Q & A with Don Dew, President and Founder of ReachOut USA
October 9, 2009
Don Dew
Don Dew is the president and founder of ReachOut USA, a Kansas-based organization that advocates for LGBT disabled people in the United States. ReachOut USA provides services for LGBT disabled people as well as trainings for agencies and businesses. GLAAD is currently working with Mr. Dew to increase media visibility of LGBT people with disabilities.
Can you tell me how ReachOut USA came about? What was your motivation for starting this organization?
I became disabled with intractable epilepsy in 2003. I filed for Social Security Disability, which took two years to obtain. While searching for services in Oklahoma, my partner was told that the best thing would be to put me in a nursing home. We were just looked at as just “roommates,” like my partner had no responsibility for me. I thought this was unacceptable.
We moved to Kansas in 2005 where I began volunteering at a Center for Independent Living to advocate for services for people with disabilities to have a choice to remain in their homes and communities. During this time I noticed a lack of outreach and services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals, LGBT people with disabilities, their partners, and their families. There was also a stigma associated with being LGBT by many of the professionals in the medical field and social service arena. This kept many LGBT people, disabled or not, from obtaining services they needed. That is why I started ReachOut USA in 2007.
What would you like to see in terms of representations of LGBT people with disabilities? Besides, obviously, seeing more representations period – what kind of stories would you like to see out there in LGBT media as well as mainstream media?
Awareness – a lot of people in the LGBT community do not realize that LGBT people with disabilities are a big part of their community. 1 in 5 have a disability or chronic illness. Remember that number, 1 in 5. It is more than you would expect.
But disability does not mean just using a wheelchair, scooter, or even a cane, like I do. A chronic or debilitating disease, even if controlled by medication can be considered a disability.
There are no stories about disabled gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people to help our youth that are trying to cope with the added depression and anxiety of being disabled and coming out at the same time. Disabled LGBT people also face an increased risk of violence. Being LGBT and disabled is daunting sometimes and you need positive role models and mentors that can inspire people of all ages.
October is Disability Employment Awareness Month as well as being LGBT History Month. Federal law protects disability, but people with disabilities have a high rate of unemployment, even though they want to work. They have problems being hired or having a workplace that is suitable for them. The same is true for LGBT individuals.
We need stories about the lack of accessibility in the LGBT community to help bring about change. Imagine that you finally get the courage to leave your abusive partner but you get to the LGBT anti-violence shelter to find it is gated and has a steep set of stairs to reach the buzzer and you’re in a wheelchair.
The lack of accessibility is one reason you see less LGBT disabled individuals. They cannot participate in activities or events in their own community. Many have become accustomed to living life just inside their own home.
Accessibility is a Federal Law, and organizations and stores or bars who want to reach out to the disability community should contact a Center for Independent Living near them or ReachOut USA to obtain guidelines for their businesses. Events and other venues must always consider alternate formats, for people with low vision, the blind, and the hearing impaired. Even going scent free, which I know is hard for our community, but many people are allergic to scents and become terribly sick.
We should see stories of life from around the country of LGBT people with disabilities. How are things different in different areas of the country? Is there an advantage living in the city as opposed to the middle of the country? How is it to try and date when you are LGBT and disabled? What do partners go through with a disabled spouse? LGBT people with disabilities are the same as the rest of the LGBT community. And the rest of the country, for that matter. We want the same rights, and we want to feel equal, especially in our own community.
Are there particular tropes or defamatory stereotypes that you would like to see addressed or erased?
Let’s get rid of the good looking, model stereotype and start showing real people, and real bodies.
I know that whether someone is LGBT or not, if they are disabled, people think they are not very smart. Not true. Some of the smartest people I know are leaders in the Disability Movement.
ReachOut USA is going to the National March for Equality this weekend and you’ll be holding a Town Hall and a Mixer for the LGBT and disabled community. What sort of things do you hope to accomplish? Do you have any other plans for the march?
I hope that by bringing together the two communities we will see what we are both about, and see that the similarities in many of the causes we are fighting for will be stronger if we work together.
I will be monitoring the march and events to make sure ASL interpreters are in place and during the march that anyone who needs a wheelchair has access to one. Also, it will be important to make sure people at the march keep curb cuts clear for people in chairs or scooters.
Don Dew was employed in the hotel management field for 11 years before becoming disabled with intractable epilepsy in 2003. In 2006, he began advocating for services for people with disabilities to have a choice to remain in their homes and communities. Don is the treasurer and secretary of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas (SILCK). He is also the co-facilitator of the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) GLBT Caucus and the Secretary on the Northwest Kansas Domestic and Sexual Violence Services in Hays, Kansas. He founded ReachOut USA in October 2007.
Related Posts:LGBT Rights Pioneer Dr. Frank Kameny to Address U.S. Office of Personnel Management 52 Years after Being Fired for Being Gay
June 24, 2009
Dr. Frank Kameny, 84, will be celebrated today at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management in Washington 52 years after Kameny was fired from his federal job because of his sexual orientation. Kameny will also speak on LGBT rights and the progress of the movement at today’s commemoration.
