Brendan Burke, Young Crusader for Equality in Professional Sports, Dies in Tragic Accident
February 8, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
Brendan Burke, the openly gay son of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager, Brian Burke, died on Saturday after succumbing to injuries he suffered in a weather-related car accident.
Burke, 21, captured international attention after sharing his moving coming out story with mainstream media in 2009.
But, now, telling your secret to Dad is another story. Molly’s reassuring hand guides you to the couch for the moment of truth. It’s time to tell Dad, a most public example of hockey machismo, that you are gay.
Finally, you say it. Awkwardly. You basically stumble along trying not to make it a big deal before just blurting out, “And I love you guys and wanted to tell you that I’m gay.”
There is a brief silence.
Dad is surprised when you tell him that you are gay. He never suspected at all.
Your stepmom speaks first: “OK, Brendan, that’s OK.” And gives you a reassuring smile. Then your dad says, “Of course, we still love you. This won’t change a thing.”
GLAAD celebrated ESPN’s report of Brendan’s story in Dec. 2009 and awarded the broadcast giant a spot on our “Best of National News” list. Shortly thereafter, “We Love You, This Won’t Change a Thing” went on to win a 2010 GLAAD Media Award nomination for the article’s superb account of Brendan’s bravery.
GLAAD joins the LGBT community, its allies and sports fans across the nation in mourning the devastating loss of Brendan Burke. Brendan’s tremendous courage will continue to inspire families everywhere to love and embrace their gay and lesbian sons and daughters.
Related Posts:Historic American Prayer Hour Focuses on Uganda Anti-Gay Legislation
February 4, 2010 by Ann @ GLAAD
GLAAD provided strategic planning, media assistance and co-sponsorship to the first American Prayer Hour, on February 4, in 17 cities nationwide, to pray for Uganda and all countries that criminalize gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. On the same day, President Obama attended The National Prayer Breakfast and called the anti-gay law in Uganda “odious” and ”unconscionable.” The National Prayer Breakfast gained notoriety this year because its sponsor, ”The Family,” an evangelical Christian group, has ties to MP Bahati who proposed Uganda’s anti-gay law. Bahati is “The Family’s” organizer in Uganda.
The American Prayer Hour opening press conference was held in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, February 2, and included Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in The Episcopal Church. Poignant remarks were made by Moses, a gay Ugandan man who is seeking asylum in the US.
Moses spoke at the National Press Club press conference with a bag over his head to avoid retribution, highlighting the serious impact of the proposed law. He shared his story of being raped by police and being too afraid to go to the hospital for treatment. He said, “It breaks my heart that I have to leave my family and loved ones to seek asylum in this country simply because I am gay. Even as I speak, gay people are being persecuted as a result of this proposed law against gay people. I can only imagine how bad it will be if the bill actually passes.”
The New York Times, Religion News Service, Christian Post and blogs covered the opening press conference in the nation’s Capital on Tuesday. Key American Prayer Hour gatherings were held on Thursday in Washington, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, Berkeley, Dallas, Boston, Anchorage and Atlanta.
GLAAD collaborated on the American Prayer Hour with the Human Rights Campaign, The National Gay & Lesbian Taskforce, the National Black Justice Coalition, Metropolitan Community Church, PFLAG, Progressive Christians Uniting, Truth Wins Out, Two Spirit Press Room, Arcus and Haas Jr.
GLAAD also worked to amplify the voices of these inclusive faith leaders by drafting press materials and earning media coverage.
Top Military Officials Speak Out in Support of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal; Media Responds
February 3, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
Secretary General Robert M. Gates
Yesterday, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Michael G. Mullen, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he personally supports the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) because “it’s the right thing to do.”
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates also spoke about the repeal, saying it “is not whether the military prepares to make this change, but how we best prepare for it.”
Today, mainstream media are reacting to the military officials’ call to scrap the ban on openly gay service members in the United States armed forces.
The New York Times published an editorial today that echoes the call to lift the ban:
The United States has traveled far since 1993 on gay rights. It is ready for a military built on a commitment to equal rights for all.
The editorial also counters Rep. John Boehner’s (R-OH) assertion that it is not the right time to end the ban amidst two wars. “In fact, it is an ideal time,” says The New York Times. “The armed forces need every qualified person who wants to serve.”
