LGBT Developments Around the Country
January 19, 2010
Every week at state and local levels, there are numerous developments on key issues that deeply affect our community—marriage, hate crimes and employment discrimination, to name a few. GLAAD is ensuring the media is paying attention.
Here is a brief summary:
District of Columbia: Court rules down marriage referendum
A D.C. Superior Court judge ruled Thursday that same-sex marriage opponents do not have a right to call for a referendum to determine whether such unions should be legal in the District.
The decision, a major victory for gay rights activists, makes it more likely that the District will begin allowing same-sex couples to marry in March.
In the 23-page ruling, Judge Judith N. Macaluso affirmed a D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics decision that city law disallows the ballot proposal because it would promote discrimination against gay men and lesbians. Macaluso also concluded that previous court decisions outlawing same-sex marriage in the District are no longer valid.
Council member David A. Catania (I-At Large), the sponsor of the D.C. Council same-sex marriage bill signed last month by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D), called the decision “thorough and far-reaching.”
“The ruling, which addressed the substantive legal issues before the court, sustains the District’s tradition of treating all citizens equally under the law,” Catania said.
The election board has twice ruled that a referendum on same-sex marriage would violate a city election law prohibiting such a vote on a matter covered by the Human Rights Act, which outlaws discrimination against gays and other minority groups.
California: Mitrice Richardson’s family files million dollar claim against L.A. police department
The family of Mitrice Richardson, an African-American lesbian who has been 
missing since she was released from the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff’s station in September of 2009, has filed a multimillion-dollar claim against Los Angeles County. The family claims that that the Sheriff’s Department personnel acted negligently.
The Los Angeles Times wrote:
The claim mentions a number of officers who interacted with Richardson, 24, from the time she was arrested at Geoffrey’s, a Malibu restaurant, for not paying her $89 dinner bill, until her release into the night without her car, cellphone or purse.
“We feel they had a duty to keep her there,” said attorney Leo Terrell, who filed the claim on behalf of Richardson’s mother, Latice Sutton; her father, Michael Richardson; the missing woman; and her estate. “If they felt she had a mental issue, they had an obligation to hold her.”
The deputies could have held her for a mental evaluation. But the Sheriff’s Department has steadfastly maintained that in the hours it did detain her, she appeared and talked rationally. A department spokesman has said the department felt, if anything, that it had a legal obligation to release her in a timely manner.
The claim, which was filed last week, alleges negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and wrongful death, according to Terrell.
LAPD Homicide Det. Chuck Knolls, who has been investigating the disappearance of the Cal State Fullerton graduate for months, expressed surprise that wrongful death was included.
“As far as we know, she’s a missing person,” said Knolls, who was part of an extensive search of the Malibu Canyon area Saturday. No sign of Richardson turned up, nor is there any evidence she was a victim of a crime.
Terrell acknowledged the possibility that she could turn up alive — in which case, he said, he would remove the wrongful death portion of the claim as well as the reference to Richardson’s estate. But he filed the claim as he did, he said, to make the six-month window after the alleged negligence occurred.
Maryland: Equality Maryland ED writes letter to The Baltimore Sun
In the January 11th, edition of The Baltimore Sun, Executive Director of Equality Maryland, Morgan Meneses-Sheets wrote a letter to the editor addressing her concerns about recent comments about quality of life crimes made by radio Radio host Ed Norris, a former Baltimore police commissioner and superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
I am writing in response to Ed Norris’ recent comments on the priority list that mayor-in-waiting Stephanie Rawlings-Blake should commit to (Jan. 10). I was appalled to see that of all of the criminal justice issues that plague this city, he chose to point a finger and suggest additional prosecution of some of the poorest and most disenfranchised people — the homeless and sex workers. The fact that he had the nerve to label panhandling and prostitution as “quality of life” crimes demonstrates just how out of touch many people continue to be.
Those who would stand out on Light Street or MLK on a frigid January day do not do so to drive people away. It is a cry for help — a cry that should truly be a priority of our incoming mayor. Furthermore, this commentary included yet another person pointing their finger at sex workers and blaming them for the ills of our society rather than considering what would put someone in a position where they would risk their lives on the streets everyday.
It is a fact that a large number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth who are ejected from their homes feel they have no other option than to participate in survival sex. Our city’s shelters and transitional homes are not only under-funded but are also largely segregated in rigid gender categories that do not meet the needs of transgender individuals. There is a dearth of beds available to young people who find themselves on the streets. Additionally, many members of the LGBT community are fired for no reason or forced into low wage positions that make it nearly impossible to get by.
Instead of focusing on punitive measures that simply address the symptoms, let’s talk about the real problems, such as discrimination. Don’t put another marginalized person in jail when we should be creating and maintaining job training, fully accessible public programs and affordable, equitable housing. Let’s be a community that honors the dignity and respect of all people. Now, that is truly a quality of life issue.
Michigan: Police Make Arrest in Benton Harbor Attack
Police have made an arrest in a possible hate crime that occurred in December at 
a Benton Harbor, MI gas station. Calvin Wright, 23, is accused of repeatedly punching a gay man. Wright is being held on suspicion of aggravated assault.
South Bend’s NBC affiliate WNDU reported:
23-year-old Calvin Wright of Benton Harbor is accused of attacking another man outside a gas station on December 12th.
He was arrested over the weekend at an area restaurant. That’s according to our Read It/Watch It partners at the Herald Palladium. The victim claims he was beaten because he is gay.
We interviewed the victim last month, but out of fear, he asked us to hide his name, face and voice.
“Get to know a gay person before you judge them because you don’t know who they are,” said the victim. “They’re all around you. They’re your uncle, your aunt, your brother, your sister.”
Police have not confirmed that the attack was because of sexual orientation.
GLAAD will continue keeping up with the latest developments on LGBT issues around the country.
Related Posts:The Votes Are In! Two African-American Gay Candidates Win on Election Day
November 6, 2009
Despite the setback in Maine for LGBT equality, there were wins for the majority of the 79 LGBT candidates who were running for public office around the country. Notably, two African-American candidates―Charles Pugh and Jass Stewart―were among that group of newly elected officials.
Charles Pugh went from being a former FOX2 television journalist to the first openly gay president-elect of the Detroit City Council. The Detroit News reported:
A trio of first-time candidates topped the council ticket. Former broadcaster Charles Pugh, whose mother was murdered when he was a child, will become council president in January. He was followed by former Deputy Police Chief Gary Brown, whose firing led to the fall of former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, and former council aide Saunteel Jenkins.
Pugh, who also got the most votes in the primary, came into his victory speech playing “Victory” by Yolanda Adams.
“We are No. 1,” said Pugh. “The change we have been waiting for is finally here. This change has been long overdue.”
Pugh also alluded to recent scandals involving the foreclosure of his Brush Park condo, saying: “You stick by the people you believe in no matter what. Thank you Detroit for always having my back.”
And support is what he had. Pugh received about 88,704 votes—nearly 10 percent of the vote overall. However, there was a concern from others that Pugh being openly gay might hurt his chance on winning. In an interview with The Michigan Messenger, Pugh said the following:
For those people who thought it would be an issue, they were short sighted. They did not see that Detroiters already knew my sexuality and were willing to accept it and say, “You know what? You’re welcome here. We love you. Now let’s get to work to fix our collective problems.
He went on to say in the same interview, that his win sent a clear message:
There has been a fear in the past by people in the LGBT community to stay in the closet for safety sake. So they won’t be fired, kicked out of the family, kicked out of the church. But this is a strong and clear message that that’s not required. That you can be who you are and be accepted into Detroit’s family if you step up with class and dignity and a willingness to help make our city a better place.
History was also made in Brockton, Massachusetts. Jass Stewart, 38, became the first African-
American person and the first openly gay member of the city council in its 128 year history. The Enterprise News reported that Stewart, who ran for mayor of the city in the past and lost, was happy, yet subdued when he learned that he had won.
Stewart stood among the crowd at Progressions Lounge on Montello Street, accepting the well-wishes of supporters like Madden who came in moments after the results were confirmed.
“I heard I won, but I haven’t seen the numbers,” said Stewart, a 38-year-old openly gay black man, subdued on a night when celebration was clearly in order.
He had made it to the City Council with 5,920 votes or 15.6 percent.
The gathering of some 25 people cheered, congratulating the man who twice ran and lost the mayor’s race and finally made it to City Hall as a councilor-at-large.
GLAAD congratulates Pugh and Stewart!
Related Posts:Support Mounts for Kalamazoo Nondiscrimination Ordinance
October 30, 2009
The Kalamazoo Gazette, Kalamazoo, Michigan’s largest newspaper, encouraged its readers to “stand for equality” and vote “yes” in its official endorsement of the City of Kalamazoo Ordinance No. 1856, a November ballot initiative that would make it illegal for employers, housing authorities as well as public accommodations to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.
The paper’s editorial board wrote :
Either we are all equal, or we are not. Is it right, then, that a person in Kalamazoo can be fired or denied employment or housing simply for being gay? Voters in the city have the opportunity on Nov. 3 to remove that inequity and deliver a strong message about the type of community we want to have.
The paper continued saying:
We do not believe this is a morality issue, except to the extent that discrimination and inequality are immoral—and illegal.
Earlier this year, the Kalamazoo City Council passed the anti-discrimination ordinance for the city’s LGBT population , but anti-gay opposition gathered enough signatures to challenge the ordinance.
Narda Beauchamp, a retired school teacher whose daughters are gay, moved out of Kalamazoo fearing they would be discriminated against because of their orientation.
In an interview with the Michigan Messenger, she said, “After college our two daughters planned to stay in Kalamazoo. They grew up here and started their careers here,” she said. “But after a lot of heartfelt conversations with the family, they told my husband and I that they need to move to another state and another city that already provided protections for housing, employment and public accommodations,” Beauchamp said, listing the kinds of discrimination Ordinance 1856 would outlaw if passed by voters.
Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell also came out in support of the ordinance saying:
The Kalamazoo Promise being here at this moment at this time. We are a different place. We are a welcoming place. We need to be able to understand that everyone deserves a job, everyone deserves a house, everyone deserves accommodations. We need to affirm this on Nov. 3.
The endorsement is the latest boost for proponents of the nondiscrimination ordinance. The YWCA, NAACP, the League of Women Voters. A ministerial alliance was also formed among faith leaders supporting the ordinance.
Western Michigan University ‘s school newspaper, the Western Herald, also encouraged fellow students to support the ordinance saying:
Kalamazoo’s gay and transgender community deserves the same opportunity to succeed as anyone else. While it is sad that such protection has to be explicitly legislated, it is up to individual municipalities to provide it.
If voters on Nov. 3 uphold the ordinance, Kalamazoo will become the 15th city in Michigan to have nondiscrimination protections.
Related Posts:Transgender Mayoral Candidate to Sue Twitter over Defamatory Fake Account
August 27, 2009
A transgender woman currently running for Mayor in Nampa, Idaho is planning to sue the social networking site Twitter for allowing a false account posted in her name to remain accessible for weeks after requesting that they take it down.
Melissa Sue Robinson, who entered the mayoral race in June, told KTRV she was shocked to find a link under her name to a Twitter account titled “WomanWithAPenis.” This same account was also reported to have sent lewd tweets to a Michigan reporter. Robinson recounted:
I checked Google and I saw something very lewd, very malicious, just downright nasty with my name on it… I e-mailed Twitter and called them and did the same thing with Google and asked them to remove it and that was [a] month ago and they haven’t removed it.
As of Wednesday, Aug 26th however, the false account had been removed in the aftermath of the incident’s national publicity.
Citing KTRV’s primary coverage (which improperly hyphenates the term transgender), The Advocate.com reported that Robinson plans to file suit for defamation of character and violation of privacy. Digital Media Wire explained that Robinson hopes the court will order Twitter to identify the offending account holder so that she can launch a personal suit against him/her.
The Advocate reported, “A self-described progressive, her [campaign platform] plans include the passage of an LGBT rights ordinance, transportation improvements, and the development of the downtown area.”
It is unfortunate that for the time being her energy will have to be diverted from promoting these priorities. Robinson reflected to KTRV, “If you’re just a transgender person living your life out, you’re working hard doing things to help society, people shouldn’t be malicious against you.”
This is not the first time Robinson has encountered difficulties during a political campaign. As a 2003 candidate for Mayor in Lansing, Michigan, Robinson battled a Michigan law that compelled her to include her given name alongside her preferred name on the ballot. ClickOnDetroit.com chronicled her 2003 debate with the City over the law, which discriminated against transgender candidates.
Robinson has also petitioned the City of Lansing to adopt a transgender-inclusive anti-discrimination ordinance and lobbied the State of Michigan to extend existing anti-discrimination laws to cover transgender individuals. Coincidentally, The Associated Press reported Wednesday on a bill before Michigan’s House Judiciary Committee, which would do just that. However, The AP added that “similar legislation introduced in Michigan in recent years has not advanced.”
GLAAD will continue to keep you updated of media surrounding Robinson’s case.
Related Posts:GLAAD Supports Local Activists’ Successful Efforts to Prevent Anti-Gay TV Program from Airing
February 11, 2009
On Monday morning, we heard concerns from community members about the anti-gay infomercial Speechless: Silencing the Christians, created and distributed by the anti-gay organization the American Family Association. When we found out the program was scheduled to air in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Columbus, Ohio, we reached out to partner organizations on the ground to find out more information and support local efforts.
After viewing the infomercial, the intent was clear - it was designed to perpetuate a climate of hostility toward our community and to create a culture where we are less safe, less secure, and where our families are put in harm’s way.
Since Monday, we have been working with local community members in Grand Rapids, offering them assistance as they led efforts to mobilize community members to express their concerns to the station management at WOOD-TV (NBC), where it was set to air.
The organizing was led by Colette Beighley, who serves as assistant director of the LGBT resource center at Grand Valley State University and a GLAAD-trained spokesperson. Colette is also serving as the community’s lead spokesperson on the issue, and she continues to work with GLAAD on media monitoring and interview prep this week.
Thanks to the efforts of community members on the ground, WOOD-TV first postponed the airing. The station then said it offered the American Family Association another timeslot. General Manager Diane Kniowski said: “We made a gesture of the 2-3 p.m. Saturday time period. It’s been 24 hours and we had no response. Our station is being bombarded with calls and messages, and we find ourselves in the middle of someone else’s fight. Ours was a fair offer and we are removing ourselves from this matter.”
WSYX-TV (ABC) in Columbus, Ohio, has also decided to postpone airing the anti-gay informercial after hearing concerns from community members, and will issue a decision later after the general manager has had an opportunity to review. A new air date has not been set.
The anti-gay infomercial aired in Traverse City, Michigan (WPBN – NBC); Toledo, Ohio (WUPW – Fox); and Charlotte, North Carolina (WJZY – The CW) on Saturday, Feb. 7, with very little fanfare, and the information aired with no traction. Yesterday afternoon Equality Toledo issued an action alert urging community members to engage in dialogue with WUPW about their decision to air this anti-gay programming.
American Family Association Buys Airtime on Local Broadcast Affiliates
February 10, 2009
Earlier this week, GLAAD was alerted to an hour-long paid infomercial that had appeared on local broadcast affiliates in Traverse City, Mich., and Charlotte, N.C. Word of the informercial was picked up by blogs like Pam’s House Blend and Joe.My.God.
The video was created and financed by the anti-gay American Family Association and features interviews with anti-gay activists who make a series of predictable, breathless, fear-mongering claims about LGBT people and equality.
As you would expect, the video is propaganda, pure and simple — manufactured to perpetuate a climate of hostility toward our community and to create a culture where we are less safe, less secure, and where our families are put in harm’s way.
Community members in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Columbus, Ohio — where the AFA has been trying to place this video — have been expressing their concerns to their local stations about why the public’s airwaves should not be used to sow seeds of fear, hostility and malice in the communities they serve.
Thanks to their outreach, affiliates in both of those markets have postponed their plans to air the video and are reconsidering its content.
Clergy Remain Powerful Media Voices in Move Toward Equality
October 15, 2008
Despite recent news coverage of faith groups raising nearly $7 million to back anti-gay legislation in Arizona and Catholic priests in Michigan who oppose an anti-discrimination bill that would protect gay people, this is still one of those heartening weeks in media coverage related to the LGBT faith community.
Rev. Janet Edwards (Photo Credit: More Light Presbyterians)
For all the bad news, the positive contributions of our faith leaders remain front and center and it is great to see that the media continues to serve up fine examples of many of our leaders working toward – not against – equality.
The Rev. Geoffrey Farrow of Fresno, a Catholic priest announced he was gay and spoke out against California’s Proposition 8, in a television interview because he could not “become an accomplice to a moral evil.” Another headline announced a hair-splitting acquittal of Presbyterian pastor, Rev. Janet Edwards, and that she will continue to perform weddings for same-sex couples even though it is against church policy.
A Washington Blade op-ed by former PFLAG Vice President Robert Bernstein put everything into perspective. He noted that it is clergy who often serve as catalysts for social change and they will be instrumental in the work toward equality.
So, despite those times when the media fixates on divisive rhetoric within the faith community – there are many faith leaders committed to equality, who are tremendous sources of inspiration and courage for our community.
Share Your Story: Triangle Foundation’s Colette Beighley
October 2, 2008
In our work at GLAAD, we know the power that personal stories have to shape perceptions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Today we are privileged to have Colette Beighley, the new Director of Communications for the Triangle Foundation, answer some questions and share her story.
The Triangle Foundation is Michigan’s oldest statewide LGBT organization. We’ve been lucky to work closely with Colette as we advocate for fair, accurate and inclusive media coverage across the state.
Michigan’s LGBT community has seen you go from PFLAG mom to a full-time organizer for the Triangle Foundation, to now, Triangle Foundation’s Director of Communications. What inspired you to first become an advocate for the LGBT community and what has motivated you to take on these increased responsibilities?
Colette Beighley
There were several events that really propelled me into this work. First, when my son Ari came out, I read Rob Eichberg’s book “Coming Out: An Act of Love” and wept through it. I read of the rejection individuals often face when they tell the truth about themselves to those they love. I vowed that would never happen in my family. Certainly hearing about the violence my son had suffered before he came out was life changing for me. I knew that fear, ignorance, and silence were motivating the violence. I decided to live openly so others could be exposed to a family that was loving and proud. I explicitly told my children not to accept anyone’s shame. Then finally after a friend of mine who is a gay man said to me, “It’s really the Moms of the world who have made things better for us (the LGBT community),” I was mobilized. If there were a way to make a difference, I committed to finding out how.
When the Grand Rapids Press profiled you earlier this year, you told the reporter that you were “the mom who never shuts up” about fairness for LGBT people. What made you want to share your story with your community and the world?
Having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I experienced culture shock when I moved to West Michigan. This is a tough part of the country and home to some of the largest funders of the anti-gay industry. When we moved here we thought, “This is a great place to raise a family.” I guess that is true — unless one of your kids is gay; then not so much. Over the 15 years I had lived in Michigan, I’d seen others come out and be met with horrible shame and abandonment. Each one of those individuals left the area. I remember thinking after Ari came out, “This must be why I’m here.” There are so many individuals and families who suffer in silence, and I knew that I could create a larger space for them by kicking down the walls of silence and shame.
What has it been like for you and your family with you being so vocal about LGBT issues in Michigan?
It’s been a double-edged sword. There have been some severe consequences. We’ve lost many relationships and had others seriously impaired. We’ve experienced a devastating loss of income as a result of being so vocal in a small community. I’ve received my share of hate mail. That said, I want to be very clear that the losses pale in comparison to the gains. I live boldly and honestly. I feel that I am completely true to myself and that I’m using my heterosexual privilege to leverage change. The new relationships we’ve formed within the LGBT and allied communities are precious to me. And, most of all, I know I’m making a difference for other families. It is truly a great honor in my life to serve this community.
As an advocate on the ground in Michigan, what do you think about local media coverage of LGBT stories?
The Detroit Free Press does a really good job. Deb Price is a treasure in our state! There is good media coverage going on and I hear from journalists who want to learn more and find ways to be supportive. A lot of journalists are not educated around LGBT issues, especially language, but most are not malicious. The media needs to be educated and that is the job of organizations such as GLAAD and Triangle Foundation. It has been really encouraging to work with GLAAD’s “Announcing Equality” program. We are seeing the attitudes of some publishers change toward printing same-sex marriage announcements. This is progress! The more exposure the general population has to our families, the greater the opportunity to educate and reduce fear.
How do you think LGBT people and allies in Michigan can help get media there to tell more fair, accurate, and inclusive LGBT stories?
On the ground in Michigan, we have a group of volunteers called the Triangle Media Trackers. With the help of GLAAD, this group was created to allow individuals around the state monitor local media and respond to biased coverage in an effort to challenge, educate, and inform. Our Media Trackers are also quick to let reporters know when they appreciate a story that is fair and informative. Our Media Trackers maintain contact through a listserv and are quite effective in their oversight and response. Anyone interested in joining this group can email me at Colette@tri.org.
What’s the most important way LGBT people and allies in your community can help change hearts and minds?
Vote! The decisions made in this election will directly impact the quality of life for the LGBT community. Become informed on the issues, volunteer for a campaign, and help get out the vote!
Come out! Live openly and honestly. Tell your story. You will benefit by being true to yourself and others will have the opportunity to really know you. What a gift!
Find your voice! Every member of the LGBT and allied community can join the journey to equality. You can volunteer for a local LGBT organization; donate to your local, statewide, and national partners in the movement; educate others about the challenges facing the community. Challenge yourself to find out just how much you can do to create change.
Join me and become one more person “who won’t shut up” until we reach full equality for all LGBT people!
You can read more from Colette on her blog: Mostly Sunny with a Chance of Gay