In 1956 Kameny earned a Ph.D. in Astronomy from Harvard University and soon thereafter obtained a position with the U.S. Army Map Service in Washington. Dr. Kameny was fired in 1957 after investigators discovered that he is gay. Dr. Kameny then committed his life to overturning laws that prohibited LGB people from federal employment. In 1975 Dr. Kameny finally saw the fruits of his activism when the Civil Service Commission announced it would no longer exclude LGB people from government employment.
Dr. Kameny’s allegiance to the LGBT community has been unabated ever since. Kameny is accredited with founding the Washington D.C. chapter of the Mattachine Society, having coined the slogan “Gay is Good,” persuading the American Psychiatric Association to remove “homosexuality” from its list of mental disorders, and became cofounder of the National Gay Task Force and Gay Rights National Lobby.
John Berry, Chief of the OPM, will honor Dr. Kameny today at 11:30 A.M. EST in an event that will be streamed live online.
GLAAD congratulates Dr. Kameny on his prodigious accomplishments and thanks him for his ongoing devotion to achieving LGBT equality.
The live webcast is available here.
Additionally, you may view the captioning for the webcast here.
Related Posts: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.
Kansas City Star to Include Wedding Announcement of Same-Sex Couples
June 5, 2009
More great news from America’s Heartland!
Yesterday the Kansas City Star – one of the Missouri’s largest newspapers – announced its decision to adopt a new inclusive wedding announcement policy, printing the announcements of Kansas’ same-sex couples for the first time in the “Celebrations” section of the paper. This news was met with excitement by folks around the region – but no one was happier than newlyweds Mike and Chuck Hewitt, who submitted the announcement that led to the official change in policy at the Star.
Following the news that Iowa had extended marriage to same-sex couples in April, Mike and Chuck Hewitt of Independence, Missouri, decided to travel to Iowa in order to finally have the chance to exchange wedding vows after 10 years together.
“Even though we had a commitment ceremony, when we had the legal ceremony it was like a little switch was flipped and it just felt complete,” said Chuck Hewitt to KMBC.
However, when the couple returned to their home state and began the process of submitting a wedding announcement with their local paper, the Independence Enquirer, they discovered that their announcement was not welcome. Disheartened but still excited to share their joy at their recent wedding with friends and neighbors, they called on the Kansas City Star next. According to Mike Hewitt, “All they had to do was look at the picture – ‘Two guys? No.”
News of their rejection reached local media outlets, and was picked up across Missouri and as far away as Quad Cities, Illinois. Both papers were approached for comment and told KMBC that they were following the state law of Missouri, which does not recognize marriage for same-sex couples. Following the media attention, however, and thanks to earlier conversations with GLAAD that helped to lay the groundwork for the change in policy, the Kansas City Star responded to the outpouring of reader comments about the news reports of non-inclusive wedding announcement policy.
According to Derek Donovan, reader representative at the Kansas City Star,
“At the time the couple contacted the Classified division last week, it was the first time I’m aware of that the question had been raised in a long time. The policy was put in place three publishers ago, before states began legalizing marriage and other unions between gay couples.
The Star’s senior management met last Thursday morning to review the old policy, and decided to change it. I replied to the TV reporter’s request for comment last week immediately after that policy meeting, but did not receive a response. The new ‘Celebrations’ will debut in the near future.”
Not only will the Hewitt family be able to share their good news with their local community, but the Kansas City Star’s change of heart makes the total of U.S. daily newspapers with inclusive policies reach 1,052 strong! How do we know? GLAAD has been studying the announcement policies of newspapers across the country, working for more LGBT-inclusive policies for more than six years now.
We launched our Announcing Equality campaign in 2002 after working with The New York Times to open its weddings and celebrations pages to same-sex couples – and then expanded the campaign nationwide, working with more papers to open their pages to same-sex couples. Back in 2002, there were only 70 daily papers in the U.S. willing to print a wedding/commitment ceremony announcement for a same-sex couple. With the Kansas City Star joining the list of LGBT-inclusive papers along with the Illinois Pantagraph late last year, this number jumps to 1,052.
You can see the happy couple’s reaction in their interview with KCTV5 here.
And for those curious about the feedback that the Kansas City Star has received about its new policy? Donovan says that the feed back has been almost “100% positive.”
More Media Coverage of Prop 8 Decision, Marriage Equality Rallies
May 27, 2009
Below you will find more coverage of yesterday’s decision by the California Supreme Court to uphold Proposition 8, the anti-gay ballot initiative that eliminated the ability of same-sex couples to marry in California as well as coverage of the marriage equality rallies last night.
Click here to read our original post from yesterday, with GLAAD’s statement, media coverage, as well as responses from various organization. Also, our post from this morning has even more coverage.
Video Coverage
- ABC: Good Morning America – Saying ‘I do’ to gay marriage?
- CNN: CNN The Situation Room – Gay marriage ban upheld
- Fox News: Glenn Beck – Douglas Kmiec on Prop. 8
- CNN: Campbell Brown – California same-sex marriage ruling
- CNN: Larry King Live – Gay marriage fight
- Fox News: The O’Reilly Factor – Gay marriage ruling
- MSNBC: The Rachel Maddow Show – Sen. Boxer on Prop. 8
- MSNBC: The Rachel Maddow Show – We are gathered here today
- Fox News: Sean Hannity – CA Supreme Court upholds Prop. 8 Ban
- CNN: Anderson Cooper 360 – Same-sex marriage battle
- Joe My God – NYC Marriage Rally May 26th, 2009
- Associated Press – Big protests following Calif. gay marriage ban
- Soulforce Colorado – Day of Decision Prop 8 direct action
- MTV.com – Thousands Protest California Supreme Court decision on Prop 8
- ABC 7 – D.C. activists protest California gay marriage ban
- MyFoxDC.com – Gay marriage ruling sparks DC protest
- ABC 7 San Francisco – Analysis of Prop 8 ruling. Click here for video.
- ABC 7 San Francisco -175 Prop 8 protesters arrested. Click here for video.
- ABC 7 San Francisco – Prop 8 march underway across downtown. Click here for video.
- ABC 7 San Francisco – Prop 8 protest turns into a new movement. Click here for video
- KTLA.com – George Takei and Rev. Lou Sheldon square off in Prop. 8 debate. Click here for video.
GLAAD Supporters Rally
Palm Springs Rally. Image courtesy of H. L. Cherryholmes
Comedian Kathy Griffin.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa speaking at the event in West Hollywood.
Setting up for Prop. 8 Protest Rally. Lansing MI. Image courtesy of Adam Taylor.
Local Rallies
Chicago
Windy City Times
Washington, D.C.
MyFoxDC.com
NBC Washington
WUSA 9
Indianapolis
The Bilerico Project
Los Angeles
Los Angeles Times
New York City
Gay City News
Boy in Bushwick
Joe My God
San Francisco
ABC 7 San Francisco
Print Coverage
Examiner
Los Angeles Times
- Gay marriage battle relaunches today as Prop. 8 is challenged in court
- New Prop 8 court challenge brings former rivals together
- Gay marriage interactive map: History of rights for gay couples
The Sacramento Bee
- From San Francisco to midtown Sacramento, reaction is deep
- Proposition 8 challenged in federal court
CBS News
NPR
The Huffington Post
The San Francisco Chronicle
MSNBC
Bay City News Service
AP
- Rallying cry in San Francisco to overturn gay marriage ban
- Gay marriage to return to Calif. ballot
- Gay groups call federal marriage suit premature
MTV.com
Blog Coverage
Pam’s House Blend
- Did California Supreme Court actually help the cause of equal marriage rights?
- (In)famous legal odd couple unites to launch federal challenge to Prop 8
- Black and gay — and reclaiming ‘civil rights’
The Bilerico Project
- Proposition hate redux
- Civil disobedience: Trying to stop the moving train
- Reactions to Prop 8 court decision
- We lost…for now
- Equality California says to go back to the ballot in 2010
- California’s Prop 8: limited edition married gays, still separate and not equal
Joe My God
Greta Christina’s Blog
Michigan Messenger
- Same-sex marriage advocates call for 2012 equality push
- Family group says activists’ call for repeal of marriage amendment by 2012 ‘delusional’
Additional Media Coverage of Prop 8 Decision
May 27, 2009
Below you will find additional coverage of yesterday’s decision by the California Supreme Court to uphold Proposition 8, the anti-gay ballot initiative that eliminated the ability of same-sex couples to marry in California.
Click here to read our original post from yesterday, with GLAAD’s statement, media coverage, as well as responses from various organization. We will be posting more coverage of the decision and of last night’s rallies as the day progresses. If you have pictures, video, or media coverage you’d like to share, feel free to email digital@glaad.org.
Video Coverage
- CNN Newsroom – California Upholds Gay Marriage Ban
- MSNBC News Live – CA Supreme Court Rules on Legality of Same-Sex Marriage
- CNN Newsroom – Battle Over Gay Rights
- ACLU responds to Prop 8 loss
- KCRA Channel 3 Sacramento News – Protesters decry Court’s Prop 8 ruling
Print Coverage
Los Angeles Times
- Prop. 8: Assembly speaker says ‘tide of history’ will undo gay marriage ban
- Prop. 8: Sacramento lawmakers denounce decision
The Huffington Post
- California Supreme Court thinks Prop. 8 was no big deal
- The avoidable tragedy of California’s Prop 8
- Prop 8 decision: we won’t back down
CBS News
The Star Ledger
MSNBC
U.S. News and World Report
Blog Coverage
Pam’s House Blend
- Link farm: reactions to Prop 8 ruling
- Robert Gibbs on Prop 8 ruling – he hasn’t talked to the president about it
The Bilerico Project
Joe My God
- The complete Prop 8 ruling
- Governator urges calm
- SD Pride calls for civil disobedience
- Arrests begin in San Francisco
Organizations Respond
- National Center for Lesbian Rights – Advocacy groups vow to return to polls to restore marriage for same-sex couples
- Equality California - Equality California vows to restore marriage at ballot box in wake of Prop. 8 ruling
- National Organization for Women – NOW denounces California Supreme Court ruling upholding Prop. 8: same-sex couples’ constitutional right to marriage denied
- Americans United for Separation of Church and State - Americans United criticizes California Supreme Court ruling allowing ban on same-sex marriage to stand
GLAAD’s Statement on Prop 8 Decision
May 26, 2009
*NOTE: For information on how to participate in a local rally tonight, please visit: http://www.dayofdecision.com*
GLAAD just released this statement by President Neil G. Giuliano on today’s decision by the California Supreme Court to uphold Proposition 8, the anti-gay ballot initiative that eliminated the ability of same-sex couples to marry in California:
Today, we express our deepest disappointment in the California Supreme Court’s decision, which continues to deprive an entire class of Californians the fundamental freedom to marry.
Thankfully, the court has protected the marriages of the more than 18,000 gay and lesbian couples who married before Nov. 5, 2008. It is vital that media outlets not only share these couples’ stories, but also those of the many gay people and couples in California who have again been denied the fundamental right to marry.
It is wrong to stand in the way of giving committed couples the legal protections they need to take care of and be responsible for each other and their families. We thank the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the City of San Francisco and the other counsel and plaintiff couples for their steadfast advocacy and commitment to fairness and opportunity for all Californians.
glaadBLOG will be monitoring and posting media coverage of the decision in the next few hours and days.
*UPDATE – Media Coverage of the decision is below:
Video Coverage
- MSNBC New Live – California Upholds Prop. 8
- Fox News: CA Supreme Court Upholds Gay Marriage Ban Known as Prop. 8
- CNN: CNN Newsroom – Same-Sex Marriage Battle
Print Coverage
Los Angeles Times
ABC
News 10 (ABC)
The San Francisco Examiner
The San Francisco Chronicle
Gay City News
New York Daily News
Windy City Times
Blog Coverage
Pam’s House Blend
Joe my God
The Bilerico Project
Organizations Respond
- GLAAD – GLAAD expresses deepest disappointment in prop 8 decision, GLAAD expresa su más sincera desilusión sobre la decisión emitida para mantener en efecto la proposición 8
- The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force – Task Force profoundly disappointed in California decision upholding Proposition 8
- Lambda Legal – Court upholds Prop 8; State continues to recognize 18,000 marriages
- National Center for Lesbian Rights – United we mourn, united we stand
- Integrity USA – Integrity appalled by California Supreme Court ruling
- Courage Campaign – Courage Campaign disappointed by Supreme Court ruling to uphold Prop. 8
- Human Rights Campaign – California Supreme Court takes a step back from equality
- Family Equality Council – Family Equality Council turns to the future after disappointing Prop 8 ruling
- Freedom to Marry – California Supreme Court fails to overturn Proposition 8
- PFLAG – As California Court upholds Proposition 8, parents and allies vow to continue to work for marriage equality
“He’s Really Tough” – Reflecting on Rodger McFarlane
May 19, 2009
“He’s really tough”, I had been advised before I flew to Denver to meet him for the first time.
I was brand new on the job as president of GLAAD in late August of 2005, and scheduled meetings with the executive director’s of our largest funders, to get to know them and share some thoughts, but mostly to listen to their thoughts about GLAAD, the LGBT movement and how we could strengthen our partnership during my tenure.
“C’mon in—what’s a f*~*ing former mayor doing at GLAAD? So tell me where you want to take it.” Seriously, that was how the meeting started. And anyone who knew Rodger McFarlane will not be surprised.
Rodger McFarlane
We spent the next two hours talking about the LGBT movement, what I thought about GLAAD’s place within it at the time, and what I thought it should further become as an organization. I was not sure where he was coming from, I had just met the guy, but I had learned long ago that someone with a strong voice and opinions requires the same in return. So I did not hold back either.
And something clicked. We were, fortunately, on the same page, saw similar challenges, opportunities and needs within the movement, shared similar goals. He gave me the best primer on the LGBT movement and all the players that I ever received. Where we separated on tactical delivery, he was pretty clear: “You play nice, you have to, and I’ll run interference and crack heads when necessary.”
Rodger was the right guy in the right place, and at just the right time. He made a lasting difference in our movement for LGBT equality. His support of GLAAD reaching for the full potential of our mission, not just being a media watchdog, but also proactively assisting with communications, messaging and working to empower others in our movement across the country, enabled GLAAD to grow and strengthen as an organization.
Over the next few years with Rodger’s leadership, The Gill Foundation’s support grew and it became GLAAD’s largest annual supporter. And the stronger partnership that grew from that first meeting, continues today.
The news of Rodger’s death was a shock, a punch in the stomach. Even now, when I look at his picture, it’s a difficult reality to acknowledge; that he decided to end his life and is gone. His was always a life of strong intent–his contributions really mattered to a great many people.
I spoke with him less than a month ago, he phoned while he was driving through Arizona. “I’m thinking of you as I drive through your f*“*ing state-and I love it” was his original voicemail message. When I returned the call, we talked of his journey since he left Gill, his transition and the opportunities that might be coming his way as he concluded his travels.
As was always the case, he gave me some great advice, this time on how to handle my own professional transition.
His personal support and friendship had great value to me, and I wish I had come to know him earlier in my life. The impact and influence he had on me far exceeds the very short amount of time I knew and worked with him.
Thank you Rodger. I’ll miss you. Rest in peace.
President Neil G. Giuliano Issues Statement on the Death of Rodger McFarlane
May 18, 2009
Today, GLAAD released a statement issued by President Neil G. Giuliano on the death of pioneer and legend Rodger McFarlane:
Rodger dedicated his life to being a visible and vocal advocate for social justice. His work propelled our movement toward full equality in tremendous ways, his compassion and unique humor will be missed and never matched. Personally, as a friend, I will remain ever thankful for Rodger’s support and guidance in helping me advance GLAAD’s mission and strengthening our voice.
Click here to view the statement made by friends and family of Rodger McFarlane.
EXCLUSIVE: Response Letter From 2nd Lieutenant Sandy Tsao on Discharge Over “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
May 14, 2009
In the past couple of weeks, we have witnessed an unprecedented amount of media coverage on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT). Over time, the American people have come to understand the ramifications of the military ban and its devastating impact on our armed forces, through stories from the service members affected by it.
I had the distinct privilege of assisting one of those soldiers, helping to share her story. Today, with her permission, I’m exclusively sharing her final words on the matter before her discharge under the DADT policy next Tuesday.
A little bit of background – On January 28, I received a touching email from a woman by the name of Sandy Tsao. She identified herself as a Chinese American Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, based in Missouri, who had made the brave decision to come out as a gay woman. She had met with her commanding officer to share the news, even though she was aware that the conversation would cause an end to her service.
In her first email to me, she wrote:
Besides God, being able to serve and being myself are the most important things to me… I am all sincerely yours just let me know what I need to do.
She also wrote a letter to President Obama, pleading for him to repeal the military ban so she continue to serve her country. On January 29, she had emailed me that the White House received her letter and it was under review.
She also wrote:
“I sincerely appreciate your help and your team’s hard work. I have signed my paperwork today for the charges and will be beginning my case shortly. Thank you for keeping my personal information confidential, I only want myself to be solely responsible in anything that may happen should the outcome be negative.”
With Sandy’s approval, we began pitching her personal story to national media outlets with strong records of coverage on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. But we didn’t receive a single reply. So we took her story to Asian Pacific Islander media outlets, leading to major hits in The World Journal, a Chinese language daily newspaper and Audrey, a magazine for Asian American women. In her Audrey op-ed, she explained the reasons for coming out and why she wanted to continue serving her country. Sandy also shared her story with The Windy City Times that resulted in their reporting here.
On April 30, Quinnipiac conducted a national poll, with 60% of participants agreeing that not allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the military is discrimination. Public opinion over DADT was on Sandy’s side.
The Note Sent by President Obama to Sandy (Click to view full size)
So was President Obama. On May 5, Sandy emailed me with some exciting news – The White House had mailed her a personal handwritten note from President Obama. She also enclosed a copy of the letter in her email.
She wrote:
“I received this on Cinco de Mayo. Cried when I got it. Anyway, please do as you please with it. Just wanted to give you the heads up.”
In January, Obama spokesperson Robert Gibbs reiterated that then President-elect Obama would end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. President Obama’s personal reply to Sandy served as another strong piece of evidence that he planned to keep his previous campaign promise to repeal the ban.
With Sandy’s permission, I wrote a blog post last week about her story and the letter from President Obama.
The post sparked nationwide coverage of Sandy’s story and the military ban. Top television news shows including MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show and ABC’s This Week With George Stephanopoulos featured the topic of GLAAD’s post as the lead story.
The Windy City Times also continued with their great coverage.
The blog post was featured and linked to by a host of influential print and digital outlets including Reuters, The Huffington Post, Politico, St. Louis Dispatch, Atlanta Journal Constitution and Mother Jones. The post was also reported on Memeorandum.com as one of the most popular news memes on the Internet.
A flurry of media requests poured in from news shows, newspapers and magazines interested in interviewing Sandy. I called her to discuss the possibility of her participation, but she politely declined and promised that she would mail a letter explaining her reasons why.
Envelope From the White House to Sandy (Click to view full size)
Yesterday, I received a package from Sandy and I am still shocked by its contents. Inside I found the personal handwritten note from President Obama, along with the White House envelope. On top of the letter was a sticky note that read:
“Gift for Andy. I hope this will help you in the mission.”
While Sandy has declined future media appearances, she has offered up one last piece of commentary through her letter to me. She has given GLAAD exclusive permission to share her thoughts.
Sandy's Letter to Andy Marra (Click to view full size)
From Sandy’s letter (emphasis mine):
“I will need a couple month’s time to get my affairs together after I am officially discharged from the army. In addition, an engineering curriculum requires extensive preparation in order to build a good foundation in math and physics if one hopes to succeed in it. This is my #2 dream job so I want to give it my all.”
She also wrote:
“I have strong feelings to contribute to society by being a part of a profession that will welcome my services without hindering my ability to love someone openly. Thank you again for keeping me abreast with all the voicemail messages and emails. You are truly a Godsend.”
Sandy closed her letter with the simple sentence (emphasis mine):
“To equality for all.“
Any rational person can understand why Sandy has decided to take time for herself. Next Tuesday, May 19, she will officially be discharged from the US Army, for simply wanting to uphold the military values of integrity and honesty by serving as an openly gay woman.
It is on that day the United States government will take away her #1 dream job.