The Los Angeles Times also published an op-ed today in favor of repeal. In it, Senior Research Fellow at the Palm Center, Nathaniel Frank, writes that the military’s newly announced year-long assessment of DADT “is nothing but a delaying tactic.”
“The issue has been studied for half a century,” Frank writes. “… It only gives political obstructionists and moral opponents of equality for gays the chance to sow doubt and fear in an effort to derail reform.”
In response to Senator John McCain’s (R-AZ) firm remarks at yesterday’s Senate hearings in opposition to a possible repeal, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow pointed out last night that Sen. McCain once supported an end to the ban and goes on to interview Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach who stands strong in favor of the repeal.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
In the almost 17 years since the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ legislation was passed, attitudes and circumstances have changed. I fully support the new approach presented to the Senate Armed Services Committee this week by Secretary of Defense Gates and Admiral Mullen.
GLAAD continues to work with national news outlets to ensure that the concrete harms inflicted by DADT are exposed in both print and broadcast media.
Related Posts:Vigils Planned Across the Nation to Remember 15 Year-Old Lawrence King
February 2, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
Two years after an unthinkable act of hate in California, vigils are being organized across the country to remember Lawrence “Larry” King, a 15 year-old boy who was shot and killed by a classmate because of his perceived sexual orientation and gender expression.
On February 12, organizations and individuals nationwide will honor Larry’s memory and call for an end to violence and harassment in the classroom directed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
A 2007 study conducted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) found that more than 9 out of 10 LGBT middle school students surveyed (91%) said they experienced harassment at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation, 59% experienced physical harassment and a startling 39% said they had been physically assaulted, nearly twice as many as in high school (20%). That same study found that more than 8 out of 10 LGBT middle school students (82%) reported hearing homophobic epithets frequently or often from other students in school — a higher percentage than high school students (73%). Perhaps most shocking, 63% of LGBT middle school students had heard school staff make homophobic remarks.
To locate and register for a vigil near you, please visit www.rememberinglawrence.org
Related Posts:President Obama Captures National Media Attention with Call to Repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
January 29, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
Mainstream media reported extensively this week about President Obama’s call to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell during his first State of the Union address:
“This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are.”
The possible repeal gained further attention on Thursday after Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell announced that the Defense Department will hear testimony on Tuesday from Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, that will “identify specific steps the military will take before the law is changed to lessen the impact on a force fighting two wars.”
MSNBC added to that report with speculation that the military might adopt an “interim policy” before full repeal of the law that could “ease the number of discharges and investigations that take place under the policy.”
GLAAD will continue to follow the media’s coverage of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:Announcing Presenters for GLAAD’s New Media Training Institute at Creating Change
January 29, 2010 by Amanda Morgan, GLAAD's Digital Initiatives Fellow
GLAAD is pleased to announce that on Thursday, February 4th, together with the Gill Foundation and Gill Action, we will be presenting a New Media Training Institute (NMTI) at Creating Change, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s annual LGBT organizing conference in Dallas, TX.
This day-long institute will feature trainings by:
- Scott Goodstein, former External Online Director for Obama for America, who was responsible for developing the campaign’s social media platforms, now of Revolution Messaging;
- Jarrett Barrios, President of GLAAD;
- Rashad Robinson, Senior Director of Programs, GLAAD;
- Heather Cronk, Chief Operating Officer at the New Organizing Institute (NOI), which runs the only progressive advocacy and campaign training program focused on cutting-edge online organizing techniques;
- Julia Rosen, Trainer with the New Organizing Institute and Online Political Director at the Courage Campaign;
- Christopher Hoyt, PHR, Associate Director at AT&T Talent Attraction, where he leads the integration of social media and mobile marketing;
- Jed Alpert, founder and Chief Strategy Manager at Mobile Commons, which pioneers easy-to-use technology for scalable mobile marketing campaign management;
- Jen Nedeau, New Media Consultant and former Director of Digital Strategy for Air America;
- Gregory Rae, member of the national leadership of Living Liberally, an organization dedicated to creating social spaces centered around progressive politics.
