Award Winning Jamaican Writer and Performance Artist Staceyann Chin Speaks Out About Buju Banton’s Grammy Nomination
December 14, 2009
Jamaican performance artist and author Staceyann Chin called today for better education about harmful, anti-gay music lyrics in the wake of Buju Banton’s Grammy Award Nomination:
Staceyann Chin
“I know firsthand about the struggles that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people encounter not only in Jamaica, but around the world. Buju Banton’s Grammy nomination provides an important opportunity for growth and transformation. We must, as a society, move beyond our differences. I challenge Banton to live up to his past assertions that he has changed and call for greater education and understanding about the harms of promoting brutal anti-gay lyrics.”
Banton has a long history of advocating the killing of gay people. In a popular song released in 1988 entitled “Boom Bye Bye,” Banton repeats the anti-gay slurs, “batty bwoy” and “batty man,” which are equivalent to the slur “fa**ot,” and says that they “have to die” and he will “shoot them in the head” or “burn them.” He continues to sing this song at his concerts today and has repeatedly failed to acknowledge his prior commitments to denounce violent anti-gay lyrics. In October 2009 Banton was quoted in news reports as saying “This is a fight, and as I said in one of my songs ‘there is no end to the war between me and f—-t’ and it’s clear.”
GLAAD applauds Staceyann Chin for speaking out about this vital topic and using her voice to open hearts around the world.
Related Posts:Award Winning Jamaican Writer and Performance Artist Staceyann Chin Speaks Out About Buju Banton’s Grammy Nomination
December 14, 2009
Jamaican performance artist and author Staceyann Chin called today for better education about harmful, anti-gay music lyrics in the wake of Buju Banton’s Grammy Award Nomination:
“I know firsthand about the struggles that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people encounter not only in Jamaica, but around the world. Buju Banton’s Grammy nomination provides an important opportunity for growth and transformation. We must, as a society, move beyond our differences. I challenge Banton to live up to his past assertions that he has changed and call for greater education and understanding about the harms of promoting brutal anti-gay lyrics.”
Banton has a long history of advocating the killing of gay people. In a popular song released in 1988 entitled “Boom Bye Bye,” Banton repeats the anti-gay slurs, “batty bwoy” and “batty man,” which are equivalent to the slur “fa**ot,” and says that they “have to die” and he will “shoot them in the head” or “burn them.” He continues to sing this song at his concerts today and has repeatedly failed to acknowledge his prior commitments to denounce violent anti-gay lyrics. In October 2009 Banton was quoted in news reports as saying “This is a fight, and as I said in one of my songs ‘there is no end to the war between me and f—-t’ and it’s clear.”
GLAAD applauds Staceyann Chin for speaking out about this vital topic and using her voice to open hearts around the world.
Related Posts:UPDATE: National Media Keep an Eye on Vallejo, Calif. After Mayor’s Anti-Gay Comments
December 4, 2009
In an interview with The New York Times published on Nov. 20, Vallejo, Calif. Mayor Osby Davis told reporters that gay men and lesbians are “sinners” and will be kept “out of heaven”:
The sins that keep you out of heaven are not the just those sins of being gay, those are sins of lying, murdering, unforgiving, all kinds of sins. When you look at anyone you believe is not living a life along the principles of Christianity, you pray for them that they will one day see the error in their ways and change, but you don’t exclude them because Christ died for everybody. So when you look at someone who is gay, you see them as someone Christ died for and you look at them as if they’re in fact committing sin and that sin will keep them out of heaven. But you don’t hate the person; you hate the sin they commit.
That comment drew stern criticism from the LGBT community and its allies. (Read GLAAD’s original post about the incident here). Protestors gathered Tuesday night on the steps of Vallejo’s city hall in response to the Mayor’s comments and some advocates have called for the Mayor’s resignation.
Mayor Davis issued an apology for his remarks, but qualified that apology by stating his “words were taken out of context.”
