GLSEN’s E.D. Calls Out OK Senator’s Staffer On His Anti-LGB Message
September 30, 2009
Last week media reported on various aspects of the Value Voters Summit, a yearly forum for ultra-conservatives. Last year, the summit made headlines for its wares depicting then presidential candidate Barack Obama as a racial stereotype. This year one of the more alarming things to come out of the summit happened during a breakout session titled “The New Masculinity,” which brought speakers together to discuss “principles and ideals for a new masculinism.” During this session, the final speaker, Michael Schwartz, Sen. Tom Colburn’s (R-Okla.) Chief of Staff, made this statement:
“But it is my observation that boys at that age [10 – 12 years of age] have less tolerance for homosexuality than just about any other class of people. They speak badly about homosexuals. And that’s because they don’t want to be that way. They don’t want to fall into it. And that’s a good instinct. After all, homosexuality, we know, studies have been done by the National Institute of Health to try to prove that it’s genetic and all those studies have proved its not genetic. Homosexuality is inflicted on people.”
Just days later, The New York Times published an article online titled Coming Out in Middle School, which also appeared in the New York Times Magazine. The article profiles several gay and bisexual youth from across the country, some of whom live in Oklahoma. Though the article’s subjects came out in middle school, two report being aware of their sexual orientations earlier, at age ten and eleven. The article also references studies that put the mean age for recognizing same-sex attraction at age ten.
In response to Schwartz’s remarks, Dr. Eliza Byard, Executive Director of the Gay and Lesbian Education Network (GLSEN), who is also quoted in the Times article, penned a piece that was published in the Huffington Post, titled Colliding Realities In America’s Middle Schools.
Byard delivers a cautionary tale, urging readers to consider:
“…the clash of those two realities–10-year-olds intolerant of gay people and 10-year-olds realizing they are gay–playing out in both hidden and public ways every day in school hallways.”
She goes on to quote stark statistics from the recently released GLSEN Research brief:
“The brief reveals that middle school LGBT students reported rates of harassment and assault that were significantly higher than those reported by high school LGBT students: more middle school students had been verbally harassed, and a shocking 63% had heard homophobic remarks made by school staff. About two of every five LGBT middle school students had been assaulted – punched, kicked or threatened with a weapon – at school, as compared to “only” one in five of the high school respondents.”
This information is stark indeed and bears ill portent if Schwartz’s remarks are left unchecked by the media. His statements very clearly reinforce and even encourage homophobia in youth who are already, according to GLSEN’s data, committing acts of harassment and violence against their LGBT peers more frequently in middle school than high school.
During the course of his speech, where he addressed what men who are already good husbands and fathers can do to change the culture, Schwartz noted:
“If you don’t have love in you life it’s not a very complete life and yet we fail to talk about it to our sons and to their friends. They’re the ones that need to hear it the most.”
Perhaps someone ought to remind him that LGBT youth are deserving of that same love, acceptance and familial support, and that includes a life free from fear of harassment and violence.
Related Posts:Orange County School District Agrees to Mandatory Harassment/Discrimination Prevention Trainings Following Outrageous Incidents of Homophobia and Sexism
September 10, 2009
On Wednesday morning, Newport-Mesa Unified School District in Orange County settled the lawsuit brought against them in March by the ACLU of Southern California for failing to address the hostile environment of homophobia and sexism at Corona del Mar High School, which permitted a particularly vicious verbal attack against one student.
The LA Times reported that in January three football players posted a video on Facebook, in which they voiced anti-gay slurs and suggested sexually assaulting and killing their female classmate, Hail Ketchum, who was playing the role of Mimi in the high school’s version of the musical ‘Rent.’ 600 students viewed the video before it was removed.
An LA Times Blog article published the day that the ACLU filed its suit reported that administrators did little to punish the boys or protect Ketchum, who had to rearrange her class schedule to avoid the boys, one of whom threatened her in person.
According to the Orange County Register, the ACLU stated in March that Corona del Mar High School administrators were “permitting and sanctioning an atmosphere that is hostile to female, lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgender students in general, and has led to despicable threats of violence against one student in particular.”