NMTI will be held on Thursday, February 4, 2010, at the Sheraton Dallas. Find more information about NMTI on GLAAD.org. You can register for NMTI and Creating Change here.
Additionally, if you are attending, please be sure to RSVP to the NMTI on Facebook. Also note the New Media Training Institute Twitter hashtag #NMTI and the Creating Change hashtag #cc10. And follow our trainers on Twitter! Julia Rosen – @JuliaRosen; Heather Cronk – @HCronk; Christopher Hoyt – @TheRecruiterGuy; Jen Nedeau – @HumanFolly; Jed Alpert – @mobilecommons; Rashad Robinson – @rashadrobinson; New Organizing Institute – @neworganizing; GLAAD – @glaad.
GLAAD will have a table set up at Creating Change with staff members available to answer any questions you may have about GLAAD’s work and upcoming projects. So stop by, say hello and find out how you can get involved.
GLAAD thanks the Gill Foundation and Gill Action for making the New Media Training Institute possible. GLAAD would also like to give a special thanks to AT&T for your invaluable help with NMTI.
GLAAD would also like to thank the Task Force for all their hard work putting this conference together and we look forward to seeing everyone in Dallas!
Related Posts:Taco Bell Addresses Reports That Transphobic Radio Ads Are Still Airing
January 25, 2010 by Cindi Creager, GLAAD's Director of National News
On January 13 GLAAD reached out to Taco Bell Corporation after receiving numerous complaints about a transphobic radio commercial that was airing across the country. BorderHouse blog published the most complete description of its content on January 7th:
“Some male tells a female (presumably his wife or girlfriend) that it’s a surprise that there is nacho cheese in a layer of the Taco Bell burrito. The woman responds with “Well, I have a surprise for you. I was born male, my name was Claudio” and her voice is lowered several octaves. After which, the male says ‘Ew.’”
GLAAD contacted Taco Bell’s Media Relations staff about the collective outcry over the use of someone’s transgender identity as the punch line of a joke and Taco Bell spokesman Rob Poetsch swiftly issued this statement:
“We sincerely apologize as the ad was not meant to offend anyone and as soon as it was brought to our attention, we immediately stopped airing it.”
Unfortunately GLAAD has received several reports that the problematic ad is still running in places like Indianapolis, Indiana, Cincinnati, Ohio and Hampton Roads, Virginia. The Advocate Magazine also reported hearing a similar commercial on Sunday morning in Los Angeles on KIIS-FM during Ryan Seacrest’s weekly American Top 40 countdown. According to the Advocate, “In this ad, after a fight between the man and the woman, the woman says, “Well then I don’t feel so guilty telling you… [I wasn't born] Martha.” The woman’s voice then changes to a man’s voice, which says, “I’m Marvin.”
We reached out to Taco Bell to ask that the company rectify this situation immediately and explain why the problematic commercials are still reportedly running in several markets. Taco Bell issued this response:
“We are very concerned to have learned that over the weekend some stations were airing a radio ad that we instructed them to remove on January 14. In the process of replacing the ad, we discovered that some stations inadvertently ran the original commercial. We sincerely apologize that this ad ran again and offended people. We’re in the process of contacting all of our radio partners to ensure that the original ad never airs again. We appreciate that GLAAD brought this to our attention so that we could take immediate action.”
We appreciate Taco Bell issuing this apology but urge our members to hold the company accountable for fair advertising standards moving forward. If you hear anti-LGBT radio commercials in your local area please contact GLAAD immediately at nationalnews@glaad.org and tell us what time the commercial aired, on what station, and in what city. Taco Bell must live up to its word, pull all of the spots immediately, and cease defaming LGBT people in all future advertisements. GLAAD and the community will be listening.
Related Posts:Clear Channel Issues Statement Regarding Radio Host Jim Quinn’s Outrageous Remarks; GLAAD Asks the Company to Live Up to Its Own Diversity Policies
January 25, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
On the January 14 edition of Clear Channel’s nationally syndicated radio program, “The War Room with Quinn and Rose,” host Jim Quinn made outrageous and defamatory comments about people living with HIV/AIDS and what he called the “homosexual AIDS lobby.” Quinn erroneously compared contagious tuberculosis patients to people living with HIV/AIDS and went on to say, “When you get AIDS, pal, the door opens up to you. You have got all kinds of government goodies, including a maid to clean your house, transportation – I mean it’s – there’s just a wealth of wonders that come.”