Instead of honoring Sandy for her service, she has been forced to let go of a dream that defined her very character. It is only natural that Sandy would need time to mourn this loss and try to plan for her future.
With this blog post, I hope I am able to share another side of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell that people often forget – the lives that must be rebuilt and the dreams that must be forgotten. Similarly, I hope Sandy’s story, and other like it, will resonate and continue to be shared. The brave men and women of our armed forces deserve nothing less.
Dan Choi
Similar to Sandy’s story, is that of First Lieutenant Dan Choi who has been an outspoken advocate on repealing DADT. If Dan is discharged, he will become the first Arabic linguist to be fired as a result of coming out as a gay man. Keep in mind, Dan’s specialty in Arabic has been noted as a language priority for our national security alongside Farsi, Korean and Mandarin.
Dan will join the 12,500 other men and women who have been discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. A Blue Ribbon Commission Report found that discharging openly lesbian, gay or bisexual people in the military cost $363.8 million dollars spread over ten years.
On Tuesday, May 12, the now White House spokesperson Robert Gibbs at the press briefing repeated President Obama’s commitment to repealing the ban but through legislative means.
Connecting the dots for people on the personal nature of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell remains a top priority for GLAAD. We will continue to encourage media outlets to examine and scrutinize the debate around the reasons for delaying a repeal of the military ban. Further, we will make a concerted effort to work alongside our partners, introduce new voices into the conversation and ensure media are equipped with the resources to report on this critical issue.
On a personal note, Sandy and I remain in touch even though she has stepped away from the public eye to focus on her rebuilding her life. I am honored that she has given me her handwritten letter from President Obama, but I only consider it to be on loan.
It is my hope that in the very near future, I’ll be getting a phone call from Sandy. I’m hoping on that call she’ll be asking me to send this gift back. I’m hoping to hear her say how proud she is that her commander in chief has fulfilled his commitment to her, like she had bravely fulfilled her committment to our counrty.
And I’ll know that it was stories like Sandy’s and Dan’s that helped moved a country, to move a President, to move the most powerful military in the world “to equality for all.”
Amor, Dulce Amor: Retratos de Parejas y Familias LGBT/Love Sweet Love: Portraits of LGBT Couples & Families
May 13, 2009
Photo credit: Gideon Mendel / Foto tomada por: Gideon Mendel
If you haven’t already done so, please visit a website called 13lovestories.com that offers a wide selection of moving, well-shot portraits of LGBT couples and families, many of them Latino/a.
You can also visit the exhibit at one of many locations, below, and check out this story in the Los Angeles Times.
Si ya no lo has hecho, por favor visita un sitio del Internet llamado 13lovestories.com, en el cual se encuentran videos emocionantes y muy bien contadas de parejas y familias LGBT, muchos de ellas/as Latinas.
Tambien puedes ver la exhibición de fotos que es parte del proyecto y leer esta historia en el Los Angeles Times.
Upcoming screenings:
- Santa Monica College May 20 (1900 Pico Blvd Santa Monica, 90405)
- The Abbey May 26 (692 N Robertson West Hollywood 90069)
- 13LoveStories.com Exhibition Sites/Sitios de Exhibición de 13LoveStories.com
- Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk May 14
- Santa Monica College May 18 (1900 Pico Blvd Santa Monica, 90405)
- LA Pride June 12-14 (San Vicente between Santa Monica and Melrose)
- Meet in the Middle (Fresno) This is a statewide action taking place the Saturday after the California Supreme Court announces its decision on overturning Proposition 8.
The 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards – Los Angeles
April 23, 2009
A big thank you to everyone who attended the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards presented by IBM in Los Angeles on April 18! 1,100 local youth and more than 1,500 professionals attended the event, presented by ABSOLUT® VODKA, to watch GLAAD honor outstanding representations of LGBT people in media.
The evening began with a reception at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live where guests bid on silent auction items from more than 30 donors. At the same time, the red carpet stretched over 96 feet and welcomed over 50 media outlets to photograph and interview special guests and raise visibility of A-list celebrities supporting our community.
Media outlets including The New York Times, USA Today and Reuters wrote about the winners and honorees. Leading entertainment shows including Access Hollywood and The Insider interviewed special guests including Ellen DeGeneres, Teri Hatcher and Geroge Takei.
Not only did the celebrities answer questions about marriage equality, but they also dished on their shows and the Desperate Housewives ladies in attendance (Teri Hatcher, Brenda Strong, Andrea Bowen) spoke out about the dearly departed Edie Britt. LGBT media outlets including The Advocate, AfterEllen.com, FH Out Front, Greg in Hollywood and OUTTAKE also brought the event to readers.
Photos from the night ran across the world and showed an array of celebrities including Jessica Alba, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Paul James (GREEK) wearing White Knots in support of marriage equality.
Bebe Zahara Benet, the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race on Logo, won my best dressed of the night award for her gorgeous sequined gown complete with feathers and a leopard print wrap.
The 20th Annual Media Awards started with a welcome from host Miss Coco Peru and continued with an opening montage of media images from 2008 that moved the crowd from laughter to tears with clips from television and film.
LGBT advocate Cleve Jones and Oscar-winning screenwriter of Milk, Dustin Lance Black, took to the stage to present the Stephen F. Kolzak Award to Bishop Gene Robinson. Robinson gave a special shout-out to the youth in the audience and brought the audience to its feet with his speech:
“It is such an honor to be here, and to be honored by the Board of GLAAD….To have you say thanks in this way just means the world to me,” Robinson said accepting his award. Speaking of the LGBT movement, Robinson continued, “We need to be in this for the long haul…Just because we achieved civil rights in the sixties for African Americans, it doesn’t mean racism is gone. Because we achieved rights for women in the seventies, it doesn’t mean sexism is gone….But we can stay in this fight because we know how it’s is going to end. This is going to end with full equality for LGBT people in our churches and in society. I have no doubt of it.”
Bill Paxton and Teri Hatcher presented Julia Louis-Dreyfus (wearing a dress that can only be described as GLAAD orange! and Megan Mullally with the award for Outstanding Individual Television Episode for The New Adventures of Old Christine. Paxton broke into an impromptu tap dance backstage after the Award and Julia Louis-Dreyfus told me how great it was to work with out comedian Wanda Sykes.
Broadway hunk and OUT100 Entertainer of the Year Cheyenne Jackson took to the stage with a piano for a moving performance of “A Change is Gonna Come,” wearing a perfectly fitted navy blue suit.
Alan Cumming presented a Special Recognition Award to The L Word which completed its sixth and final season on Showtime in March. After being stuck in traffic and missing the red carpet cast members Leisha Hailey and Katherin Moenning thankfully arrived in time to join show creator Ilene Chaiken and cast member Jennifer Beals to accept the award.
In her remarks, Chaiken commented on the continuing need to advocate for the inclusion of LGBT characters in the media. “At this moment in history, when marriage equality is virtually inevitable and maybe even imminent, when we’ve welcomed new LGBT civil rights legislation in Iowa, Colorado, Washington D.C., New Hampshire and soon New York…how can it be that LGBT people – after years of slow but promising momentum – have careened backwards in terms of representation in mainstream popular entertainment media?” Chaiken said.
Chaiken continued, “GLAAD has been working vigilantly to ensure that the defamation of LGBT people does not go unchecked. GLAAD’s been working to ensure that our lives are visible in the news and in the media. GLAAD’s work is vital and critical to helping us to achieve the milestones that are lifting LGBT people to our rightful place of full, unfettered equality. Thank you, GLAAD. And thank you Showtime, for six wonderful years…Thanks for breaking ground and for having the courage of your convictions. Now let’s do it again. Let’s do it more. Let’s do it often. Let’s do it always.”
Miss Coco Peru joined the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, for a performance of Prop 8: The Musical, which received a Special Recognition Award. The hysterical rendition included one member wearing a recreation of Aretha Franklin’s infamous hat from President Obama’s inauguration. According to him, there’s a store in downtown LA that has dozens to purchase!
T.R. Knight presented the Vanguard Award to Kathy Griffin who accepted the award in a bikini after parading around the green room to show off her beach body. “This is a thrill and an honor and an awesome night,” Griffin said in her acceptance speech. “You guys have been so good to me. I appreciate you, I get you, I love you, and I’ll keep making you laugh as long as you’ll let me! Thank you!”
The show closed with another standing ovation for legend Jennifer Holliday who performed “And I’m Telling You.”
After the show, I escorted Dana Delaney of Desperate Housewives, T.R. Knight of Grey’s Anatomy and Kate Walsh of Private Practice to kick off the young adult party. Over 1000 youth partied in the Nokia Theatre and took photos with these celebrities. Later on, Dustin Lance Black, Katelynn Cusanelli from The Real World Brooklyn, and the casts of Noah’s Arc and Shelter stopped by to join the young adult party.
The VIP dinner, catered by Wolfgang Puck, was held outside the Nokia Theatre and included live auction items from Visit London, Tiffany & Co., Zoom Vacations and the Herb Ritts Foundation.
After the dinner the room transformed into the ABSOLUT Mango Lounge for an after party sponsored by Only Vegas. Only Vegas supplied boas and props for attendees to dance the night away and take photos in the Fiji Water photo booth.
GLAAD thanks over 100 corporate partners for their generous support in making the event a great success and a night to remember.
We hope to see you at the GLAAD Media Awards in San Francisco on May 9 where we are honoring Chad Allen and Dustin Lance Black. Additional talent includes Gabrielle Christian & Mandy Musgrave from South of Nowhere, Michelle Clunie, Wilson Cruz, Robert Gant, Suze Orman Eduardo Xol, and Judge David Young.
Following is a complete list of GLAAD Media Award recipients announced Saturday in Los Angeles. Previously awards were presented in New York at the Marriot Marquis on March 28.
- Vanguard Award: Kathy Griffin (presented by T.R. Knight)
- Stephen F. Kolzak Award: The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson (presented by Dustin Lance Black and Cleve Jones)
- Special Recognition: The L Word (Showtime) [Accepted by: show creator Ilene Chaiken, with Jennifer Beals, Katherine Moennig, and Leisha Hailey]
- Special Recognition: Prop 8: The Musical (FunnyorDie.com) [Accepted by: director Adam Shankman]
- Outstanding Film – Wide Release: Milk (Focus Features) [Accepted by: director Gus Van Sant, screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, and producers Bruce Cohen and Dan Jinks]
- Outstanding Comedy Series: Desperate Housewives (ABC) [Accepted by: show creator Marc Cherry, Teri Hatcher, Dana Delaney, Kyle MacLachlan, Tuc Watkins, Kevin Rahm, Andrea Bowen and Brenda Strong]
- Outstanding Individual Episode (in a series without an LGBT character): “Unidentified Funk” The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) [Accepted by: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Megan Mullally, Clark Gregg, and show creator Kari Lizer]
- Outstanding Talk Show Episode: “Ellen & Portia’s Wedding Day” The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated) [Accepted by: Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi]
- Outstanding Spanish-Language TV Journalism – Newsmagazine: “A juzgar por las apariencias” y “En otro cuerpo” Aquí y Ahora (Univision) [Accepted by: Univision producer Belissa Morillo and Monica Zapata, sister of murdered transgender teenager Angie Zapata]
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
Amazon.com Responds to De-Listing of LGBT Books
April 14, 2009
Over the weekend, reports surfaced that the online retailer, Amazon.com, had stripped hundreds of LGBT books of their sales ranking, making the works impossible to find. According to many blogs includingTowleroad, Joe.My.God. and The Bilerico Project, many of the LGBT works sold through the online retailer had been re-classified as “adult books” leading to their exclusion from searches.
LGBT author Mark R. Probst initially reported the problem on his website after he noticed his own book, The Filly, had been de-listed. He emailed Amazon to express his concern and received the following response:
In consideration of our entire customer base, we exclude “adult” material from appearing in some searches and best seller lists. Since these lists are generated using sales ranks, adult materials must also be excluded from that feature.
Hence, if you have further questions, kindly write back to us.
Best regards,
Ashlyn D
Member Services
Amazon.com Advantage
But the de-ranking did not affect LGBT works alone. Jezebel noticed that prominent feminist literature was also affected by the “glitch”, including Jessica Valenti’s Full Frontal Feminism.
Yesterday, GLAAD President, Neil G. Giuliano spoke to the Wall Street Journal, issuing the following statement:
GLAAD has reached out to Amazon.com and they indicate this was an error, so we expect to start seeing evidence of its correction immediately, and any loss of visibility of gay-themed books as a result of this error will be made right by Amazon. When people learn about the lives of gay and transgender people and the common ground we share, the culture changes and advances. It is so important that stories about the lives of our community are available, and that companies like Amazon promote these titles in an equal fashion.
As of this morning, many of the rankings have been restored to the books– including Ellen DeGeneres: A Biography, Heather Has Two Mommies, and Queer Theory: An Introduction.
However, some authors indicated that their rankings were stripped back in February and have yet to be restored.
Queerty offered an interview with Chair of The Lambda Literary Foundation Christopher Rice discussing the efforts Amazon might make to tackle the concerns of the LGBT community.
Gizmodo drew attention to a hacker who claims to have caused the en masse delisting by exploiting the website’s user-generated “flagging” system.
However, as of today, Amazon’s official stance remains that the issue was due to a “glitch” in the system.
Amazon’s Head of Corporate Communications reached out to GLAAD, reiterating the wording of the company’s official Amazon statement provided to news outlets. Read the full email after the jump…
—–Original Message—–
From: Smith, Patricia
Sent: Mon 4/13/2009 4:46 PM
To: Cindi Creager
Subject: Your message to Amazon
Hi Cindy -
This is an embarrassing and ham-fisted cataloging error for a
company that prides itself on offering complete selection.
It has been misreported that the issue was limited to Gay & Lesbian
themed titles – in fact, it impacted 57,310 books in a number of broad
categories such as Health, Mind & Body, Reproductive & Sexual Medicine,
and Erotica. This problem impacted books not just in the United States
but globally. It affected not just sales rank but also had the effect
of removing the books from Amazon’s main product search.
Many books have now been fixed and we’re in the process of fixing
the remainder as quickly as possible, and we intend to implement new
measures to make this kind of accident less likely to occur in the
future.
Thanks again for your message.
Patty Smith
Director of Corporate Communications
Amazon.com
Hopefully in the coming days, we will see Amazon make a concerted effort to fix the error and address the concerns of the community regarding the controversy. Regardless of the cause of the de-listing, GLAAD is committed to holding accountable companies for their responsibility to provide fair treatment to LGBT works and authors.
One Step Closer to Marriage in New Hampshire!
March 27, 2009
AP photo of folks leaving the NH State house today.
This just in–the New Hampshire House has approved a marriage equality bill! The bill’s next stop is the Senate.
If passed, New Hampshire would be the third state to allow marriage for gay and lesbian couples. The state currently allows civil unions for same-sex couples, which has provided all the statewide benefits of marriage for the past two years.
Massachusetts and Connecticut currently have marriage equality laws on the books. Though the Vermont Senate approved a marriage equality bill this week, the state’s Gov. Jim Douglas has announced he would veto it.
The Rev. V. Gene Robinson (who will be honored with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at our LA Media Awards!) testified in support of marriage and told the AP:
“I am delighted, because it’s clear to me that New Hampshire values one class of citizenship and not two.”
