NCAA Scraps Focus on the Family Ad because of the Group’s Anti-Gay Stance
February 26, 2010
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has pulled an ad from its website that was produced by the conservative Christian group ‘Focus on the Family’ because of that group’s anti-gay stance.
According to The Associated Press, “the NCAA made the decision after some of its members — including faculty and athletic directors — expressed concern that the evangelical group’s stance against gay and lesbian relationships conflicted with the NCAA’s policy of inclusion regardless of sexual orientation.”
Interestingly, the NCAA website is maintained by CBS Sports and the ad was part of Focus on the Family’s Superbowl advertising package. That deal ignited controversy earlier this month after CBS aired a ‘Focus on the Family’ anti-abortion ad during Superbowl XLIV. the AP reports, however, that while CBS sells ads for the NCAA website, the NCAA has the final word in deciding which ads appear on the site.
To read more about GLAAD’s work to demand higher standards in CBS’ advertising, click here.
According to the AP, The ad pulled by the NCAA, “featured a father holding his son and the words, ‘All I want for my son is for him to grow up knowing how to do the right thing.’” It also “included the address of Focus on the Family’s Web site and the slogan, ‘Celebrate Family. Celebrate Life.’”
Blogger Jeremy Hooper at GoodasYou.org writes that ‘Focus on the Family’ is denying that the NCAA had any credible reason to pull the ad, but notes also how the group fails to acknowledge the overwhelming amount of anti-gay content on its own site.
NCAA spokesperson Bob Williams said that “the decision to pull the ad was based not on the message but on the messenger.”
GLAAD will continue to follow the media’s coverage of the NCAA’s decision to pull advertising produced by the anti-gay group ‘Focus on the Family’. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:CBS Needs to Improve on Inclusion of LGBT People
January 31, 2010
On Friday GLAAD called on CBS to address an apparent bias in its Super Bowl advertising decisions after CBS declined to air a commercial with gay content during the Super Bowl because the “creative is not within the Network’s Broadcast Standards for Super bowl Sunday.”
“CBS has a problem when they do something like this at the same time as they allow an anti-gay group like Focus on the Family to place ads during the Super Bowl,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. “This network should come clean to the public about what’s going on because this seems to be a homophobic double standard.”
Earlier in the week, GLAAD released a Call to Action for community members and allies to speak out when CBS allowed the anti-gay group Focus on the Family to advertise during the Super Bowl after having unfairly denied that ability to the LGBT-inclusive United Church of Christ in previous years.
Adam Lambert Performing at the American Music Awards in 2009
This latest controversy is not the first time that CBS has been called out for failing to be LGBT inclusive. In November 2009, GLAAD released a statement calling out another double standard when CBS The Early Show blurred Adam Lambert’s same-sex kiss in a news segment showing his appearance at the American Music Awards.
“I would have hoped CBS would provide the same treatment for images of gay and lesbian people and not create an unfair double standard that treats our community differently,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios at the time. “CBS regularly shows kisses throughout every daypart. The kiss was not blurred on ABC nor in news coverage on other networks. While we continue to applaud The Early Show for featuring Adam Lambert today, we have reached out to the show’s producers to express our concerns about their decision and offer ways they can make their coverage of gay and transgender people more fair.”
CBS The Early Show last year also came under fire from GLAAD and Media Matters for America after they hosted anti-gay commentator Ann Coulter and gave her a platform to promote her latest book.
CBS’ fictional programming is equally as controversial when it comes to LGBT inclusion. In GLAAD’s Network Responsibility Index, an annual report that maps the quantity, quality and diversity of images of LGBT people on television, CBS received a “failing” rating last year. CBS was the only broadcast network to post a significant decline, having received an Adequate rating the previous year.
CBS saw the greatest decline among the broadcast networks, dropping to last place among broadcast networks with 60 hours (5%) of LGBT-inclusive content, out of 1,148 total hours of primetime programming. As in the past, the bulk of CBS’ LGBT impressions (72%) came from its alternative and reality programming.
CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler acknowledged her network’s deficit in LGBT representation and pledged to work toward greater inclusion. However, CBS continues to disappoint with zero LGBT series regular characters and only one recurring LGBT character this season.
But CBS does know how to include LGBT people in news and entertainment programming in a fair and accurate way. The New Adventures of Old Christine featured the wedding between Christine and her best friend Barb in 2008 and raised important awareness about the legal and social problems that LGBT couples face. This storyline resulted in the show receiving the GLAAD Media Award last year for Outstanding Individual Episode – in a Series without a Regular LGBT Character. Also, CBS The Early Show featured an interview with transgender Methodist minister David Weekly and his wife in 2009, providing viewers an important window into the lives of transgender people of faith. The segment is nominated for a GLAAD Media Award.
But CBS’ recent decisions regarding advertisements for the Super Bowl clearly demonstrate that the network needs to have a candid conversation with the LGBT community about what is going on and do more to include stories and images of our lives. GLAAD will be requesting meetings with executives at CBS to address the apparent double standards and advocate for greater LGBT inclusion.
CSI Miami Continues to Portray Intersex People as Psychopathic Killers
December 18, 2009
On Monday, December 14th, CBS aired a highly problematic episode of CSI: Miami, “Delko for the Defense,” in which they continued their trend of misrepresenting intersexuality as a motivation for homicidal attacks. The show previously broadcast defamatory implications about intersex people in their May 2007 episode “Born to Kill,” which also featured an intersex killer.
Monday’s episode involved the investigation of a man, Zach Finley, suspected of raping and then stabbing a rich heiress to death. A blood test of Finley reveals that he has Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, a genetic condition in which chromosomally XY individuals are unable to respond to the androgens which cause typically-male sexual differentiation, according to the Intersex Society of North America. Since the detectives are only concerned with Finley’s physical ability to sexually assault the victim, the show reduces the complexities and realities of AIS into a simple lack of external male genitalia. In fact, AIS often manifests itself in feminine gender identity and expression, a possibility which the show erases with its portrayal of Finley as a stereotypical gender-conforming male.
The detectives eventually discover that Finley was working in tandem with a rapist, and Finley finally confesses that he would follow his partner’s assaults by fatally stabbing the victims to death because, in his words, “He could be with these women, but I couldn’t. Killing was the only way that I could get close to them… Closer than sex.” This ridiculous premise for homicide offends on many levels (not the least of which is its perpetuation of a heterosexist idea of sex and intimacy), but ultimately sends an unacceptable message that intersex conditions necessarily result in such psychosexual pathologies.
From the lab technician’s reaction of, “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god” upon realizing that the suspect was intersex, to the poignant close-up shot of the Men’s bathroom sign where the detectives perform their visual confirmation of Finley’s anatomy off-screen, to repeated commentary about his “lack of equipment,” the episode oversimplifies and flippantly under-addresses the realities of intersexuality, all the while reinforcing the perception of people with AIS or other intersex conditions as inherently and genetically pathological.
Please contact CBS to voice your concerns about this defamatory portrayal:
Beth Haiken, Director of Publicity – CSI: Miami
Beth.haiken@cbs.com
GLAAD is in the midst of ongoing conversations with producers at CBS to improve the network’s overall coverage of LGBT issues. Please check back for updates, and notify us if you witness similar defamatory representations on this show, or any other, in the future.
Related Posts:As the World Turns Canceled; To Go Off-Air in September 2010
December 8, 2009
It was announced today that CBS has canceled As the World Turns, the 54-year-old daytime drama that most recently has enthralled gay viewers with the love story of Luke Snyder and Noah Mayer.
Luke and Noah will be signing off the airways next year
When As the World Turns goes off the air in September 2010, daytime television will be losing a leader in gay representation that has been nominated for four GLAAD Media Awards and won the past two years. The beloved characters Luke and Noah (or “Nuke,” as they came to be known) made history when they shared the first ever gay male kiss on daytime television and fans have enjoyed following their growth into daytime’s first gay “supercouple.” Although there will be one less daily drama on the air next year, As the World Turns paved the way for greater inclusion on the daytime programming that remains.
Related Posts:GLAAD Reacts to Early Show’s Decision to Blur Adam Lambert Kiss
November 25, 2009
Yesterday, GLAAD issued a statement applauding CBS for its decision to feature Adam Lambert on The Early Show after Good Morning America cancelled his planned appearance. However, during the broadcast this morning, The Early Show made the decision to blur the image of Adam kissing his keyboardist. In response, GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios has issued the following statement:
The Early Show blurred the image of Adam Lambert kissing his male keyboardist
“The Early Show’s decision this morning to blur Adam Lambert’s kiss from the American Music Awards reinforces an unfortunate double standard that is applied to openly gay performers,” said Jarrett Barrios, President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). “I would have hoped CBS would provide the same treatment for images of gay and lesbian people and not create an unfair double standard that treats our community differently. CBS regularly shows kisses throughout every daypart. The kiss was not blurred on ABC nor in news coverage on other networks. While we continue to applaud The Early Show for featuring Adam Lambert today, we have reached out to the show’s producers to express our concerns about their decision and offer ways they can make their coverage of gay and transgender people more fair.”
Related Posts:Good Morning America Cancels Adam Lambert Appearance After Racy AMA Performance
November 24, 2009
On ABC’s Sunday night broadcast of the 2009 American Music Awards, American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert gave a show-stopping performance of his lead single “For Your Entertainment,” that ultimately proved to be quite controversial.
Since coming out on the cover of Rolling Stone in June, there’s no denying that Lambert has become the most prominent openly gay music performer of the year. In a show packed with A-List talent such as Whitney Houston, Jay-Z, Kelly Clarkson, and the openly bisexual Lady Gaga, Lambert was chosen for the plum show-closing performance at the AMA’s, a strong testament to America’s anticipation for his debut album, For Your Entertainment, which was released yesterday.
Prior to the show, Lambert promised MTV that his AMA performance would be “sexy” and he certainly delivered. Strutting amongst leather-clad musicians and dancers, Lambert made out with a male keyboardist, danced suggestively with numerous dancers of both genders and simulated oral sex with a male dancer on a leash. The simulated oral sex was censored for the West Coast broadcast, though the rest of the performance was shown in full.
Not surprisingly, the performance sparked the ire of the anti-gay Parent’s Television Council which called on its members to contact ABC and Dick Clark Productions. ABC says they has received 1,500 complaints, though they also say this is only a “moderate” number. It’s unlikely ABC will face any fines from the FCC, which does now allow “indecent material” between the hours of 6-10 PM. Lambert took the stage well after 10 PM.
The fall out continued this morning as ABC’s Good Morning America announced that they had canceled tomorrow’s planned performance by Adam Lambert. In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, they said:
“Given his controversial American Music Awards performance, we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning.”
GLAAD has reached out to ABC to voice our concerns. In positive news however, the above Entertainment Weekly article also reports that CBS‘ The Early Show has booked Lambert to appear, as has David Letterman, so be sure to tune in to CBS tomorrow for your Adam Lambert fix!
Related Posts:Where We Are on TV: An Update
October 30, 2009
In the ever-changing television landscape, nothing is ever certain, particularly when it comes to LGBT representation. Just weeks after GLAAD released its 14th annual “Where We Are on TV” study, noteworthy changes have already occurred in the broadcast TV landscape.
FlashForward's Janis Hawk (Christine Woods)
The study reported that Dr. Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy would be the only lesbian series regular on network television. That changed when plot developments revealed that FBI agent Janis Hawk (Christine Woods) is a lesbian on the hit new series FlashForward, also on ABC. In last week’s episode, Janis went on a first date with an attractive woman named Maya. Although Janis was shot at the end of the episode, Janis does survive…though in the violent world of FlashForward she should watch her back lest our lesbian count drop back down to one. ABC recently announced it had picked up the series for an extended 25-episode first season.
Another noteworthy development came this past Monday when NBC’s Trauma definitively revealed the identity of its gay character, who was counted but unidentified in our study. Word had spread earlier that San Francisco paramedic Tyler Briggs (Kevin Rankin) was the gay character. Sure enough, in the Halloween-themed episode, Tyler came out to his partner Cameron Boone after Tyler had had enough of Boone’s homophobic jokes in the middle of the Castro. Unfortunately, NBC announced Wednesday that it would not be picking up additional episodes of Trauma beyond the original 13-episode order. The remaining eight episodes are expected to complete production and make it to air.
Trauma's Tyler Briggs (Kevin Rankin)
Besides the impending loss of Trauma, NBC also announced the cancellation of the critically-acclaimed Southland before its second season could even premiere. But there is still hope for Southland’s Officer John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) as TNT is reportedly interested in picking up the show. This news does not bode well for NBC’s LGBT representation, which looked promising coming into the new season. NBC’s primary LGBT characters now reside on The Office, Heroes and Mercy, which recently received a full season pick-up.
Additionally, if recent internet speculation on AfterEllen and other sites proves true, The Good Wife could become the only scripted series on CBS to feature a series regular member of the LGBT community. Though CBS has not yet confirmed this, subtle dialogue has suggested that investigator Kalinda Sharma (Archie Panjabi) could indeed be bisexual. We look forward to following this story and hope the The Good Wife will signal some progress for a network that has been lagging in scripted LGBT representation.
In the coming months The CW will see a rise in LGBT inclusion. Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello confirmed yesterday that 90210’s barely-there lesbian, Gia (Rumer Willis), will be getting some major screen time come January when she embarks on a relationship with series regular Adrianna (Jessica Lowndes). If the following statement from executive producer Rebecca Sinclair is any indication, we may have to start counting Adrianna as a bisexual character as this likely won’t be a mere ratings stunt:
“This isn’t a fling,” insists executive producer Rebecca Sinclair. “We’re coming at this [relationship] from a genuine place and not going, ‘Let’s do a titillating story that will grab some promotion.’ This is a real aspect of teenager life that’s interesting… And there’s been a real void in the 90210 universe in terms of gay and bisexual characters.”
This is shaping up to be an interesting season on many fronts! Check the glaadBLOG for TV Gayed, our weekly listings that bring you the latest on what’s LGBT on TV!
Related Posts:Big Brother 11’s Kevin Campbell Discusses Growing Up a Jehovah’s Witness
October 14, 2009
Recently GLAAD had the opportunity to talk with Kevin Campbell, the third place finisher on the most recent edition of CBS‘ Big Brother, and discuss his experiences as an out and proud gay man who was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness.
On how being raised a Jehovah’s Witness impacted his life as a gay man:
I remember the moment I realized I was gay was when I was in a meeting at church and they were reading a scripture in the Bible about how men who sleep with men are evil and wicked. And I remember as a kid, listening to that, and I was like, “Oh my God, I think that’s me!” I felt like the whole congregation was looking at me and I felt dirty, and you know, it definitely impacted me. I think conversely though, it helped me become the fabulous person I am now because I never want to go back into that corner—I never want to go back in the closet. I never want to have that feeling again. I just don’t want to go back to that space again, and that’s why I was fabulous like I was in the house, because I didn’t want anyone to put me in the closet again.
On coming out to his family:
My brother basically outed me. So what happened was, I told my brother, I was like, “Oh my God, I think I’m gay.” He freaks out. He told the elders in the congregation, which are like ministers or priests or whatever—he told them. My father had a heart attack within this week, so I go to visit my father in the hospital and these elders come to go pray for him. And they come up to me and they’re like, “So you know, your brother told us about your situation. If you don’t tell your father and your mother in the next week, we’re going to tell them for you,” so I was like, “Oh my God.” Needless to say, I came out to my mother in the hospital cafeteria, and then she told my father—later though, because he was still recovering from the heart attack.
Kevin (2nd from top right) and the cast of Big Brother 11
On his ex-communication:
They made an announcement to the whole congregation that I’ve been ex-communicated and they’re not to talk to me anymore. And ever since then, literally, the next day, my friends disappeared. I couldn’t talk to my mother, my father. My mother actually told me when they made the announcement—she cried—my mother’s Japanese and she rarely shows any emotion. She cried, and this is the second time in my life I’ve ever seen her cry…she told me that she has to think of me as being dead, because if she knew I was alive and living down the street, it would be too hard for her. Consequently, they moved to Japan like maybe 6 months later. But yeah, it was a hard experience. It was very crushing. I thought my life was over. I thought…I honestly thought that everything was done with me, but I just decided it wasn’t going to be the end of me, and I just kept going. And I just feel so sorry that certain organizations or certain people can do this to our community, and make us feel so horrible and split our families up.
On reuniting with his family:
Part of the reason why I wanted to do Big Brother is because I haven’t spoken to my mother and father in like, nine years…and I wanted them to somehow know that I was still doing okay. So deep down inside, I thought, well if I go onto Big Brother they would at least hear about me see through the television that I’m happy. So, after the show was over, CBS contacted my parents and I was connected to my parents, and we actually had dinner for the first time. They met my boyfriend for the first time, the day before yesterday. It was so awkward but so amazing. I think they are more open, I think they realize that, whoa, Kevin is serious. I mean, nine years with a man is serious. Nine years with anyone is very serious. I think I’m definitely opening their eyes, or their hearts at least, to the concept that, yeah, maybe they’re not completely accepting of me, but at least we need to show that we still love him. Because you know, a phone call goes a long way.
Rev. David Weekley Featured on CBS News “The Early Show”
October 1, 2009
Last month GLAAD provided media assistance to Rev. David Weekley when he came out publicly as a transgender man in a sermon to his United Methodist congregation in Portland, Oregon on August 30. Media coverage of Rev. Weekley’s courageous coming out story caught the attention of producers at CBS News “The Early Show” and GLAAD worked with Rev. Weekley and his wife, Deborah to prepare for the interview.
We applaud CBS for their coverage, while also acknowledging that parts of the interview misrepented Rev. Weekley’s story and contained improper terminology. The interviewer grabbed audience attention by emphasizing Weekley’s identity as a long-held “secret,” but Rev. Weekley responded that he did not see it as a secret but a personal matter. He explained that he is telling his story as part of his ministry to support better understanding of the transgender community. GLAAD worked with CBS producers to remove the word “admits” from their web-site headline and will continue to work with them to improve the accuracy of their future reporting on transgender issues.
GLAAD will also assist Rev. Weekley with future media appearances. He was previously featured on ABC News.com and KATU in Portland, Oregon. We will keep you informed of any new developments.
Related Posts:GLAAD Releases 14th Annual Where We Are on TV Study
October 1, 2009
Today, GLAAD released the14th annual “Where We Are On TV” study, a comprehensive review of scripted LGBT primetime characters in the 2009-2010 television season. After more than doubling last year,the overall number LGBT characters on broadcast networks continues a steady rise.
Glee's Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer)
The report shows that 18 LGBT characters will account for 3% of scripted series regulars in the 2009-2010 broadcast television schedule, up from 1.3% in 2006, 1.1% in 2007, and 2.6% in 2008. The number of scripted LGBT series regulars found on mainstream cable networks continue to decline, from 40 in 2007, 32 in 2008 to only 25 this year.
This research serves as a benchmark for GLAAD’s advocacy efforts of increases in LGBT characters and stories. The storylines and characters in the Where We Are On TV report will later be reviewed for GLAAD’s fourth annual Network Responsibility Index, released after May 2010 sweeps, which grades networks on overall LGBT impressions.
For this upcoming season, ABC continues to lead the other broadcast networks in LGBT representation, with eight LGBT characters out of 168 total series regular characters (5%), the highest number and percentage of LGBT characters of any network for the 2009-2010 season. Fox, which only two years ago featured zero series regular LGBT characters at the launch of the season, now offers four LGBT series regulars out of 105 (4%). NBC has three series regular LGBT characters (3%) out of a total of 126. The CW is showing gradual improvement with two LGBT series regular characters out of 69 (3%). Unfortunately, CBS continues to disappoint. Out of 132 series regular characters, none are LGBT.
On mainstream cable networks, the number of announced LGBT series regular characters dropped to 25 from last year’s total of 32. The presence of LGBT-focused cable networks here! and Logo, which program specifically for LGBT viewers, add an additional 27 series regular LGBT characters.
Stargate Universe's Camille Wray (Ming Na)
This marks the fifth year that GLAAD has analyzed the demographics of the race, gender and ethnicity of all the 600 series regular characters expected to appear on the broadcast networks in the upcoming season. Male characters continue to outweigh female characters 57% (345) to 43% (255) in overall numbers, while 77% (466) of all series regular characters are white, down 2% from last year. African American representation has remains at 11% (67) while Latino/a representation has dropped to 5% (27). GLAAD counted 23 Asian Pacific Islander characters (4%), four more than last season.
“Our analysis also shows where there’s still work to be done. This past year, we’ve seen real progress from many networks toward making their scripted programming more LGBT inclusive,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. “At the same time, we continue to advocate that other networks including CBS follow suit and that networks across the board better reflect the diversity of the LGBT community.”
Complete results of GLAAD’s “Where We Are On TV” report can be accessed here.
Related Posts:Guiding Light Goes Off the Airwaves with No Otalia Kiss
September 22, 2009
Last Friday, CBS‘ Guiding Light, TV’s longest running soap opera, went off the air after 72 years. With it went Olivia and Natalia, popularly known as “Otalia,” the show’s resident lesbian couple who were never given the opportunity to show any real intimacy on the air.
Jessica Leccia (l.) and Crystal Chappell (r.) as Guiding Light's "Otalia"
The pair had a long and convoluted history that began with them as bitter enemies. In a surprising turn of events, Olivia (Crystal Chappell) and Natalia (Jessica Leccia) began to grow closer after Olivia underwent a heart transplant and was nursed back to health by Natalia. LGBT fans became enthralled with the storyline when it became clear earlier this year that their relationship would become romantic.
Unfortunately, the resulting storyline polarized most of Otalia’s LGBT fans. Although it was made clear by the writers that Otalia not only had romantic feelings for each other but were in fact a couple, Otalia were never shown expressing their emotions with the same level of physical intimacy as other Guiding Light couples.
While the Otalia story was strong in many respects, the fact that the couple didn’t so much as kiss is perplexing considering the displays of affection between LGBT couples shown on other daytime dramas. All My Children broke ground with the character Bianca Montgomery (Eden Riegel), who shared the first lesbian kiss in American soap opera history. The character later married her girlfriend, also a first.
Though Bianca is not currently appearing on AMC, there are presently several other compelling LGBT relationships being depicted on daytime television. Most notably, Luke (Van Hansis) and Noah (Jake Silbermann), also known as “Nuke,” have been a popular staple on As the World Turns for several years now. ATWT and CBS ran into controversy similar to that which now surrounds Otalia when Nuke were not shown kissing for a long stretch of time. However, they are now shown being physically intimate with some regularity. Also of note is the budding relationship between Oliver (Scott Evans) and Kyle (Brett Claywell) on ABC’s One Life to Live.
Eden Riegel's Bianca (r.) kisses her bride on All My Children
It is unclear whether the decision not to have Otalia kiss came from CBS or the Guiding Light’s writers. However, GLAAD has been engaged in discussions with CBS regarding the overall lack of LGBT visibility on their scripted programming. Although Guiding Light has now gone off the air, we will continue to work with CBS to ensure that their other scripted daytime and primetime programming fairly, accurately and inclusively reflects the lives of LGBT Americans.
On a final note, there is hope for Otalia fans despite the cancellation of Guiding Light. Crystal Chappell, who played Olivia, will be keeping the spirit of Otalia alive on a new web series called Venice, set to debut in November. Though the characters of Olivia and Natalia will not appear (they are the property of Procter & Gamble), Chappell will be playing a single lesbian woman in Venice, CA. Jessica Leccia, who played Natalia, has agreed to appear on Venice and the two women will at long last share a kiss. The New York Times recently published an article on the upcoming web series that provides a lot more detail, but be sure to visit glaadBLOG in the future for all of the latest on Venice!
Related Posts:Out Counts at the Emmys
September 21, 2009
Last night’s 61st Primetime Emmy Awards represented a great achievement in visibility for members of the LGBT community. The show was hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, the Emmy-nominated star of CBS’ How I Met Your Mother and an actor who has only seen his profile rise since coming out publicly in 2006. Harris got a big thumbs up on his hosting from encore Emmy winner Jon Stewart. “You’re doing a wonderful job,” Stewart said. “I’m serious. You’re tremendous. And these shows, they usually suck.”
Cherry Jones accepts the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Cherry Jones took home the statue for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as President Allison Taylor on Fox’s 24. In her speech, Jones saluted the artistry and gifts of her co-workers as Keifer Sutherland looked on with obvious pride in his co-star.
The trophy for Outstanding Dramatic Series went to AMC’s hit drama Mad Men starring Jon Hamm and Bryan Batt. Batt is a speaker at the upcoming Out in Hollywood III: The Rise of the Out Actor, an invitation-only panel discussion presented by GLAAD’s Entertainment Media Program in conjunction with the SAG National LGBT Actors Committee. At the panel, prominent actors, casting directors, producers and directors will discuss the opportunities and challenges actors face by coming out.
The LGBT community was also well represented behind the scenes. Irish lesbian Dearbhla Walsh earned the Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special for Little Dorritt (PBS), based on the work of Charles Dickens. In her speech, Walsh thanked her partner, Irish television presenter Anna Nolan. Kristin Chenoweth won the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on the now canceled Pushing Daisies (ABC) produced by the out team of Bruce Cohen and Dan Jinks. Michael Sucsy, the openly gay writer/director/producer of Grey Gardens (HBO) accepted the award for Outstanding Made for TV Movie.
GLAAD celebrates the work of these talented artists and the networks that support them. As people see stories about their lives and the common ground we all share, it leads to greater awareness, understanding and equality.
Related Posts:Kevin Campbell Could Become First Openly Gay Winner of Big Brother
September 15, 2009
Tonight on CBS‘ Big Brother 11, Kevin Campbell, a 29-year-ol graphic designer from Chula Vista, California, could become the first openly gay contestant to win the $500,000 grand prize in the show’s history. By making it to the final three, Kevin has already advanced further in the game than any gay male contestant before him. (Ivette Corredero, a lesbian, made it to the final two on Big Brother 6 but fell short of first place).
Kevin Campbell could win it all!
The start of this season saw the houseguests divided into high school cliques: “Athletes,” “Populars,” “Offbeats” and “Brains.” As a former Jehovah’s Witness who was rejected by his family after he came out, Kevin was placed with the “Offbeats” alongside Lydia, a heavily tattooed bisexual make-up artist, and Casey, a fifth-grade teacher who moonlights as a DJ.
The other houseguests, some of whom had had little previous interaction with LGBT people, embraced Kevin and were genuinely interested in learning more about his life as a gay man. A particularly touching moment came when Kevin won the Head of Household competition and received a letter from his partner of nine years as a prize. These instances coupled with Kevin’s amicable demeanor allowed America to see a positive portrayal of a mature gay man in a committed relationship.
Tonight, Kevin will first have to defeat Jordan Lloyd, a 22-year-old waitress from North Carolina, to secure his place in the final two before deciding where to take Jordan or his ally, Natalie Martinez, with him to face the jury vote.
In Big Brother, one is always advised to “expect the unexpected.” However, if jurors vote based on who played the strongest game, expect Kevin to come out victorious. Be on the lookout on this blog for future stories on our favorite Big Brother houseguest!
Related Posts:Luke Adams Gives His Take on The Amazing Race 15’s Gay Brother Team
September 9, 2009
Earlier today, CBS announced the cast for the upcoming 15th season of The Amazing Race, which premieres on Sunday, September 27. Among the racers are Dan and Sam McMillen, brothers who recently came out to each other. We checked it with our friend, Luke Adams, the openly gay and deaf racer who finished in third place with his mom on The Amazing Race 14, to get his take on how he thinks the gay McMillen Brothers will fare:
Dan and Sam McMillen from "The Amazing Race 15"
The Amazing Race is BACK!!!
First of all, I want to give a warm welcome to the new members of the Amazing Race family! This time around there are twelve teams that will be racing around the world instead of the usual eleven, which means the race will be way more competitive, much tougher and filled with more twists! Hopefully there will be more Blind U-Turns, were my favorite twist last season.
Among the new teams this season, there’s a good looking team of gay brothers, Dan and Sam McMillen. I think their story is pretty heartfelt. They both grew up Christian in a conservative community and didn’t come out to each other until last summer, which has strengthened their bond. I hope the race will solidify their relationship even further the way it did with my mom and me. From what I’ve read about Dan and Sam, I would guess that they will go pretty far in the race. Family bonds are strong on the race. On my season, five family teams made it to the final six. I would bet that the brothers will make it at least that far! They’re pretty athletic and strong, plus they mentioned that they are both completely opposite from each other which can be a big asset for them to balance themselves out with the tasks they face on the race.
Luke Adams from "The Amazing Race 14"
One thing that they need to watch out for are the U-Turns because they could easily be perceived as threats, causing the other teams to try to take them out of the game. They are just lucky that I am not on their season because I would definitely try to U-Turn them! After all, alpha male teams usually go pretty far in the race! Dan and Sam will be great at the race as long as they get good cab drivers, keep a good rapport with the other teams and just stay ahead of a few teams in order to avoid being eliminated. I just hope the McMillen brothers wont incur a lot of penalties like the Muñoz brothers did on my season!
My Early Favorites: Dan & Sam, Meghan & Cheyne, and Maria & Tiffany (Go Purple Team!).
My Prediction for First Episode: The McMillen’s will get first place. They better get it or I’ll kick their butts!
My Prediction for Final Outcome: Dan & Sam will go out in the final four. Hopefully it won’t be a restroom break that causes their elimination at this stage…at least not if they learned anything after watching Jen & Kisha on my season!
Good luck to Dan & Sam!
Related Posts:CBS Airs Problematic Content on There Goes The Neighborhood
September 3, 2009
This past Sunday on CBS’ There Goes the Neighborhood, a friendly game of Scrabble became uncomfortable when one family used the word ‘queer’ and another added an ‘s’ to make the word ‘queers.’ The Mullennix family is headed by Chris and her partner, Renee.
The show immediately cut to a reaction shot of Chris Mullennix. On Monday morning, GLAAD received emails from community members asking how CBS could allow the producers of the show to display the word “queers” and to ridicule the Mullennix family based on their sexual orientation. The Twitter community responded with outcries such as: “Cannot believe the families just went homophobic on There Goes The Neighborhood and CBS allowed them to do it…”
The Mullennix Family
While not universally accepted, GLAAD doesn’t consider the use of the word a slur. “Queer” has traditionally been a pejorative term but has been appropriated by some LGBT people to describe themselves and many value the term for its sense of defiance. Yet in this instance, the word seemed to have been used as an insult given previous conflict between the Mullennixes and the Nelsons, the family that played the “s” to create “queers.” This was especially evident in the laughter that ensued among the Nelsons. GLAAD stands in objection to that use.
As the episode continued, however, CBS used the conflict as a basis for telling Chris’ story of feeling like an outsider and to demonstrate the conflict between the families that would emerge later. Chris is portrayed as a mother and partner concerned about how her family will survive financially if they don’t win the show’s $250,000 prize. This portrayal represents the reality for many LGBT families struggling in tough economic times. We hope that in the future CBS will focus more on the personal stories of the Mullennix family and dramatizing how they, like many American families, are working together to ensure a stable financial future.
CBS recently received a Failing grade in the GLAAD Network Responsibility Index. Since the NRI’s release, GLAAD’s Entertainment Program has lobbied CBS for an audience with programming executives to offer suggestions on how it can diversify its programming to better include the lives of LBGT people. At the Television Critics Association meeting, CBS President Nina Tassler was reported as saying, “we certainly have to include [LGBT characters] in our scripted programming.”
Last week, GLAAD received an initial positive response to our requests. GLAAD thanks its members for voicing their concerns about CBS. Readers can stay tuned to this blog or follow us on Twitter for updates on GLAAD’s ongoing conversations with that network.
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