Following our Call to Action, GLAAD allies wrote numerous e-mails to Clear Channel executives and demanded that Jim Quinn be held responsible for his outrageous comments.
As a result, Clear Channel’s Chief Communications Officer, Lisa Dollinger, released the following statement to GLAAD:
Clear Channel doesn’t condone Jim Quinn’s remarks and we don’t share his view. Clear Channel has raised considerable funds and positive awareness for HIV/AIDS and the GLBT community over the years and we will continue to do so. We’ve spoken with Mr. Quinn about the seriousness of this incident.
While GLAAD appreciates this statement from Clear Channel Communications, we urge the company to live up to its own diversity policy which states in part:
Our ZERO TOLERANCE policy that prohibits discrimination extends beyond our employees, into each and every market in which we conduct business.
If Clear Channel is truly committed to prohibiting discrimination, the company must ask Jim Quinn to apologize for his grossly inaccurate and offensive remarks and ensure that these kinds of defamatory attacks cease in future broadcasts.
Please continue to write to Clear Channel Communications and tell the company that Jim Quinn’s inaccurate and appalling comments are unacceptable and Clear Channel must stop allowing Quinn to perpetuate hatred, fear and misinformation.
CONTACT:
Lisa Dollinger
Chief Communications Officer
Clear Channel Communications
(210) 822-2828
lisacdollinger@clearchannel.com
Rod Phillips
Programming Senior Vice President
(210) 822-2828
rodphillips@clearchannel.com
Robert H. Walls, Jr.
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
(210) 822-2828
robert.walls@clearchannel.com
Congressional Hearing Addresses Anti-Gay Legislation in Uganda
January 22, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission – an arm of congress devoted to promoting, defending and advocating internationally recognized human rights norms that reflect the role and responsibilities of the United States Congress – discussed proposed anti-gay legislation in Uganda that would call for the execution of some gay and lesbian Ugandans.
(To read more about Uganda’s proposed anti-gay legislation, click here)
Johnson said the women’s caucus in the Ugandan parliament is supporting the legislation and opposition from the first lady — as well as President Obama — could influence women’s groups in Uganda to drop their support.
“I’m wondering if there is women leaders within the U.S. Congress — and perhaps the first lady herself — might be able to play some role in having discussions about the potential impact of this bill — not just on human rights, but on HIV prevention within the country,” Johnson said.
Openly lesbian Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis; Pictured Left) chaired Thursday’s hearing.
“I do think it is important for us to listen and receive guidance from people on the ground in Uganda — not just thinking from afar what to do,” D.C. Agenda quoted Baldwin. “I think there’s probably additional ways where we can empower local activists, local voices in Uganda at the same time as we speak crystal clear our dedication to human rights for all [people] across the globe.”
Rep Baldwin also issued a press release yesterday that said Reps. Jared Polis, Barney Frank, and 90 other members of Congress sent letters to President Obama and Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni which expressed their opposition to the anti-homosexuality bill.
The Dallas Voice published the content of those letters here.
Among others who testified was an official from the State Department, Edge Boston reported:
“Ensuring human rights for sexual minorities is perhaps the truest barometer of the full integration of human rights principles in a society, because their enshrinement in law and integration into societal norms and practices are not always a matter of popular opinion,” said Cary Alan Johnson of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.
GLAAD continues to urge mainstream media to shine a light on the brutal anti-gay legislation that is currently pending in Uganda, and expose the potentially lethal injustices that gay and lesbian Ugandans could face simply for being who they are.
Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:Media Continues to Spotlight Testimony in Prop. 8 Case
January 22, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
The federal lawsuit challenging California’s voter-sanctioned ban on marriage for same-sex couples, known as Proposition 8, will finish its second week of hearings today.
Attorneys David Boies and Ted Olson, who argue that bans on marriage equality are unconstitutional, presented testimony on Wednesday from a 26 year-old openly gay man who was forced by his evangelical Christian family to undergo so-called “reparative therapy,” The Los Angeles Times reported late Wednesday:
Ryan Kendall, 26, who grew up in an evangelical Christian family in Colorado, said his parents forced him to undergo therapy with a Christian group to try to change his sexual orientation. The therapy made him suicidal but did not change his sexuality, he testified.
“I was just as gay as when I started,” Kendall testified.
Kendall, a Denver resident, testified tearfully about how his mother abused him after learning of his sexuality from reading his journal. He said he was the target of slurs and his glasses were smashed when he was a student at an evangelical school.
Boies and Olson also presented evidence which suggested that the Catholic and Mormon Churches had close ties to leaders of the anti-gay, “Yes on 8” campaign.
Documents unveiled later revealed the Catholic and Mormon churches played a major role in passing Proposition 8.
An e-mail from the executive director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to the bishops and a cardinal said Catholics were crucial in providing money and volunteers to qualify Proposition 8 for the ballot.
The Associated Press reported on Thursday that Boies and Olson also introduced an e-mail from Mark Jansson, the Mormon church’s representative to the executive committee that oversaw the “Yes on 8 campaign.” That email indicated that the Mormon church and other faith leaders took the lead in the anti-gay campaign:
This campaign is entirely under (Mormon) priesthood direction in concert with leaders of many other faiths and community groups.
Other testimony on Wednesday included Stanford University Professor Gary M. Segura who testified that gay people do not have a meaningful degree of political power — as evidenced by, among other things, hate crime statistics, relatively low numbers of gay office holders, and the success rate of anti-gay ballot measures.
On Thursday, anti-gay activist and “Yes on 8” proponent William Tam was called to the stand, The San Francisco Chronicle reported on Friday.
The plaintiffs hope to prove that backers of the Prop. 8 initiative were led by anti-gay bias and unfair stereotypes:
In a message to supporters during the campaign, for example, Tam wrote that “other states would fall into Satan’s hand” if same-sex marriage remained legal in California. San Francisco’s government, “under the rule of homosexuals,” would next move to legalize sex with children and prostitution, he said.
Tam affirmed those statements in a San Francisco federal courtroom Thursday. He said he also believes, based on European nations that have allowed same-sex marriage, that it is a forerunner to legalized incest and polygamy, all signs of “the moral decay of a liberal country.”
According to The Los Angeles Times, when Tam was asked how he had come to such conclusions about gay men and lesbians, he said it was “based on different literature I have read.” Tam, however, was unable to recall where he had read the information.
Boies later asked Tam if he would be frustrated if denied the right to marry:
Boies… noted that Tam, a Chinese American, had described himself as a minority. Boies asked if he would be aggrieved if he were forbidden to marry the person he loved. Tam said yes.
GLAAD will continue to follow the media’s coverage of the Prop. 8 trial. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:Noted Conservative Figures Take Stand in Support of Marriage Equality
January 21, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
Cindy McCain, wife of former presidential candidate John McCain, joined a rising number of conservative figures who have come out in favor of marriage equality recently.
The ‘NoH8 Campaign’ – a photo project that features celebrities and civilians who oppose California’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples, known as Proposition 8 – posted a photo to its website on Wednesday boasting the face of Cindy McCain with the campaign’s staple silver duct tape over her mouth and ‘NoH8’ written across her cheek.
Cindy McCain contacted the NoH8 campaign and volunteered to pose for the photo, The Associated Press reported on Wednesday.
Meghan McCain, daughter of John and Cindy McCain, has been a longtime advocate for marriage equality and also posed for the photo project in 2009.
Fox News contributor and conservative commentator Margaret Hoover also revealed her support for marriage equality recently in an article published to FoxNews.com on January 15.
In it, Hoover notes that Ted Olson, lead council in the federal Prop. 8 lawsuit that challenges California’s ban on marriage equality, is not only a well-respected conservative but acted as George W. Bush’s Solicitor General and is the same man “who successfully argued Bush v. Gore before the Supreme Court in one of his fifty-five performances before the nation’s highest judicial body.”
Hoover goes on to ask of her conservative brethren:
Gays and lesbians are our friends, neighbors, doctors, colleagues, sisters and brothers. Does it sit well with you that because of their sexual orientation, a factor outside one’s control, that they should have less rights and protections in the eyes of the law?
