them to think about the other generations of people that they’re affecting by talking like that.”
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The author is the president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), and a former Massachusetts state senator.
This post was originally published at The Huffington Post. See original post.
Related Posts:Sassafras Lowrey’s Kicked Out Anthology Shares Stories of LGBTQ Youth Homelessness
February 25, 2010 by Anna Wipfler, GLAAD's Transgender Advocacy Fellow
International award-winning artist, former homeless youth, and former GLAAD Young Adult Media Fellow Sassafras Lowrey releases her anthology of writings from homeless queer youth and their advocates and allies.
Kicked Out is the first book of its kind to bring together the voices of current and former homeless LGBTQ youth and combine them with the nuanced perspectives of national organizations like The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and The National Alliance Against Homelessness. Kicked Out is more than an anthology. It is a social movement dedicated to supporting homeless youth, building community with survivors and raising awareness about the epidemic of LGBTQ youth homelessness.
“This anthology introduced by Judy Shepard, gives voice to the voiceless and challenges the stereotypical face of homelessness.”
February 5th marked the national release of the work at the 2010 National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change, when Sassafras hosted a signing event and watched the first published copies of her work travel off into the world, where they are bound to draw much needed attention to these often-silenced lives.
Photo Credit: Samantha Box
Published by Homofactus Press, and beautifully illustrated with compelling photography by Samantha Box, this anthology – in Sassafras’ words – is for all those who have “lost their friends, families and homes because of whom they love or how they define their gender.”
Kicked Out has already garnered glowing media attention from a handful of outlets, including a 35-minute segment on “Out Loud,” a queer show on KBOO radio station in Portland, Oregon, featuring interviews with Sassafras, four contributors, and representatives of organizations like the Circus Project, which enable homeless and at-risk youth.
Photo Credit: Samantha Box
To meet the anthology contributors, view resources on youth homelessness, and purchase a copy of Kicked Out, please visit www.kickedoutanthology.com.
Sassafras will continue hosting local release events around the country, including a New York City release on March 19th at The LGBT Community Center and a series of awareness-raising events in Boston in late April. GLAAD is happy to be helping Sassafras pitch her book to mainstream media outlets in hope of bringing these stories into more homes across the country.
We will keep you informed about the progress of this vitally important anthology. We urge all GLAAD supporters to pick up a copy.
Related Posts:GLAAD Joins Media Matters, National Organizations to Demand Honest Media Coverage of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
February 24, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
GLAAD has joined Media Matters for America and other national organizations to demand fair and accurate coverage of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell from mainstream media outlets.
(To read Media Matters’ full press release, click here)
Media Matters also published a comprehensive review of the myths and falsehoods media conservatives have pushed in their efforts to prevent a repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) law to its website.
Among the other organizations and activists who have signed on to an open letter that calls on media outlets to cover DADT fairly and accurately are Courage Campaign’s Rick Jacobs, Human Rights Campaign’s Joe Solmonese, Knights Out’s Becky Kanis, National Center for Lesbian Rights’ Kate Kendall, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Rea Carey, National Security Network’s Heather Hurlburt, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network’s Aubrey Sarvis, Servicemembers United’s Alex Nicholson, Truman National Security Project’s Rachel Kleinfeld, VoteVets’ Jon Soltz, and Lt. Dan Choi, US Army Infantry Officer and Arabic Linguist.
If you see Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell coverage in the media that misses the mark, contact GLAAD’s National News team at: nationalnews@glaad.org. Be sure to include the outlet’s name, the date of the problematic coverage and a brief synopsis of the offense.
Be sure to log onto GLAADblog.org for the latest updates on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in the media.
Related Posts:Drew Barrymore and Wanda Sykes Honored at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards
February 18, 2010 by Sara Werner, GLAAD's Public Relations & Communications Intern
GLAAD announced today that Golden Globe-winning actress, director and producer Drew Barrymore will receive the Vanguard Award; and Emmy Award-winning actress, comedian, writer, and producer Wanda Sykes will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards Presented in Los Angeles on April 17, 2010. Events will also be held in New York on March 13 and in San Francisco on June 5.
“When Americans see allies like Drew standing up for fairness for all and hear stories of Wanda and her family, support for full equality grows,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. Actress Candis Cayne and actor Wilson Cruz will host the event in Los Angeles. Other guests and presenters scheduled to attend include: director and designer Tom Ford (A Single Man); Benjamin Bratt (La Mission); openly gay lead singer of Judas Priest, Rob Halford; and GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. More names will be announced. Awards are scheduled to be presented onstage in the following categories include: Outstanding Film – Wide Release, Outstanding Comedy Series, and Outstanding Reality Program.
Drew Barrymore will receive the Vanguard Award, which is presented to media professionals who have increased the visibility and understanding of the LGBT community. “I was born, bred and raised amongst diversity, it has defined me and made me the person I am today,” Barrymore said, “I am honored to be receiving this award.”
In 1995, Barrymore starred in Boys on the Side, written by openly gay filmmaker Don Roos, which won the Outstanding Film Award at the 7th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. In 2009, Barrymore produced He’s Just Not That Into You in which she played a straight reporter at a LGBT newspaper who desperately seeks dating advice from her gay best friends, one of which is played by 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards in LA host, Wilson Cruz. Also in 2009, Barrymore undertook the role of “Rosie Goode”, the lesbian daughter of a widower played by Robert De Niro in Everybody’s Fine, nominated for Outstanding Film – Wide Release at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards.
Off the screen Barrymore has always been outspoken in her support of the LGBT community. In May 2009, when the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, Barrymore joined thousands of protestors in the streets of West Hollywood demanding marriage equality, “I am who I am because of the people who influenced me growing up, and many of them were gay,” said Barrymore, “No one has the right to tell anyone what makes a family…this is something that means everything to me.”
For her artistic achievements and for her consistent support of the LGBT community in her personal as well as in her career choices, GLAAD is pleased to present Drew Barrymore with the Vanguard Award, where she will be joining past recipients that include Charlize Theron, Antonio Banderas, Janet Jackson, Sharon Stone, Elizabeth Taylor, Eric McCormack, Liza Minnelli, Kathy Griffin and Whoopi Goldberg.
Wanda Sykes will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which is presented to an openly gay LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights 
for our community.
In 1997 Sykes joined the writing team for the HBO hit The Chris Rock Show. As a performer and writer on the show, Sykes was nominated for three Primetime Emmys and in 1999 won the Emmy for “Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special.” Sykes won three more Emmys for her work on Inside the NFL. Sykes was nominated for another Emmy for her 2006 HBO comedy special. Since 2006, Sykes has played “Barb” on the hit CBS comedy The New Adventures of Old Christine. Although “Barb” and “Christine” are straight, they do get married to one another in an erroneous attempt to keep “Barb” from being deported.
In 2009, Sykes also debuted her own late night talk show on Fox, and premiered her second HBO stand up special, Wanda Sykes: I’ma Be Me. “I am truly honored to receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award,” said Wanda Sykes, “I greatly appreciate the work that GLAAD continues to do, promoting equality, fair representation and tolerance for our LGBT community. I just pray that I don’t ruin what GLAAD has achieved with all of my shenanigans.”
Outspoken Emmy Award-winning Sykes does just the opposite, as she has spoken out about LGBT issues by appearing in GLSEN’s, “Think Before You Speak” PSAs aimed at curbing homophobic slang in schools, performing at a fundraiser for The Trevor Project, hosting the Human Right’s Campaign Dinner, joining Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Tour and by serving as a Board Member for the Equality California Institute. About the passage of Proposition 8 in November 2008, Sykes
courtesy of SheWired.com
came out at a Stand Out for Equality rally of over 1,000 people in Las Vegas, and announced that she legally married her wife in California. In May 2009, Sykes became the first openly gay and first African American woman to be the featured entertainer for the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
For her pioneering decision to live her life as an openly gay woman, for her commitment to activism for LGBT civil rights—and for making us laugh for the past decade, GLAAD is please to present Wanda Sykes with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, joining past recipients including Rufus Wainwright, Melissa Etheridge, Todd Haynes, Bill Condon, Alan Ball, Ellen DeGeneres, and Sir Ian McKellen.
The 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards will be held on April 17 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Additionally, Cynthia Nixon, out star of Sex and the City and LGBT advocate, will be awarded the Vito Russo Award for promoting equality during GLAAD’s New York City ceremony on March 13 at the Marriott Marquis; and Levi Strauss President, Robert Hanson, will receive the Local Hero Award at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, California on June 5.
For a complete list of all the nominees please visit: http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/21/nominees
To purchase your ticket to one of the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies, please visit http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/21/tickets. Be sure to purchase your tickets for these events that are not be missed.
Mainstream media has this exciting announcement on its radar, illuminating on the vital support of the LGBT community from celebrities and the entertainment industry: LA Times, TV Guide, E! Online and Access Hollywood.
All Tickets are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law**.
Related Posts:First-Ever Olympic PRIDE House Exhibits Portraits of LGBT Athletes
February 16, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
PRIDE House, the first-ever Olympic pavilion catering to LGBT athletes, coaches and sports fans, will exhibit American photographer Jeff Sheng’s celebrated photo series Fearless during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
In 2003, Sheng began photographing over young athletes across the United States who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. These courageous individuals continue to defy stereotyped images of LGBT athletes and challenge homophobia on the field and in the locker room. Now, the Fearless series features over 100 amateur athletes and has travelled to over 40 high school and college campuses nationwide. (Photos from the series can be found below)
“I started the project to encourage a discussion about homophobia in sports and the way it adversely affects gay and lesbian athletes,” Sheng told ABC’s World News Tonight. “What I hope that people get when they look at the images is that they see pictures of people that they recognize – images that look like their friends, maybe even people in their family – and that they begin to look at the gay and lesbian community in a different way.”
Sheng travelled to Canada to photograph 14 Canadian athletes for the Olympic exhibition. The athletes represented participate in water polo, rugby, soccer, martial arts, and hockey and curling. PRIDE House will feature large prints of those 14 athletes, as well as smaller prints from the American series.
Sheng’s latest project, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Volume I, is the first-ever photobook that features the portraits and stories of gay and lesbian service members currently serving under the U.S. military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. (To read more about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Volume I, click here)
For more information or to view Fearless in its entirety, visit http://www.fearlesscampustour.org/
Compelling New Photobook Details the Isolation Facing Gay Service Members under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
February 3, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
In 2008, GLAAD began to follow the work of Los Angeles-based photographer Jeff Sheng.
Sheng’s first photo series “Fearless,” which profiled openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender athletes, quickly attracted both national and international attention. The New York Times Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, OUT Magazine and The Advocate among others celebrated Jeff’s spellbinding portraits of LGBT athletes across the nation.
Now, Sheng lends his photographic eye to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the 1993 law that bans openly gay and lesbian service members in the United States armed forces.
Sheng’s new photobook, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Volume I,” is the first-ever portrait series that features the images and stories of gay and lesbian service members currently serving under the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy.
Sheng uses lighting and shadow effects to mask part or all of his subjects’ faces in a dramatic collection of portraits that capture the isolation that burdens gay and lesbian service members in the United States military.
“Ultimately for me, these photographs underscore the silence permeating the unsung heroism of gay and lesbian military personal,” said Sheng. “The photos are about the men and women who continue to fight and serve despite the heartbreaking invisibility they suffer.”
(More photos are available below)
Sheng complements the portraits with emails written by closeted military personnel who languish in the grips of secrecy. “I didn’t understand it at all,” a soldier writes. “After all I had been through, all of it could be set on the back burner and in an instant I could go from war hero to the gay soldier that was discharged. How could this be right?”
GLAAD is proud to be working alongside Jeff to promote this compelling new photo series that shows the concrete harms inflicted on gay and lesbian United States military personnel who are forced to lie about who they are. GLAAD continues to pitch the project to mainstream media outlets across the country.
For more information on Jeff Sheng’s new photobook, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Volume I,” visit www.jeffsheng.com
GLAAD, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Urge Recording Academy to Speak Out Against Artists and Lyrics that Promote Violence
January 29, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
GLAAD and the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center have placed a full-page ad in today’s special Grammy-edition of Variety that calls on Recording Academy President Neil Portnow to use Sunday’s Grammy Awards telecast to speak out against lyrics and artists that promote bias-motivated violence.
To read GLAAD’s press release about the Variety ad, click here.
The ad is in the form of an open letter signed by 20 other progressive organizations, including People for the American Way, the National Black Justice Coalition, and the New York LGBT Community Center.
To see the full text of the letter, click here.
The open letter comes in response to anti-gay reggae singer Buju Banton’s nomination for a Grammy Award in the Best Reggae Album category. Throughout his career, Banton has performed music that glorifies the violent murder of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and as recently as three months ago Banton refused to stop performing such music.
To learn more about GLAAD’s work around Buju Banton’s Grammy nomination, click here.
In his most notorious song, “Boom, Bye Bye,” Banton sings that “batty men” (a slur equivalent to ‘fa**ot’) “have to die” and that he will “shoot batty men in the head” or “burn them up bad.”
“It’s outrageous that The Recording Academy has chosen to honor, with a Grammy nomination, someone who proudly and unabashedly performs music that glorifies the violent murder of gay and transgender people,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. “We need to send a strong message to let the Recording Academy and music industry know that promoting artists who advocate such acts feeds a climate of intolerance that can put members of our community at risk for violence.”
Join GLAAD and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center in calling on Recording Academy President Neil Portnow to use Sunday’s Grammy Award celebration to denounce songs and artists that promote bias-motivated violence.
Related Posts:Exclusive cineGLAAD Video: Dustin Lance Black at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival
January 25, 2010 by Jonathan Rosales, GLAAD's Entertainment Media Manager
Attendees of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival packed into the Filmmaker Lodge yesterday for cineGLAAD’s panel, LGBT Civil Rights and the Power of Film: 8: The Mormon Proposition. Kate Kendell, Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, moderated the thought-provoking discussion featuring several of the people behind the festival documentary 8: The Mormon Proposition: Reed Cowan (Director); Dustin Lance Black (Narrator); Bruce Bastian (Executive Producer); and featured cast Joe Solmonese (President – Human Rights Campaign) and Dennis Herrera (San Francisco City Attorney).
8: The Mormon Proposition investigates the decades long campaign the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been waging against the rights of gays and lesbians to marry. Panelists debated the ways in which film and media can sway public opinion as we strive to change the hearts and minds of voters who oppose equality and also provided fascinating insight into the current efforts to overturn California’s anti-gay Proposition 8.
In the coming days, check out glaadBLOG.org for exclusive video from the panel. In the meantime, below you can check out GLAAD’s Director of Entertainment Media Taj Paxton’s interview with Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black in which he discusses the ways LGBT youth can take an active role in the movement.
Related Posts:GLAAD Announces the Nominees for the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards
January 13, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
GLAAD announced the nominees on Wednesday for its 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards. By recognizing and honoring media for outstanding images of the LGBT community, the GLAAD Media Awards serve as a benchmark for the media industry and complement GLAAD’s work to bring LGBT images and stories to Americans.
Among the nominees are Tom Ford’s Golden Globe®-nominated film A Single Man, Lee Daniel’s Golden Globe®-nominated film Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, Ang Lee’s latest film Taking Woodstock, the film Little Ashes, starring Robert Pattinson, AMC’s acclaimed drama Mad Men, Fox’s hit show Glee, and ABC’s new hit comedy Modern Family.
“Words and images matter,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. “With these awards, we seek to recognize news coverage and entertainment programming that go beyond stock stereotypes with LGBT storylines that more fully reflect the challenges gay and transgender people face and the aspirations we hold for ourselves and our families.
“News and entertainment media that present richer, more diverse representations help Americans understand and embrace their gay and transgender family members, friends and neighbors in a more meaningful way. We are proud to recognize all of this year’s GLAAD Media Awards nominees.”
For a complete list of nominees, please click here.
GLAAD also announced that Cynthia Nixon will be honored with the Vito Russo Award at the New York ceremony. The Vito Russo Award is named after a founding member of GLAAD and is presented to an openly LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for our community.
GLAAD also announced that the cast of the Broadway sensation Hair would receive Special Recognition for their commitment to raising visibility for marriage equality.
Tony Award-winning actor Alan Cumming will host the ceremony in New York on March 13, 2010. The San Francisco event will be hosted by Emmy Award-winning comedian and writer Bruce Vilanch on June 5 at The Westin St. Francis. And the Los Angeles ceremonies will be held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on April 17.
GLAAD invites you to join us in honoring our nominees for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
To buy your ticket, click here.
For the latest information about the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards, visit GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:Media Spotlights Couples’ Compelling Stories in Prop. 8 Case
January 12, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
The federal lawsuit challenging California’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples opened yesterday with testimony from the four plaintiffs.
Numerous local and national media outlets covered the case, including, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, the Associated Press, PBS’s The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and a host of others. Many of the reports focused closely on the love and commitment of the two couples at the heart of the case.
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Jeffrey J. Zarillo was the first to be called to the stand, The Los Angeles Times reported late yesterday:
Zarrillo, 36, a manager in the entertainment industry, testified tearfully about being denied the right to marry Paul T. Katami, his partner of nearly nine years and a co-plaintiff.
“He is the love of my life,” Zarrillo said.
Later, Kristin M. Perry, a 45-year-old child services professional, testified about her relationship with her partner of 10 years, Sandra B. Stier. In an article published on Tuesday, The New York Times recounted Perry’s statements:
“I remember thinking that she was the sparkliest person I’d ever met,” Ms. Perry is quoted as saying in the New York Times, which drew giggles from the packed courtroom. “When she told Ms. Stier of her feelings, she said, ‘she told me she loved me, too.’ Ms. Perry proposed marriage in 2003, although same-sex marriage was illegal then in California and every other state.”
The Associated Press also published a portion of Perry’s testimony late Monday:
“I’ve been in love with a woman for 10 years, and I don’t have access to a word for it,” said Kristin Perry… “You chose them over everybody else, and you want to feel that it is going to stick and that you are going to have the protection and support and inclusion that comes from letting people know you feel that way.”
Numerous blogs, advocates and LGBT groups are also keeping a close eye on the case via twitter and on their respective sites. And, Shannon Minter, Legal Director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights is providing his legal expertise on Pam’s House Blend. As we reported Monday, The United States Supreme Court put a temporary block on a YouTube broadcast of the federal case. The Supreme Court said the block would allow for “further consideration” about the webcast. A final decision is expected Wednesday.
GLAAD will continue to keep our attention on mainstream media coverage of Perry v. Schwarzenegger. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
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