Today, The New York Times published a follow-up article that recaptures the week’s controversy and provides quotes from both the Mayor’s supporters and those critical of his statement. The Times also provided the entire context of Davis’s interview, along with audio of Davis’s exchange with reporters.
The San Francisco Chronicle also published a column on Friday that directly challenged what the columnist considers a half-hearted apology by the Mayor:
The trouble with Davis’ claim – and a written apology issued later – is that there is no appropriate context suitable for such a statement, especially when it’s uttered by an elected official. What’s more, there isn’t a resident in the Bay Area who doesn’t understand the weight of such a comment.
Huffington Post columnist Byron Williams is also sharply critical of Mayor Davis’s apology and suggests that recalling Mayor Davis from his post would be an appropriate course of action:
The mere fact Davis did not know that some would find his statements offensive before he said them is more than enough fodder for a recall.
Unless, of course, I am guilty along like others before me, of taking Davis’ words out of context.
In a statement released on Friday, GLAAD condemned Vallejo Mayor Osby Davis for his defamatory comments:
“These sorts of hateful diatribes should not be spewed by anyone and most certainly not from a public official who was elected to serve all of their constituents.” said GLAAD Senior Director of Media Programs, Rashad Robinson. “Mayor Davis’ comments demonstrate a clear bias toward the gay and transgender community and promote anti-gay sentiments.”
GLAAD urges media reporting about this story to not only cover Davis’ misinformed remarks but also to examine how the anti-gay attitudes of elected officials impact their diverse constituencies. GLAAD is available to serve as a resource to any media outlet covering this story. GLAAD’s Media Reference Guide is an additional resource which provides helpful information on terminology and background.
GLAAD continues to work with Vallejo residents and local activists to ensure fair, accurate, and inclusive coverage of the outrage over Mayor Osby Davis’s anti-gay comments.
Updates will continue to be posted on GLAADblog.org.
Related Posts:Protesters Respond to Vallejo Mayor’s Anti-LGBT Remarks in Northern California
December 2, 2009
Vallejo, CA residents gathered on city hall Tuesday evening to protest Mayor Osby Davis’ recent anti-LGBT remarks. In an interview with The New York Times, Davis said that LGBT people are “committing sin and that sin will keep them out of heaven.” Mayor Davis has since apologized for the comment.
In a demonstration led by the openly gay reverend Lou Bordisso, hundreds of community members rallied at Vallejo City Hall to condemn Davis’ homophobic remarks.
“I’ve lived in Vallejo for 25 years and now. He’s asking me to go back in the closet and I will not do that,” local resident Wendell Quigley told KTVU-TV.
Mayor Davis insists, however, that he had no such intentions. In a statement released on Tuesday, Davis apologized to his constituents, but said his “words were taken out of context”:
“To those I have offended by my comments, I apologize. My words were taken out of context. I care for the entire community and my desire is to build consensus on our diversity. Let me be clear, I have and will stand against hatred, discrimination and divisiveness wherever they exist.”
In response, The New York Times published a significant portion of the Davis interview to its website late Tuesday evening. That context, however, has done little to quell LGBT locals who still consider Davis’ comments to be extremely offensive. The Vallejo Times Herald even published a letter to the editor on Wednesday that calls for Davis’s resignation:
Instead, Rev. Lou Bordisso told San Jose Mercury News that public censure would be more appropriate and asked that Davis “show solidarity with all community groups by appointing openly gay people to the Human Relations Commission.”
GLAAD has reached out to community members in Vallejo and will work closely with people on the ground to ensure fair, accurate, and inclusive coverage of Mayor Osby Davis’ homophobic remarks.
Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org.
Related Posts:Boxing Promoter Bob Arum Makes Anti-Gay Comments
September 11, 2009
The sports website Fanhouse reports today that 77-year old boxing promoter Bob Arum made several defamatory statements during an interview at Yankee Stadium on Thursday. Following a press conference on the upcoming Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight, Arum, the CEO and Founder of ’Top Rank Boxing,’ voiced disparaging and homophobic opinions about the sport of Mixed Marshall Arts (MMA). According to Fanhouse:
The 77-year-old boxing promoter criticized Floyd Mayweather for fighting “scared” and not being an entertaining fighter. Arum also seemed to squash any hopes of seeing a Mayweather-Pacquaio super-fight in the future. But his harshest words were saved for MMA, as Arum said the sport looks like “guys rolling around like homosexuals on the ground” and called MMA fans “a bunch of skinhead white guys.”
You can view the remarks here. The skinhead comments can be found at 4:40. The homophobic statement can be seen at 5:40.
GLAAD condemns Arum’s comments and calls on him to make a swift and sincere apology. This kind of gratuitous anti-gay commentary has no place in the public discourse and we’ll be reaching out to Arum directly to voice our concerns.
Check back here for further updates.
Related Posts:UPDATE: University of Hawaii Fines Football Coach For Anti-Gay Slur
August 3, 2009
The University of Hawaii has levied serious fines against its football coach, Greg McMackin, after McMackin uttered several anti-gay slurs at a press conference last week.
As written earlier , McMackin made the remarks while speaking to reporters at a media briefing at the Western Athletic Conference football preview in Salt Lake City.
According to reports, McMackin has been suspended for 30 days without pay and will take an additional 7 percent pay cut from his $1.1 million salary. McMackin will also work with campus LGBT organizations.
Related Posts:CALL TO ACTION UPDATE: So You Think You Can Dance Judge Nigel Lythgoe Issues Apology
May 23, 2009
On May 22, GLAAD released a Call to Action in response to remarks made the night before by judge Nigel Lythgoe on the popular reality competition show So You Think You Can Dance. Today, GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano and Senior Director of Media Programs Rashad Robinson spoke with Mr. Lythgoe. He expressed his apology over his misuse of words and released this official statement:
Nigel Lythgoe
“I sincerely regret the fact that I have upset people with the poor word choices and comments I made both during the taping of the ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ audition and on my personal status update. I am not homophobic and it was extremely upsetting for me to be classed as such.
I have been forthright and consistent with my opinion, as a judge, that professional male dancers should move with strength and agility — like Gene Kelly and Rudolph Nureyev. I now realize how this could be misconstrued.
I have been a dancer, and involved in the dance world, for nearly 50 years. Professionally and personally, I believe the sexual orientation of an auditioner or contestant is irrelevant. All that said, the fact that I have unintentionally upset people is distressing to me and it is obvious I have made mistakes that I must learn from. I trust that my humor will be more sensitive and mindful moving forward.”
-Nigel Lythgoe, judge and executive producer, So You Think You Can Dance
“We certainly appreciate the dialogue, and the opportunity for Nigel to help further educate people about how words and images matter,” said Giuliano. “His sincere words are appreciated, and we look forward to words, images and representations of the LGBT community on So You Think You Can Dance that will be fair, accurate and inclusive in the future.”
CALL TO ACTION: Fox Entertainment and So You Think You Can Dance Judge Need to Apologize for Homophobic Remarks
May 22, 2009
GLAAD just issued a call to action, asking supporters to contact Fox Entertainment and call on So You Think You Can Dance judge Nigel Lythgoe to apologize for his snide, homophobic remarks during last night’s program.
From our call to action:
During the telecast, Lythgoe said: “I think you probably alienate a lot of our audience. I mean, we’ve always had the guys dance together on the show, but I’ve — they’ve never really done it in each other’s arms before.” Shortly thereafter, he added, “Do you know what? I’d like to see you both dancing with a girl.”
Lythgoe later wrote on Twitter: “The same sex ballroom guys did remind me of ‘Blades of Glory.’ However, I’m not a fan of ‘Brokeback’ Ballroom.”
You can watch for yourself below:
Judge Nigel Lythgoe
Neil G. Giuliano, President of GLAAD had this to say about Lythgoe’s remarks:
It’s unacceptable for this kind of blatant homophobia to occur. Fox Entertainment and Nigel Lythgoe owe Misha, Mitchel and the whole LGBT community an apology.
After contacting Fox, a representative at So You Think You Can Dance told GLAAD they are passing along our concerns and will get back with us.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW!
Contact Fox Entertainment. Call on them to listen to and discuss our community’s concerns — and call on Nigel Lythgoe to apologize for his snide, homophobic remarks.
Jason Clark
Vice President, Fox Publicity
Jason.clark@fox.com
A Kiss Is Just A Kiss, Mr. Hannity…
February 26, 2009
The other night, Fox’s Sean Hannity had this to say about the Oscars:
“…they keep showing the scenes of men kissing. And I’m thinking do we have to expose our children to more and more sex, more and more violence, you know, more and more controversy?”
He continued:
“Listen, I’m just more sensitive. If it’s going to be a family event, you know, and you want to — you can’t watch a lot of programs now because of the adult content. We’re robbing these kids, Alicia, of their childhood. We’re over-sexualizing them at younger and younger ages.”
Though there were 14 straight kisses and just 3 gay kisses (all the same couple and all scenes from Milk, btw) aired during the Oscars, even kids know that a kiss is just a kiss.
Isn’t it time Sean Hannity figured that out too?
Full Transcript Below:
HANNITY: We continue now with our “Great American Panel.”
All right. The single most dull and boring and the self-righteous pat each other on the back, you know, actors and actresses. Here’s Sean Penn last night, the really big genius that he is. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN PENN, ACTOR: For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, and I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIETL: All I can say is I wore my pink tie tonight in support of Mr. Penn. I don’t think so. This is not a political event. He’s a great actor. He’s got the Academy Award twice. But he’s sucking face with pineapple face and with Fidel. What reasons? You can’t be gay…
HANNITY: He’s talking about Hugo Chavez.
DIETL: Yes, you can’t be gay and live in Venezuela. You can’t be gay and live in Cuba. They have no human rights there, so Mr. Penn, why don’t you go over and tell them to give some human rights to people over there?
HANNITY: That’s a great point. Why doesn’t he do that?
MENENDEZ: He lives in America, he’s an American…
DIETL: He hates America. He hates America.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: He hangs out with dictators. That’s Bo’s point.
MENENDEZ: That’s not what we’re talking about, though. We’re talking about the fact that, as I was driving in there who were — who were people flashing these messages of hate and…
HANNITY: Hang on one second. Hang on one second. Bo’s point is just the opposite. He’s hanging out with dictators where, if you’re gay, you’re going to be persecuted. And so he’s hypocritical.
DIETL: Right. Why are you sucking face with them for?
MENENDEZ: Right. To be honest, I do not know that that is what he’s doing, but in spite of that, I think the speech he made was eloquent and it was to the point.
HANNITY: All right, let me ask you.
EHRLICH: It’s all about politics, Sean. You know that. It’s all about politics.
MENENDEZ: It was a political film.
DIETL: Not too many votes, people who were viewing this.
EHRLICH: Sean’s point is, it’s just wildly inconsistent. He’s not consistent.
HANNITY: And let me ask — my wife said to me, and I wasn’t watching, because I was busy prepping for this show. But she said, you know, they keep showing the scenes of men kissing. And I’m thinking do we have to expose our children to more and more sex, more and more violence, you know, more and more controversy? Does that bother you at all?
EHRLICH: My kid’s asleep, but the point is, of course, it’s an agenda, and they don’t care. Look, these are adult subjects, but they’re not for my 9-year-old. This is not a discussion I need to have with my 9- year-old.
MENENDEZ: Do you get upset when you see heterosexual couples doing the same thing on TV?
DIETL: No, I don’t get upset when I see two people in love and kissing each other, but I get upset when a guy is sticking his tongue in another guy’s mouth. Maybe he wants that, but don’t bring that to my children at that age to show it’s an acceptable thing in daylight.
EHRLICH: And I agree. If it’s homosexual or heterosexual, I don’t want my 9-year-old…
DIETL: I’m not against lesbianics [SIC]. I’m not against gays.
HANNITY: What was that?
DIETL: Lesbianics [SIC]. I’m not against them, Sean. Whatever you want to suck on, that’s fine. But my point is — my point is, Sean, but don’t bring it in front of my children while they’re…
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Listen, I’m just more sensitive. If it’s going to be a family event, you know, and you want to — you can’t watch a lot of programs now because of the adult content. We’re robbing these kids, Alicia, of their childhood. We’re over-sexualizing them at younger and younger ages. We’re teaching them how to put condoms on cucumbers and on bananas. And you know what? Why don’t we leave the kids alone a little bit? Have some consideration for them?
MENENDEZ: I have even bigger problems with the amount of violence we show on television.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Sex and violence.
MENENDEZ: If we’re talking about hypocrisy, then let’s talk about a different standard…
DIETL: Look at the movie that Woody Allen made. This one about Barcelona. He had two gals that went there. One was engaged to be married. The next thing, this guy Javay (ph) — he was up for the Academy Award. Javier. Javier. He’s there, he’s — taking this one, this one, that one. And this is the realm of people’s mind.
This woman was happily engaged. She made some — groping (ph) with him. Then all of the sudden the one that won the Academy Award, she’s in it. She’s jumping in. I mean, this is what Hollywood’s all about, showing people, don’t be true to your loved one. Bounce around.
And you want to know something? Kids get affected by this…
HANNITY: They do.
DIETL: … when they think no one can be sincere.
EHRLICH: And there’s a difference between cartoon violence, like it didn’t impact anybody, and real violence. I don’t want my 9-year-old seeing real adult violence either, and that’s the parents’ job. I’m just tired of Hollywood, their agenda. Unfortunately, the agenda are not fair (ph) today.
HANNITY: I don’t want lectures from Penn or Baldwin or any of these guys.
DIETL: He’s an actor. He’s a great actor.
MENENDEZ: It’s his moment. Let him have his moment.
HANNITY: He’s not that great of an actor. Denzel Washington is a great actor.
DIETL: He’s a friend of mine. I love him. He’s great.
HANNITY: Morgan Freeman is a great actor.
DIETL: He was with me on the — at the table for New Year’s Eve.
HANNITY: All right. We’ve got to run. Good to see you all. Thank you.
DIETL: Good man.
HANNITY: And coming up Obama says that he’s aiming to cut the deficit in half. Well, I guess that means that the tax cuts he promised for 95 percent of Americans are being left on the campaign trail, along with some of his other promises. Dick Morris next. He’ll break it all down, straight ahead.
Utah State Senator Calls Gay People “Greatest Threat to America”
February 18, 2009
Utah’s ABC4 reports that recently released audio recordings, intended for a documentary related to California’s Proposition 8, include outrageous and offensive statements by a Utah State Senator.
Sen. Chris Buttars: “Homosexuality will always be a sexual perversion. And you say that around here now and everybody goes nuts. But I don’t care.”
Just one year ago, Buttars found himself in hot water locally and nationally for this comment on the senate floor.
“This baby is black…this is a dark, ugly thing.”
And even though Buttars says in the documentary interview,…”the ACLU – bless their black hearts…,” it’s his other comments which may get the strongest reaction.
Like this one which the documentary maker confirms is about gays.
“They’re mean. They want to talk about being nice. They’re the meanest buggers I have ever seen.”
And just seconds later, Buttars draws a comparison between some gays and radical Muslims.
“It’s just like the Muslims. Muslims are good people and their religion is anti-war. But it’s been taken over by the radical side.”
Buttars also claims he’s “killed” every gay rights bill in the legislature for the last 8 years.
He also talks about gay marriage being the beginning of the end.
Buttars: “What is the morals of a gay person? You can’t answer that because anything goes.”
And finally, this is how senator Buttars refers to the “radical gay movement.”
“They’re probably the greatest threat to America going down I know of.”
Now, in the interview, senator Buttars also talks about a certain type of reported gay sexual activity which he claims is taking place.
But ABC 4 does not consider that appropriate for its news content.
ABC 4 and The Salt Lake Tribune should be commended for highlighting the defamatory nature of his remarks, which are now being picked up on LGBT blogs including Towleroad.
Jacob Whipple, a local advocate (who we have highlighted previously on this blog) is calling on Buttars to resign – and calling on leaders in the State Senate to publicly decry the comments made in this recording. Whipple says, “He is a disgrace to his position of Senator and should not just be removed from his Committees (as he was [temporarily] last year) but should be removed completely from office.”
Buttars has thus far declined public comment, but has indicated he will respond via the Utah State Senate Republican Caucus blog at some point in the future.
GLAAD is closely watching this story unfold, and is working with local advocates and media outlets to ensure that coverage of his outrageous remarks does not go unchallenged.
Huckabee Parrots Coulter’s Defamatory Phrase “pro-sodomy” on Fox
January 12, 2009
The caustic author Ann Coulter stopped by the Fox News Channel as she continued to peddle her new book, Guilty: Liberal “Victims” and their Assault on America. She started her press expedition on CBS News and NBC News the week of January 5.
Her latest appearance was on Huckabee, the show featuring former Arkansas Governor and GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee. In a ridiculous exchange captured by Media Matters for America, Huckabee tried to assure Coulter that he is conservative enough to get her vote should he decide to throw his hat into future presidential races.
In trying to disprove Coulter’s notion that the former governor is not, in Coulter’s words, “pro-sodomy” and “pro-gay,” Huckabee told Coulter. “I am definitely not pro-sodomy. I promise. Scout’s honor.”
Huckabee was apparently responding to Coulter’s column from December 2007, when she questioned Huckabee’s statements supporting the Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas, which decriminalized being gay in all 50 states:
“Huckabee claims he opposes gay marriage and says Scalia is his favorite justice, but he supports a Supreme Court decision denounced by Scalia for paving the way to a ‘constitutional right’ to gay marriage. I guess Huckabee is one of those pro-sodomy, pro-gay marriage, pro-evolution evangelical Christians. No wonder Huckabee is the evangelical liberals like.”
It’s unfortunate that Mike Huckabee felt it necessary to dredge up old defamatory remarks by Coulter and feature them on his new Fox News Channel media platform. Should mainstream media ever consider painting Huckabee as moderate in future reports, they would do well to keep this item on hand.
CALL TO ACTION! – “Gunny” Bob Newman Links Military Service by Gay People to Greater HIV Risk
January 9, 2009
GLAAD just issued a call to action urging people to contact Clear Channel Communications and Denver station KOA over recent anti-gay comments made by host “Gunny” Bob Newman.
Please see below for more information and TAKE ACTION!
New York, NY, January 9, 2009 – On January 7 “Gunny” Bob Newman, host of The Gunny Bob Show on Colorado’s KOA-AM Radio, used his Clear Channel-owned media platform to make false and defamatory comments about gay service members. Newman suggested that lifting “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the ban on allowing qualified gay military personnel to serve openly in the armed forces, would lead to greater HIV risk.
Colorado Media Matters released audio and transcript versions of the program. In it, Newman made the following claims (click here for audio):
Interesting, though, how Barack Obama, who strictly avoided military service, has – says that the key test must be those things. He left a lot of stuff out. Like being able to fight with as much combat power as you possibly can. And if we have gays serving openly in the military, according to the military, that is going to reduce their combat power. You reduce combat power, casualties can go up.
We had a doctor call in the last hour, a military doctor, been in a long time, and he explained the dangers of HIV-AIDS on the battlefield. Especially when it comes to combat transfusions at the battalion aid station or where have you, in the back of a Hummer ambulance, wherever. And I added there’s also the danger of contamination when it comes to all the first responders on scene.
Often times that’s gonna be a medic or a corpsman. Or just another soldier – doesn’t have to be a medic or a corpsman or a Marine or what have you – who faces the additional risk of HIV-AIDS contamination. And the doctor also went on to explain, you know, how these transfusions are sought and how quickly they must happen. And he pointed out that if we do this, and more and more gays join the military and they are HIV-positive or suffering from AIDS, and their blood ends up getting transfused, you know, into another military person, well, then that’s a death sentence for the other person too. 303-713-8585.
This doesn’t bother Barack Obama. It doesn’t faze him in the least. He doesn’t care if a soldier or a Marine or a SEAL or what have you gets HIV, becomes HIV-positive, and then develops AIDS and dies because he happened to get a transfusion from an, say, an openly gay person with a very active sexual, open lifestyle.
Because to Obama, what’s most important is two things, being politically correct – excuse me, three things: being politically correct; functioning as a good leftist; and number three, paying back the gay and lesbian lobby, which donated such staggering sums of money to his campaign. He owes them a lot of money.
A recent Harris Interactive Survey showed that almost two thirds of U.S. adults favor allowing openly gay military personnel to serve in the armed forces. For more information, click here.
Please contact Clear Channel-owned KOA-FM executives in Denver, Colorado and Clear Channel Communications national executives in San Antonio, Texas to demand that they reprimand “Gunny” Bob Newman for his inappropriate and offensive remarks. Call on them to stop allowing their platforms to be used to perpetuate false and defamatory stereotypes about the LGBT community.
Contact:
KOA-AM
Mr. Lee Larsen
Vice President & General Manager
KOA-AM
Outlet Phone: (303) 713-8000
Email: leelarsen@clearchannel.com
Ms. Kristine Olinger
Director of AM Programming
KOA-AM
Outlet Phone: (303) 713-8000
Email: kristineolinger@clearchannel.com
Clear Channel Communications
Ms. Kathryn Johnson
Senior Vice President of Corporate Relations
Clear Channel Communications
Outlet Phone: (210) 822-2828
Email: kathrynmaysjohnson@clearchannel.com
Ms. Lisa Dollinger
Chief Communications Officer
Clear Channel Communications
Outlet Phone: (210) 822-2828
Email: lisacdollinger@clearchannel.com
CBS News Gives Ann Coulter Airtime in the New Year
January 6, 2009
The notoriously provocative author Ann Coulter is back in the mainstream media this week promoting her new book. This time CBS News The Early Show chose to give Coulter a platform to tout her latest work, entitled, Guilty: Liberal “Victims” and their Assault on America.
Although Coulter did non discuss any gay issues during her January 6 appearance on CBS News The Early Show, she did have a tense discussion with host Harry Smith, who before the interview questioned whether he should have invited her on in the first place.
“Ann Coulter is in the studio this morning. She has a brand new book. It’s called Guilty: Liberal “Victims” and Their Assault on America, and in it, she says that I am certifiably insane. Perhaps I am, for having her –- on the program this morning.”
In December Media Matters for America put NBC News on notice about a potential January 6 appearance by Coulter on NBC’s The Today Show. We at GLAAD also called NBC Universal executives with our concerns about Coulter’s past anti-gay defamation on NBC Programs. As Reuters reported yesterday NBC cancelled Coulter’s January 6 appearance due to an apparent scheduling conflict, but seemed to indicate the door is wide open for future appearances by Coulter:
“We’ve had Ann Coulter on ‘Today’ many times, but because of the news in Washington and the Middle East, we decided to cancel her appearance tomorrow,” NBC News said in a statement Monday. “Understanding the media as well as she does, we are sure she knows this happens from time to time. We look forward to welcoming her back in the future.”
We urge NBC, CBS and all mainstream outlets to carefully consider the wide range of inflammatory rhetoric Coulter has spouted over the years including numerous anti-gay outbursts. We applaud Media Matters for America for continually speaking out about Coulter and sharing all of her past vitriolic statements. GLAAD will also continue to hold the media accountable for giving pundits like her a voice to promote intolerance.