But McCain and Hoover aren’t the only conservative leaders to weigh in on unions between same-sex couples. Last June, former Vice President Dick Cheney told Fox News’s Gretta Van Susteren that while he does not believe marriage equality should be a federal issue, he “believe[s] equal rights means equal rights for everybody and that people ought to be able to enter into any kind of relationship they want, but that the states ought to retain the ability to regulate and determine what’s marriage and what the legal status of those unions are.”
GLAAD will continue to follow the media’s coverage of the conservative response to marriage for same-sex couples. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:Problematic Details Article Mocks Bisexual Women and Lesbians
January 15, 2010 by Amanda Morgan, GLAAD's Digital Initiatives Fellow
In its January edition, Details magazine published an article by Ian Daly titled “The Lure of Dating an Ex-Lesbian: so-called hasbians are going for straight guys just like you!” In this piece, Daly misses an opportunity to increase bi visibility and instead defames women who have dated both women and men, dubbing them “hasbians” or “ex-lesbians.”
Daly sites various pop culture references in an attempt to prove that being a lesbian is passé or no longer trendy as it was in the 90’s, and reaches the conclusion that as a result of this more women are “switching” to male partners. Additionally, he lumps bisexual women with male partners into the category of “hasbian” notably ignoring the definition of bisexuality.
Daly makes a dubious claim that a bisexual woman is somehow “shifting” when entering into a committed relationship with a man. A bisexual person is someone who is physically, romantically, emotionally and/or spiritually attracted to men and women, but by Daly’s definition, once a bisexual person enters into a committed relationship with anyone, they’re “shifting.”
Daly writes:
“There are no reliable statistics by which to gauge how many refugees there are from the isle of Lesbos. Bisexual women, for instance, don’t have to “switch teams” to enter into relationships with men, even if they’ve lived with other women for decades. But if the hasbian (and for simplicity’s sake, we’ll include bisexuals who’ve shifted from women to men) really is having a coming-out moment, it might be because the lesbian had her big coming-out moment in the nineties—the decade that saw Cindy Crawford shaving k.d. lang on the cover of Vanity Fair, the birth of Lilith Fair, and the mainstream popularity of lesbian-friendly folksingers like DiFranco, the Indigo Girls, and Dar Williams, not to mention a slew of literal “coming-out moments” set off by Ellen’s “Yep, I’m gay” in 1997.”
Without any real knowledge or statistics (the one fact Daly concedes, and yet his own admission on the dearth of statistical data does not preclude him from continuing with his absurd premise) and a handful of pop culture references and interviews with men who have supposedly “landed” a woman who was once involved with another woman, the author spins an elaborate tale naming these isolated incidents as a cultural sea-change in which masses of (uncountable) women are drawn to opposite sex relationships.
He even suggests that a woman’s “biological clock” might be affecting her “sexual proclivities.” In other words, as a woman reaches child-rearing age, even one who has never experienced an attraction to men, might be more inclined to find a male partner in order to reproduce. If the author of this article is unfamiliar with the numerous same-sex couples, many of which include a bisexual partner, who are happily raising children right now, GLAAD would be happy to provide contacts for him to interview.
The article ends with a disturbing segment in which two people who identify as “ex-gays” are quoted. This is particularly offensive given recent news reports on the link between American “ex-gay” activists and Uganda’s virulently anti-gay legislation. The American Psychological Association adopted a resolution in August of 2009 invalidating the efficacy of “ex-gay” treatments and discouraging mental health professionals from telling their patients that it is possible to change their sexual orientation.
Below is an interview with Rachel Maddow and Richard Cohen, the author of the book, Coming Out Straight: Understanding and Healing Homosexuality and head of the International Healing Foundation, in which she clearly links ex-gay activists with the proposed Uganda bill.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
This irresponsible article perpetuates misconceptions about lesbians and bisexual women and damages our community. GLAAD urges you to contact Details and express your concerns about this piece.
Related Posts:Media Continues to Follow Testimony in Prop. 8 Case
January 15, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
Columbia University professor Ilan H. Meyer, an expert in mental health issues among LGBT people, told a court on Thursday that gay men and lesbians are more likely to suffer from mental disorders than heterosexuals because of anti-LGBT discrimination, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Meyer was the second witness called to the stand on Thursday in the Prop. 8 trial, a federal lawsuit challenging California’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples.
From The Los Angeles Times article:
Proposition 8 sent “a message that gay relationships are not respected, that they are of secondary value if they are of any value at all,” Meyer said. He also said the 2008 measure made the public statement that it was OK “to designate gay people as a different class of people in terms of their intimate relationships.”
… Meyer said concealment of one’s sexual orientation for fear of rejection was “damaging and stressful” and testified about a federal government report that said gay male adolescents were two to three times more likely than heterosexual teens to attempt suicide.
The report also said that gays and lesbians were more vulnerable than heterosexuals to mood disorders and substance abuse.
Earlier on Thursday, Edmund Egan who heads the Office of Economic Analysis in San Francisco testified that extending marriage protections to same-sex couples would boost local economies.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported today that Egan predicted that San Francisco could expect a $1.7 million per year increase in added sales taxes and $900,000 in hotel taxes from wedding-related spending and out-of-town visitors if marriage equality were legal.
Marriage equality would also save money in healthcare costs because “Married individuals are healthier, on average, and behave in healthier ways than single individuals,” according to Egan.
Meanwhile, The Associated Press has reported that presiding Judge Vaughn Walker has abandoned his effort to broadcast the trial online via YouTube, after the Supreme Court issued a permanent stay on broadcasting the proceedings:
Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker said Thursday he’s withdrawing his application to have the landmark case video-recorded under a pilot program approved last month by the governing body for federal courts in the West.
The AP goes on to report that Prop. 8 supporters are calling on Judge Walker to destroy recordings of the trial that were produced in the opening days of the case. Walker has rejected that request.
GLAAD will continue to follow the media’s coverage of the Prop. 8 trial. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:Taco Bell Acts Quickly to Remove Transphobic Radio Ad
January 13, 2010 by Anna Wipfler, GLAAD's Transgender Advocacy Fellow
After receiving several reports from constituents and advocates about a transphobic radio commercial for Taco Bell, GLAAD joined a handful of watchful bloggers in calling on the company to cancel the ad. This afternoon, Taco Bell agreed to pull the hurtful material from further broadcasts after conversations with our National News team and other concerned advocates, including Autumn Sandeen of Pam’s House Blend.
While no audio recording of the commercial has yet been found, BorderHouse blog published the most complete description of its content on January 7th:
Some male tells a female (presumably his wife or girlfriend) that it’s a surprise that there is nacho cheese in a layer of the Taco Bell burrito. The woman responds with “Well, I have a surprise for you. I was born male, my name was Claudio” and her voice is lowered several octaves. After which, the male says “Ew.”
GLAAD contacted Taco Bell’s Media Relations staff about the collective outcry over the use of someone’s transgender identity as the punch line of a joke (a troubling trend we dealt with most recently in outreach to the Late Show with David Letterman).
Spokesman for Taco Bell, Rob Poetsch, confirmed that descriptions of the ad by concerned advocates were accurate and quickly began the process of taking the ad off the air. He issued this statement to GLAAD late today.
“We sincerely apologize as the ad was not meant to offend anyone and as soon as it was brought to our attention, we immediately stopped airing it.”
- Rod Poetsch, Taco Bell Corp.
It is encouraging to see Taco Bell act so quickly in response to our concerns. A special thank you to all of the community members, especially Autumn Sandeen, who brought this to GLAAD’s attention. We were happy to help bring a resolution to this situation.
Related Posts:BREAKING: Supreme Court Votes to Block Webcast of Prop. 8 Trial
January 13, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
That block will remain in effect until the Court rules on an upcoming appeal that will challenge the decision, SCOTUS Blog reports.
SCOTUS blog goes on to say:
“As a practical matter, the ruling almost certainly dooms any broadcast coverage of the trial as it goes on. The trial’s length has been estimated variously at two weeks to several weeks. There is no indication that final Supreme Court action on the dispute would be speeded up to the point that the question could be resolved during that brief span of time..”
The 17-page decision states that the U.S. District Court in San Francisco defied standing procedures regarding public broadcasts when it declared the proceedings would be available online via YouTube on a delay.
GLAAD will continue to follow the media’s coverage of the Prop. 8 trial. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:
