Life & Style Off the Mark in Targeting Gender Identity of Angelina Jolie’s Child
March 3, 2010
The latest issue of Life & Style, a popular celebrity gossip magazine with several hundred thousand readers, features a cover story which claims that actress Angelina Jolie is turning Shiloh, her daughter with Brad Pitt, into a boy. The cover features Shiloh with a short haircut and polo shirt and asks: “Is it harming the three-year-old?”
“Life & Style is way off the mark with this outrageous coverage,” said Rashad Robinson, GLAAD’s Senior Director of Media Programs. “Perpetuating gender stereotypes and targeting children for ridicule about the way they dress is unacceptable, regardless of their parent’s celebrity status.”
The accompanying article cites several so-called ‘experts,’ including Glenn Stanton, from the anti-LGBT organization Focus on the Family, who says: “They need help, they need guidance of what that looks like. It’s important to teach our children that gender distinction is very healthy.”
“Media has a responsibility to differentiate between credible authorities and politically motivated (and usually self-proclaimed) ‘experts’ like Focus on the Family’s Glenn Stanton, who is not an expert on developmental issues,” said Robinson.
Other supposed ‘experts’ include VH1 stylist Alana Kelen, and celebrity stylist Gili Rashal-Niv, who made offensive comments such as: “Hopefully we won’t be seeing Maddox in one of Shiloh’s dresses any time soon.”
Justin Tanis, Outreach Manager for the National Center for Transgender Equality told The Advocate:
“The length of Shiloh’s hair or the clothes she wears are really matters for her and her parents to decide; this is a family that is known for their fashion. What’s important here is that every child, including Shiloh, has the opportunity to express herself and explore her world in a way that is safe and nurturing for her. Our society needs healthy, well-rounded children whose interests and tastes are as diverse as the children themselves and are not limited by outdated stereotypes of gender. Shiloh — and all other children — deserve the right to be themselves in ways that feel right to them as they learn and grow.”
GLAAD will be contacting Life & Style to voice our serious concerns about this story and educate the editors about how to fairly and accurately report on gender issues. We will urge the editors to refrain from this kind of sensationalism in future coverage and encourage community members to do the same.
Lindsay Ferraro
Publicity Manager – Life & Style Weekly
LFerraro@bauer-usa.com
(201) 569-6699
Dan Wakeford
Editor-in-Chief – Life & Style Weekly
dwakeford@bauer-usa.com
New Report Shows Significant Progress for LGBT Americans Since 2000
December 16, 2009
As the decade draws to a close, a new report shows the past 10 years have been a period of dramatic gains in equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in America. Two-thirds of the 36 statistical indicators compiled in A Decade of Progress on LGBT Rights showed significant advances, including sharp increases in the number of LGBT Americans protected by nondiscrimination and family recognition legislation at the state level. Just over a quarter of the indicators were negative, and two showed mixed results. The report is a joint project of the LGBT Movement Advancement Project and the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr., Fund.
Full text of the report is available here.
Among the report’s key measures of progress:
- Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation: The number of states outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation increased 83 percent, from 12 to 22, between 2000 and 2009. The percentage of the U.S. population living in states banning discrimination based on sexual orientation soared from 24.5 percent to 44.1 percent, an 80 percent increase. In other words, today 134 million Americans are now living in states where discrimination based on sexual orientation has been outlawed, an increase of 65 million over the decade. (When local nondiscrimination laws passed by cities without statewide protections are included, the figure is over 50 percent of the U.S. population.) Fortune 500 companies that protect workers based on sexual orientation grew from 51 percent to 88 percent.
- Discrimination Based on Gender Identity: There was an even more remarkable increase in states outlawing discrimination based on gender identity and expression, which rose from just 1state in the year 2000 to 14 states representing nearly 30 percent of the population in 2009. The percentage of Fortune 500 companies that protect workers based on gender identity jumped even more, from just 0.6 percent to 35 percent.
- Public Opinion: The percentage of the public supporting the right of openly gay and lesbian people to serve in the military grew from 62 percent to 75 percent. Support for marriage equality has grown from 35 percent in 2000 to 39 percent today; there has been an even larger increase in support for relationship recognition that involves many of the rights of marriage, from 45 to 57 percent.
- Safer Schools: In 2000, only one state had a safe school law that specifically cited sexual orientation and gender identity/expression for protection; by 2009 that rose to 13states. The number of Gay-Straight Alliance Clubs in high schools grew from 700 to 4,700, a nearly six-fold increase.
The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund is a private family foundation created in 1953 which has awarded more than $364 million in grants to support fundamental rights and opportunities for all people. It has invested nearly $42 million in promoting equal rights and opportunities for gays and lesbians since 2002.
Related Posts:GLAAD Reports from the Angie Zapata Murder Trial
April 15, 2009
GLAAD Media Field Strategist Adam Bass is in Greeley, Colo. as the trial in the murder of Angie Zapata begins, working alongside local advocacy organizations on the ground to coordinate local media efforts and support Zapata’s family and friends. Angie Zapata was an 18-year-old transgender woman who was brutally murdered in her own home last July – and the trial for the man accused of murdering her began Tuesday, April 14.
The man who allegedly murdered Angie goes on trial for premeditated murder this week. He also faces a hate crimes charge, the first time such a charge has been leveled against a defendant in the case of a murdered transgender person – in Colorado and the nation.
Colorado media outlets, as well as some national media, have been reporting on Angie Zapata and this murder trial.
Angie Zapata s family gathers for a vigil in her honor Tuesday in Greeley, Colo.
Tuesday, in Greeley, was no different. Locals, led by the Lambda Center of Fort Collins, gathered for a brief candlelight vigil in a downtown Greeley park. They gathered to show support to the family as the trial begins. Speakers included retired Pastor Steve Brown of Greeley and Andy Stoll of the Lambda Center.
Monica Zapata, Angie’s older sister, also spoke, surrounded by many other family members. Monica remembered Angie as “beautiful.” She said that Angie would be happy to see that the community was coming together to “change the world” and make it a better place for other transgender people to live.
Over 60 people gathered in the park to show support to the family, and the event ended a busy news day. Denver television stations CBS 4 Denver, ABC 7 News, NBC 9News and Fox 31 KDVR, as well as Greeley’s Channel 5, filed reports from the opening day of court.
Angie Zapata
TruTV is covering the entire trial. Denver Post and Greeley Tribune reporters were also at the court house, while Pam’s House Blend contributor Autumn Sandeen will be live blogging and using Twitter throughout the trial. The first day of the trial consisted of jury selection, and it is expected that opening statements in the trial will be presented on Thursday.
GLAAD is on the ground to work with the media as they cover this trial – to ensure that Angie’s story is told fairly, accurately and inclusively, and that the story of Angie’s life isn’t lost in the coverage of her murder.
To find out more about Angie Zapata and her life, visit www.angiezapata.com
In the Life Presents “Revising Gender”
March 31, 2009
American Public Television’s long-running LGBT-centric program In the Life has just produced a new episode for April. Throughout the month, this very special episode — all about gender identity — will be available online for free!
The hour will examine the battle over whether to reform or eliminate Gender Identity Disorder (GID) from The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) – the “bible” of mental illness. The episode will also feature a conversation between Mara Keisling, Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, and political theorist, Paisley Currah.
The episode becomes available online April 1, but may also air on your local PBS station. Check listings for air dates and times.
Watch a clip here:
U.S. Will Support UN Statement on “Human Right, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity”
March 18, 2009
In an official statement today, U.S. State Department affirmed that the Obama administration-led U.S. government will support the UN Statement on “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity.” The UN declaration urges the decriminalization of being gay and “condemns human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity wherever they occur.”
The full release can be found here.
—
UN Statement on “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity”
Robert Wood
Acting Department Spokesman, Office of the Spokesman
Bureau of Public Affairs
Washington, DC
March 18, 2009
The United States supports the UN Statement on “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity,” and is pleased to join the other 66 UN member states who have declared their support of this Statement that condemns human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity wherever they occur.
The United States is an outspoken defender of human rights and critic of human rights abuses around the world. As such, we join with the other supporters of this Statement and we will continue to remind countries of the importance of respecting the human rights of all people in all appropriate international fora.
—-
Several LGBT and progressive blogs have also picked up the story including Good As YouThe Huffington Post, The Hollywood Liberal, Joe.My.God, Queerty, and Towleroad.
Korean Court Convicts Man for Raping Transgender Woman
February 24, 2009
In a landmark ruling, a Korean Court found a 28-year-old man guilty for robbing and raping a transgender woman last August. The 58-year-old woman found the man breaking into her home. He stole 100,000 won ($70USD) and then proceeded to rape her.
Busan District Court
The Busan District Court convicted the man and sentenced him to three years in prison, but suspended his sentence for four years. The court also ordered him to complete 120 hours of community service.
Prosecutors originally tried to secure a five-year sentence.
Yonhap, the state news agency produced two stories (text and audio) on the legal milestone. Other media outlets like the The Korea Herald and The Chosun Ilbo have also generated coverage on the sexual assault case.
The verdict signals another milestone for transgender Koreans. In 2006, the South Korean Supreme Court ruled in favor of a transgender woman’s request to amend her gender on official documents. The South Korean military reformulated its medical examination procedures, making transgender people eligible to serve.
Ha Ri-su and Micky Chung
Ha Ri-su, the famous transgender Korean singer and actress, was then able to apply for amended identification that reflected her gender.
She was also able to legally marry her partner, Micky Chung. The couple plans on adopting children in the future.
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has played a leading role for ensuring transgender people among other minority groups are protected and upheld in law and policy.
In 2006, GLAAD met with a delegation from the top human rights group. We spent time with the delegation to provide resources and guidance for their national LGBT efforts.
Korea’s continued progress for protecting all of its citizesn regardless of their gender identity is absolutely worth its weight in media coverage. Hopefully, these stories will propel similar advances in the region and around the world.
Members of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea
The 10th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance
November 20, 2008
The below post is written by Moe Macarow, GLAAD’s Media Programs Fellow.
Today marks the 10th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, an international observance honoring the lives lost due to anti-transgender violence in the U.S. and around the world.
If this were one week ago, I would have blogged about fifteen transgender and gender non-conforming people who were murdered in America this year. Not only is fifteen a high number, it is most likely underestimated. A large number of transgender deaths go unreported or misreported, and accurate statistics are impossible to calculate since they are not collected, mostly due to lack of federal hate crimes protections for transgender Americans.
If this were one week ago, the list of 15 names we would pause to remember would have included the names of Brian McGlothin, Patricia Murphy, Stacy Brown, Adolphus Simmons, Ashley Sweeney, Sanesha Stewart, Lawrence King, Simmie Williams, Lloyd Nixon, Ebony Whitaker, Angie Zapata, Jaylynn L. Namauu, Ruby Molina and Aimee Wilcoxson.
However, last Friday we sadly added one more name to the list of lives lost this year due to anti-transgender hatred and prejudice.
Lateisha Green. Image from News-10.
The sixteenth death was Lateisha Green. Only 22, Green was shot to death outside a friend’s house on the night of November 14 in Syracuse, New York. Her friend Alyssa Davis had called her to invite her over to a party, where she was murdered while standing in front of the house for nothing more than being transgender. And just days before the 2008 observance of Transgender Day of Remembrance.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) estimates that 1 in 12 transgender Americans face the chance of being murdered, and the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP)’s recent report showed that the largest increase in violence against any demographic targeted transgender men.
These statistics are unacceptable.
This year for Transgender Day of Remembrance, we should not only honor the victims of senseless, hate-motivated violence – we must work each day forward to make sure that these sixteen lives are the last victims to be mourned.
Today, we must pledge to speak out against hate and for transgender equality. We must strive as a community to put an end to anti-transgender violence. Even one more murder is too many.
And if you have experienced discrimination because of your gender identity or expression, reach out to the community and call the:
- Sylvia Rivera Law Project at (212) 337-8550
- Transgender Law Center at (415) 865-0176
- Anti-Violence Projectat (212) 714-1141 (24-hour bilingual hotline)
- Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund at (646) 862-9396
Kenneth Cole Sets Trend for Inclusion
September 17, 2008
The below post was submitted by Andy Marra, GLAAD’s Asian and Pacific Islander Media Strategist.
Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. is known for setting the bar high when it comes to creative advertising to its customers. The fashion company has long tied its brand to social causes including advertising for the LGBT community and AIDS awareness.
Another ad featuring Log Cabin Republicans President Patrick Sammon
When Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian on the cover of Time magazine in 1997, Kenneth Cole used catchy ads to announce their support of her.
More recently, Kenneth Cole’s We All Walk In Different Shoes campaign has featured Log Cabin Republican President Patrick Sammon and LGBT families.
One of the newest ads in the campaign shows Nina Poon, a transgender woman of Chinese descent and her boyfriend Robert Jason about to kiss. The ad shares Nina’s story of growing up in Vietnam, coming to terns with her gender identity and how she now juggles being a successful illustrator, make up artist and girlfriend.
The new campaign features people from all walks of life, with its theme stemming from the company’s history of making footwear. Other people appearing as a part of the campaign include a punk evangelist, a survivor of ovarian cancer, an African American woman with albinism and a Hasidic reggae artist.
Hats (or shoes?) off to Kenneth Cole for providing the world great ads with an inclusive message.