While school district officials still admit to no wrongdoing, they did agree to settle the case outside of court. According to the blog GregInHollywood, the terms of the settlement require that the district provide:
mandatory training sessions for administrators, teachers and students that will focus on the harmful impact of sexual discrimination and harassment, as well as on federal law and district complaint protocols to be followed whenever anyone experiences discrimination or harassment based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity.
The district will also provide a written apology to Ketchum, who is now a freshman at Loyola Marymount University, and agreed to publicly identify herself for the first time on Wednesday.
The LA Times quoted a statement read by her parents at a news conference Wednesday morning, in which Ketchum said:
No one else will have to go through what I went through… I hope the students of Corona del Mar High School will learn from my experience that it’s possible to stand up for what is right and prevail.
GregInHollywood reported Ketchum as saying:
[Those attacks] were disgusting and very disturbing to me personally… But what was really disheartening is that when I complained about them, the administrators did little to deal with them. I’m happy that the settlement provides the school with a road map of how to address situations like this more appropriately.
Schools around the country are struggling to deal with this type of discrimination and harassment every day. Our sister organization, the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), has been working since 1995 to make schools safer for all students. We recommend several resources they have to offer for school officials, parents, and students alike at http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/antibullying/index.html
We at GLAAD will continue to monitor media reports of homophobia and sexism in schools and keep you informed.
Related Posts:KRXQ UPDATE: Tomorrow’s Show and More Advertiser Statements
June 10, 2009
As many know already from reading our previous update, the “Rob, Arnie and Dawn in the Morning” show will begin re-airing on Thursday, June 11. GLAAD will be listening to the show that begins at 10:30AM EST/7:30AM PST. We will be paying close attention to the broadcast.
We have a few more breaking updates to share with you about what to expect tomorrow morning and the ongoing developments with advertisers pulling from the radio station.
People can tune in here to listen to tomorrow’s show featuring Pam’s House Blend contributor and transgender advocate Autumn Sandeen and Trans Youth Families Allies Executive Director Kim Pearson.
Please note the following information:
- The live broadcast will last for 2.5 hours
- There will be no commercial breaks whatsoever during the radio show
- People may call in during the show at the following number: 916-766-1044
- You can follow GLAAD Senior Media Strategist Andy Marra on Twitter during the broadcast @Andy_Marra
- GLAAD will be releasing our statement on GLAADblog.org and GLAAD.org soon after the show
GLAAD reminds its readers to be respectful and civil when calling into the radio station and expressing your views.
In anticipation of tomorrow’s show, GLAAD spoke with its sister organization, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). The national organization advocating for safer schools recently released a report titled Harsh Realities that documented the experiences of transgender students in the classroom.
GLSEN wanted us to share their statement that reads:
GLSEN is horrified and outraged by the hateful comments directed at transgender youth made on the ‘Rob, Arnie and Dawn in the Morning Show.’ Such comments are even more reprehensible in light of the fact that more than half of transgender students experience physical harassment in school based on their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression and more than a quarter experience physical assault. We can only hope that Thursday’s show will shed light on the need to make sure that transgender youth are safe in every school.
The Transgender Law Center also issued a statement about tomorrow’s morning that you can find here.
Earlier this afternoon, a GLAAD supporter also provided a tip about UC Davis Health Systems ending their relationship with the “Rob, Arnie and Dawn in the Morning” show. The university’s medical institution released a statement that you can find here and here.
In the statement, UC Davis announced their decision to pull all advertising from the station. They also ended their partnership with the station that annually raises charitable dollars for the Children’s Miracle Network. The Sacramento Bee reported on the latest development immediately following the announcement.
GLAAD also received a statement from Home Depot clarifying their involvement with KRXQ. 
The statement reads:
The Home Depot is neither a sponsor nor has it committed advertising to this program. However, our ads are occasionally heard on KRXQ as part of a national radio buy. We have shared your feedback about the morning program with the network and the station directly, and have asked them to look more closely at where our ads are running to ensure they are in accordance with our standards.
We have strict guidelines in place to ensure the programs we support reflect the quality of our brand. Our advertising campaigns have one simple objective — to communicate with audiences in the most effective way possible. Feedback from customers like you plays a large role in helping us to maintain these standards.
Thank you for your interest in The Home Depot.
Local advertisers like Sleep Train and Guitar Center issued statements that you can find here and here. The LGBT community in Sacramento has been very active in leading efforts to contact local advertisers and urge them to pull their advertising contracts from KRXQ. The Sacramento LGBTQI Leadership Coalition, a local alliance of 15+ organizations has been coordinating on-the-ground efforts related to the radio station.
The coalition provided GLAAD with the following statement about their reasons for mobilizing the community:
The hateful remarks against transgender youth made by two primetime Sacramento radio hosts was shocking and hurtful to members of our city’s vibrant and diverse LGBT community. Gay and transgender youth are at high risk of depression, alcohol and drug abuse and suicide due to homophobic discrimination and abusive environments many face in their schools, homes and among their peers. All in our community feel a deep commitment to doing our best to shelter our LGBT youth to the greatest extent possible from these destructive societal pressures. No child should have to be afraid of being hurt or harassed for simply expressing his or her identity.
Please stay tuned for more details. Please check back with us for updates on this developing story.
Have an update to share with GLAAD? Send us a tweet on our Twitter account @glaad.
UPDATE: Tennessee School District Removes Ban on LGBT Web Sites
June 5, 2009
This is an update to our original post here.
Just two weeks after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed lawsuits against Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools and Knox County Schools, the school districts have agreed to remove a ban on LGBT web sites in its classrooms.
Previously blocked websites included GLSEN, PFLAG – and also GLAAD’s. Access to so-called “ex-gay” sites were not included in the school district’s original ban.
The block is said to have been removed on Tuesday, though students do not return to classrooms until the summer session begins this coming Monday at which time the new software will be tested.
For more background on this story, click here.
UPDATE: Bank of America Becomes Fourth Company to Pull Advertising on KRXQ
June 5, 2009
At 12:55pm EST, Bank of America provided GLAAD with a statement announcing their decision to discontinue advertising on KRXQ.
In their statement, Bank of America wrote:
In response to your inquiry, I would like to express our thoughts to you regarding Bank of America’s decision to discontinue advertising on the station and show in question.
Bank of America is proud to be a leader in supporting diversity and continues to be widely recognized for our progressive workplace practices and initiatives to promote inclusion. This commitment to equality and diversity informs every aspect of our enterprise, including our approach to advertising. As a result, we adhere to a set of media buying guidelines for syndicated programming and for local stations that promote inclusion and help our company reach a broad range of diverse customers.Bank of America prides itself on fostering a corporate culture that is inclusive of all the communities we serve. Our customers, clients and associates speak different languages; support different family structures and life situations; and have unique and personal financial requirements. In order to meet the diverse needs of our customers, we require a variety of products and services, marketing and a diverse workforce that demonstrate and reflect our awareness and appreciation of who our clients and customers are.
We hope the immediate actions that we have taken demonstrate our longstanding support of diversity, and we hope you inform members of your organization of the steps that we have taken to address your concerns.
Thank you for your inquiry and bringing this to our attention.
Bank of America is now the fourth company to pull their advertising after Sonic, Snapple and Chipotle. You can read more about that here.
KRXQ is continuing to receive scrutiny due to the May 28th “Rob, Arnie and Dawn in the Morning” show radio segment where radio hosts Rob Williams and Arnie States made offensive comments against transgender children. You can listen to the segment here.
Later, they aired a follow-up broadcast that you can listen to here and read GLAAD’s response here.
GLAAD is still encouraging its constituents to contact KRXQ and respectfully voice your concerns about the defamatory and dehumanizing comments made by the radio hosts. Please read our Call to Action here.
Please check back with us for more developments on this story.
Have an update to share with GLAAD? Send us a tweet on our Twitter account @glaad.
Related Coverage:
UPDATE: Snapple, Sonic & Chipotle Pull Advertising From KRXQ
June 4, 2009
In the wake of KRXQ radio hosts Rob Williams and Arnie States not apologizing for their offensive comments against transgender children, individuals continue to take action and share their concerns with the station.
You can listen to last week’s segment here and their follow-up to the controversy here.
On June 2, GLAAD issued a Call to Action and today renewed its call for supporters to let KRXQ know that Rob and Arnie should apologize for their remarks. We have also been blogging about this story (here and here).
Business leaders have also become alarmed by last week’s defamatory radio segment and are distancing themselves from the shock jocks and their dehumanizing remarks. Individuals are utilizing social networking tools like Facebook to voice their concerns and alert companies of the harmful diatribe.
At 1:33pm, I received an email from the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. The company is responsible for well, Dr. Pepper and Snapple along with 40+ brands including 7UP, Country Time, Crush, Hawaiian Punch, Mott’s, Orangina, Welch’s and Yoo-hoo.
Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc gave us the following statement to share with our supporters:
We found the segment to be offensive and as a result, we are pulling our Snapple advertising from the station.
Thanks again for bringing this to our attention.
As far as we know, the beverage company now becomes the second business to pull its advertising from KRXQ as a result of last week’s defamatory and dehumanizing comments against transgender children made by radio hosts Rob and Arnie.
The popular restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill was the first to announce pulling their advertising contract from the station.
Please continue to check back for updates on this developing story.
—————
UPDATE:
At 4:00pm EST, GLAAD spoke with SONIC Corp, the largest chain of drive-in restaurants in the country. SONIC confirmed they pulled all of their advertising from KRXQ as a result of the offensive comments made on the “Rob, Arnie and Dawn in the Morning” show during their May 28 radio segment.
SONIC provided GLAAD with the following statement at 4:45pm EST:
Sonic wants to assure you that the views of this station are in no way related to the views of Sonic. Sonic was alerted to the May 28th segment only yesterday and immediately began researching the segment, show and Sonic’s planned advertising on the station. SONIC in no way condones violence toward children and does not wish to be associated with media content that condones or promotes such activity in any way. We have decided to immediately withdraw advertising from this station and have notified the station of our decision.
SONIC now joins Snapple and Chipotle in their removal of advertising on KRXQ.
Please check back with us for more developments on this story.
Have an update to share with GLAAD? Send us a tweet on our Twitter account @glaad.
KRXQ Radio Hosts Rob and Arnie Sweep Anti-Trans Namecalling Under the Rug
June 4, 2009
On Tuesday, we issued a Call to Action demanding that KRXQ radio hosts Rob Williams and Arnie States apologize for encouraging violence against transgender children. We also posted a blog update about the initial results from alerting our consitutents and media about the defamatory radio segment.
Reporters and outlets decided to cover the developing story including The Sacramento Bee, Instinct (here and here), The Huffington Post and FOX 40.
In a FOX 40 phone interview, KRXQ station manager Jim Fox responded to our Call to Action.He said:
Did they do anything wrong? If you’re a regular listener, the answer is no.
Hundreds of emails from our supporters poured into KRXQ from the United States and around the world demanding for Williams and States to issue an apology for their offensive comments. As a result, General Manager John Geary alerted us the hosts would issue a response on Wednesday morning in the 7:00am PST hour.
On the evening of Tuesday, June 2, GLAAD spoke with radio host Dawn Rossi. Director of National News Cindi Creager and Senior Media Strategist Andy Marra shared key information about the transgender community in preparation for their scheduled response. GLAAD also connected the radio host with Pam’s House Blend contributor Autumn Sandeen and Trans Youth Family Allies Executive Director Kim Pearson.
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Additionally, GLAAD’s President Neil Giuliano was also directly contacted by a Chipotle Mexican Grill executive in the same evening to inform us the popular restaurant chain pulled their advertising support from the station. Having heard concerns from customers about the issue, they decided to take immediate action that cost KRXQ a year-long contract.
GLAAD staff monitored Wednesday’s response that lasted for almost 3 hours. The Rob, Arnie and Dawn in the Morning show has posted the show in its entirety and can be listened to on their website.
In Wednesday’s response, Rob Williams said at 12:16:
This show has a strong, unwavering, unblemished, untarnished dedication and commitment to battling for children and against children being harmed in any way. For years, we did a feature called ‘The Silence Epidemic’ when nobody talked about children being left alone in hot cars. To bake to death and their parents not being in any way held accountable. We discussed child abuse at levels that no other show would talk about.
The Hosts
He also goes on to state:
Everyone that listens to this show, everyone that’s even aware of this show, knows that we have an underlying tone: You don’t hurt kids! That’s understood. But when you’re having a serious conversation, sometimes you need to what we call ‘release the pressure valve.’ That’s what Arnie’s role on the show is. To make a point and release some of the pressure and let people laugh.
He closed his point of clarification by saying:
I’m sorry that you might find it funny — or I’m sorry that you might not find it funny that some people laugh when Arnie — who does not have a child — talks about throwing a shoe at his non-existent son. You know what? Some people do laugh and they know we’re not serious, that Arnie’s not serious and we don’t advocate for it.
While it was heartening for us to hear that Rob Williams and Arnie States did not advocate for violence against children, they also did not hold themselves accountable for their dehumanizing and defamatory words used to describe transgender children in last week’s show.
You can listen to all of last week’s show here.
GLSEN Harsh Realities
In Wednesday’s show, Williams and States missed the mark when it came to how name calling and bullying can negatively impact transgender youth. In a groundbreaking report titled, Harsh Realities: The Experiences of Transgender Youth in Our Nation’s Schools by our friends at the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), nearly 9 out of 10 transgender students experienced verbal harassment at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation and gender expression. More than half were found to have experienced physical harassment.
Approximately 65% of transgender students reported feeling unsafe in their school because of their gender expression.
Most disturbing is that close to 40% of transgender students heard school staff make negative comments about someone’s gender expression (39%) sometimes, often or frequently in the past year.
It is the very reason why GLAAD commends radio host Dawn Rossi for clearly defending transgender people and the damaging impact that namecalling can especially have on transgender people. Even when in the minority, Rossi was an ally and spoke about the devastating impact namecalling can have on transgender children and how verbal harassment can contribute to a hostile climate and potentially lead to physical harm.
However, GLAAD remains disappointed in the fact that Rob Williams and Arnie States did not apologize for their egregious remarks from last week that dehumanized transgender children.
In a follow-up story by The Sacramento Bee, GLAAD issued the following statement:
While we appreciate hosts Rob Williams and Arnie States clarifying that
they do not advocate violence against children, they ultimately failed
to take responsibility for using dehumanizing and defamatory words to
describe transgender children on last week’s show.
We applaud host Dawn Rossi for articulating respect for transgender
people and acknowledging that defamatory words like those used last week
by her co-hosts help contribute to a hostile climate that continues to
place transgender youth at risk for bullying, harassment and violence.
We will continue asking our constituents to voice their concerns in a
respectful manner about last week’s remarks and urging Williams and
States to use their radio platform responsibly on future broadcasts.
GLAAD urges readers to continue contacting KRXQ. Let them know that dehumanizing and defamatory remarks against transgender children are offensive and not acceptable.
Please refer to our original Call to Action for further information.
You can contact the following KRXQ radio hosts and general manager at the following info:
John Geary
Vice President & General Manager
KRXQ-FM
(916) 339-4209
jgeary@entercom.com
Arnie States
On Air Personality
KRXQ-FM
(916) 334-7777
rad@robarnieanddawn.com
Rob Williams
On Air Personality
KRXQ-FM
(916) 334-7777
rwilliams@entercom.com
Please remember, when contacting KRXQ, ensure that your emails and phone calls are civil and respectful and do not engage in any kind of name-calling or abusive behavior.
Keep checking back for further updates on this developing story.
Last Minute Screening in NY: Straightlaced
May 26, 2009
If you’re going to be near Hunter College in Manhattan tonight and feel like checking out a thought-provoking new documentary, you’re in luck because Straightlaced is having its NY premiere tonight!
From the press release:
Straightlaced is the latest documentary film production from GroundSpark, a non-profit organization that creates visionary films and educational campaigns. The footage makes us privy to frank, unscripted conversations with a diverse group of high school students from around the country who speak candidly about their experiences surrounding the pressure to conform to rigid gender roles and the negative effects of homophobia. Straightlaced comes at an essential time, after two separate bullying-related suicides, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover and Jaheem Herrera, rocked the nation this spring.
Straightlaced premieres tonight at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College (695 Park Avenue) at 7:00pm and all are welcome! The screening will also feature guest speakers Jennifer Raab, President of Hunter College; Mia Herndon, Executive Director of Third Wave Foundation; and Eliza Byard, Executive Director of GLSEN.
Check out the trailer below:
On the National Day of Silence, Many TN Students Left in the Dark
April 17, 2009
Today, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) is observing its 13th annual National Day of Silence to “bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools.” Unfortunately, many public school students in Tennessee may never learn about this important public education campaign.
On Wednesday, the ACLU sent a letter to Tennessee school officials over reports that many of their public schools were using software that was blocking student access to LGBT websites including, GLAAD, HRC, and GLSEN. From their site:
As many as 107 Tennessee public school districts could be illegally preventing students from accessing online information about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, according to a letter to sent to school officials by the American Civil Liberties Union. The letter demands that Knox County Schools, Metro Nashville Public Schools, and the Tennessee Schools Cooperative unblock the Internet filtering category designated “LGBT” so that students can access political and educational information about LGBT issues on school computers.
[…]
In its letter, the ACLU gives the districts and the Tennessee Schools Cooperative until April 29 to come up with a plan to restore access to the LGBT sites or any other category that blocks non-sexual websites advocating the fair treatment of LGBT people by the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year. If that deadline is not met, the ACLU will file a lawsuit.
Kathleen Bergin noted over at the First Amendment Law Prof Blog that while pro-gay sites are being blocked, anti-gay sites are not:
According to reports here and here, the filtering software installed on school computers blocks access to sites like the Human Rights Campaign, the Gay, Straight Education Network, The [Gay &] Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and other civil rights groups, but allows access to websites like Exodus, Americans for Truth Against Homosexuality and other groups that promote “conversion therapy” and initiatives against gay marriage and equality. So far the school districts are passing the buck, claiming that the software company, Education Associates of America, decides which websites to filter. The company says otherwise.
WATE Channel 6 in Tennessee aired a segment about this controversy on its 11pm news broadcast, which it posted to its website:
It all started with a Central High School senior looking for college scholarships in Knoxville and now it’s affecting the entire state.
“I just want people to have access to information,” says Andrew Emitt, 17.
He says that’s what he was trying to do when he logged onto a Central High School library computer in December. “I googled LGBT scholarships. It said all gay sites were blocked.”
WKRN News 2 in Tennessee also aired a segment on the controversy and posted it on their website:
The ACLU is asking Metro and Knox County to unblock the websites by the beginning of the next school year.
It wants a response by the end of April, and if not, it plans to sue as a last resort.
Metro officials say they have not seen the letter from the ACLU yet.
There are 135 school districts in Tennessee. According to the ACLU, more than 100 of them use the filtering software that blocks gay and lesbian websites by default.
Today, on this 13th annual National Day of Silence, students across the country are choosing to be silent in order to give a voice to LGBT people affected by name-calling, bullying and harassment. Today, we need to be the voice of students in Tennessee.
Tennessee school officials need to hear from you today.
Below you’ll find contact information for the school officials that the ACLU has sent their letter to. Please, reach out to them today:
Dr. James P. McIntyre, Jr.
Knox County Schools Superintendent
(865) 594-1620
Dr. Jesse Register
Metro Nashville Public Schools, Director
(615) 259-INFO (4636), press 5 and ask to be transferred.
Dr. Lyle C. Ailshie
Tennessee Schools Cooperative
(423) 787-8014
Change.org also has an online form that allows you to send a letter to Tennessee officials.
You can learn more about the Day of Silence here: http://www.dayofsilence.org.
h/t to eccentriclee who sent GLAAD a message about the controversy to our new official Twitter account -http://www.twitter.com/glaad
Esquire Magazine Issues Apology After Publishing Anti-Gay Slur
April 13, 2009
The May edition of Esquire magazine, currently on newsstands, uses the anti-gay slur “fa**ot” in a section about how to “Curse Well” as part of its overall “How to be a Man” issue. Last Friday GLAAD contacted Editor-in-Chief David Granger with major concerns about the magazine using this defamatory term. We also sent a link with guidelines on defamatory terminology and information from GLSEN’s website about the tragic story of 11-year-old Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, of Massachusetts, who hung himself last Monday after enduring intense bullying at school including name calling and use of the anti-gay f-word. Esquire had used the slur to describe how to talk to “your neighbor’s nosy nine-year old boy.”
Cover from May 2009 issue of Esquire.
We strongly encouraged Esquire to apologize in its next edition and were pleased to hear back from Granger today:
Dear Ms. Creager:
I appreciate your concerns and I have spent a long weekend thinking about how to address them. Right now, we are putting an apology on the home page of our website and we have recalled a page from the June issue, which had closed, so that we can add a box including that apology to the first editorial page of the issue.
I and my staff have been responding to each of the e-mailed notes of concern and protest and in those responses we have expressed our regret. This was an uncharacteristic lapse of taste and sensitivity and I am very sorry it occurred. The last thing I want to do is cause any reader or any citizen undue pain. In general, we attempt a generosity of spirit that tries to include people rather than alienate them.
Again, thank you for your notes and for the links that expand on the reasons for your concern. I have read them and will share them with my staff.
Sincerely,
David Granger
Editor in Chief
Esquire
You can find the online apology here. And look for it in June print edition, due on newsstands in early May. It reads:
A Note to Our Readers
An apology regarding the “Curse Well” article in Esquire’s May issue
In the “How to Curse” section of our May 2009 feature, “How to Skin a Moose,” we presented a parody of extreme profanity and its users, contrasting exaggerated examples of offensive language with ordinary situations. The target of the parody was profanity itself and not the various people who might be its object, including gay people. But we used a particularly offensive phrase we shouldn’t have. It certainly was not our intent to cause pain. Judging from the reaction, we did. For that we are sincerely sorry.
You can also read recent blog posts about the issue here and here.
GLAAD thanked Granger for addressing this issue swiftly and appropriately and invited Esquire to call on GLAAD for future resources. The anti-gay f-word is often the last word young people hear before they are thrown down on a playground or before they endure other forms of violence. GLAAD will continue holding media outlets accountable when they use this dehumanizing term.
Hilary Duff and Wanda Sykes School Haters in New GLSEN PSAs
October 8, 2008
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) is launching the first national PSA campaign designed to address the use of anti-gay language among teens, in an effort to specifically eradicate the phrase “that’s so gay.” The spots star actress Hilary Duff and comedian Wanda Sykes.
Hilary tells mean teens to "knock it off"
The campaign includes television, radio, print, outdoor and Web advertising. According to GLSEN, the PSAs are designed to “motivate teens to become allies in the efforts to raise awareness, stop using anti-LGBT language, and safely intervene when they are present and anti-LGBT harassment and behavior occurs.” The PSAs direct audiences to visit a new comprehensive website, www.ThinkB4YouSpeak.com.
The campaign launch coincides with the release of GLSEN’s 2007 National School Climate Survey, which found that nearly nine in 10 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teens report having been verbally harassed in the past school year, and almost half have been physically harassed because of their sexual orientation.
“We are proud to partner with the Ad Council on this groundbreaking campaign to address anti-LGBT language,” said GLSEN Founder and Executive Director Kevin Jennings in a statement. “Every student has a right to feel safe in school free from bullying and harassment. When students do not feel safe, they struggle to learn. This campaign will help educate young people about the harmful language many of them commonly use.”
Check out the spots here:
