GLAAD live-tweets Washington, D.C. gay weddings

GLAAD’s Senior Media Field Strategist is in Washington, D.C. all this week to help share the stories of gay and lesbian couples who plan to marry and will be live-tweeting from wedding ceremonies today at www.twitter.com/GLAAD.

GLAAD Call to Action:

GLAAD has issued a Call to Action over the latest issue of Life & Style.

A popular celebrity gossip magazine with a readership of almost one million, the March issue of Life & Style features a cover story that claims that actress Angelina Jolie is turning Shiloh, her daughter with Brad Pitt, into a boy. They cover asks "Is it harming the three-year-old?" referring to the child's short haircut, pants and polo shirt.

The article cites several so-called “experts,” including Glenn Stanton from Focus on the Family who says: “They need help, they need guidance of what that looks like. It’s important to teach our children that gender distinction is very healthy.”

"Life & Style is way off the mark with this outrageous coverage," says Rashad Robinson, Senior Director of Media Programs for GLAAD. “Targeting children for ridicule about the way they dress is unacceptable, regardless of their parent’s celebrity status.”

GLAAD contacted Lindsay Ferraro, the Publicity Manager of Life & Style, to voice serious concerns about this story and reports that the magazine’s response was dismissive and showed no concern for the impact of the cover story’s sensationalism on all children and families.

GLAAD urges the gay community to voice their concerns directly to the magazine by contacting:

Dan Wakeford, Life & Style: Editor-in-Chief
dwakeford@bauer-usa.com

Lindsey Ferraro, Life & Style: Publicity Manager
lferraro@bauer-usa.com
(201) 569-6699

Sarah Drabick
Life & Style: Associate Publicist
sdrabick@bauer-usa.com

The headquarters for Bauer Publishing (which includes an Entertainment Division that is the home of Life & Style and InTouch) is:
270 Sylvan Avenue
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632

Tel: (201) 569-6699
Fax: (201) 510-3297

Full page ad in Variety denounces anti-gay Grammy nominee Buju Banton

In a full page ad in today’s special Grammy-edition of Variety, more than 20 progressive organizations, lead by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, have called on the head of The Recording Academy to use Sunday night’s Grammy telecast to denounce music that promotes or celebrates violence against any group of people and the artists who perform such music.

The ad, in the form of an open letter to The Recording Academy’s President Neil Portnow, is in response to anti-gay reggae singer Buju Banton’s nomination for a Grammy Award in the Best Reggae Album category. Throughout his career Banton has performed music that glorifies the violent murder of LGBT people, and as recently as three months ago he refused to stop performing such music. Last October he was quoted in news reports saying, “This is a fight, and as I said in one of my songs, ‘There is no end to the war between me and fa**ots.’”

More after the jump.

In his most notorious song “Boom, Bye Bye” he sings that “batty men (slur equivalent to ‘fa**ot’) get up and run” when he comes, that “they have to die,” and that he will “shoot batty men in the head” or “burn them up bad.” His music has helped foster such an anti-gay culture in Jamaica—where violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people is common and sometimes celebrated—that Time magazine recently asked, “Is Jamaica the most homophobic place on Earth?”

“It’s outrageous that The Recording Academy has chosen to honor, with a Grammy nomination, someone who proudly and unabashedly performs music that glorifies the violent murder of gay and transgender people,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios.  “We need to send a strong message to let the Recording Academy and music industry know that promoting artists who advocate such acts feeds a climate of intolerance that can put members of our community at risk for violence."

In a letter to GLAAD, the Academy claims that the Grammy Awards honor musical achievement “regardless of politics” and that “artists of a variety of political or cultural perspectives have been nominated or featured on the telecast.”

“Music that promotes the violent murder of LGBT people, or any other group, doesn’t reflect a political or cultural perspective,” said L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Chief Executive Officer Lorri L. Jean. “It reflects hatred and fosters a culture of violence. Portnow needs to use the Grammy telecast to denounce such music, in no uncertain terms, and those who perform it.”

Call to Action: Tell Clear Channel to stop radio host Jim Quinn’s defamatory attacks

On the January 14 edition of Clear Channel's nationally syndicated radio program, “The War Room with Quinn and Rose,” host Jim Quinn made outrageous and defamatory comments about people living with HIV/AIDSand what he called the “homosexual AIDS lobby.” Quinn erroneously compared contagious tuberculosis patients to people living with HIV/AIDS and went on to say, “When you get AIDS, pal, the door opens up to you. You have got all kinds of government goodies, including a maid to clean your house, transportation - I mean it's - there's just a wealth of wonders that come.”

Media Matters For America released audio of the comments you can listen to here.

Quinn’s attempts to compare HIV/AIDS to tuberculosis are grossly inaccurate and appalling. His overall comments defaming people living with HIV/AIDS are also beyond the pale.

These statements are particularly troubling given similar comments by Quinn in the past. In November 2008, GLAAD issued a call to action after Quinn made defamatory remarks about marriage for same-sex couples in California, saying, “Gay marriage doesn't produce anything that the state has an interest in. Gay sex produces AIDS, which the state doesn't have – or should have an interest in. They should charge homosexuals more for their – for their health insurance than they charge the rest of us.'"

At that time, GLAAD called on Clear Channel executives to reprimand Quinn and stop providing a national platform for these kinds of defamatory attacks.

GLAAD urges you to contact Clear Channel Communications and voice concerns about Jim Quinn’s latest reprehensible comments. Ask Clear Channel Executives why Quinn is still being allowed this platform to perpetuate hatred, fear and misinformation:

Lisa Dollinger
Chief Communications Officer
Clear Channel Communications
(210) 822-2828
lisacdollinger@clearchannel.com

Rod Phillips
Programming Senior Vice President
(210) 822-2828
rodphillips@clearchannel.com

Robert H. Walls, Jr.
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
(210) 822-2828
robert.walls@clearchannel.com

GLAAD responds to New Jersey vote against marriage equality

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, today continued media monitoring following New Jersey State Senate’s vote to not extend marriage equality to same-sex couples in New Jersey. GLAAD is working to ensure that local and national media outlets are accurate in reporting and ground coverage in the stories of loving and committed couples. These stories will raise awareness among New Jersey residents of the concrete harms that couples face without marriage protections.

“Only with marriage can gay and lesbian families fully take care of each other and today’s vote is a painful loss for couples in New Jersey as well as across the country,” said Jarrett Barrios, President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). "The march towards equality is far from over. The Supreme Court of New Jersey unanimously ruled in 2006 that the New Jersey Constitution demands that same-sex couples must be treated equally and GLAAD joins Garden State Equality and Lambda Legal to continue working for equality in New Jersey.”

“We urge gay and lesbian New Jersey couples and allies to share their stories with their neighbors, friends, co-workers and local media to show legislators that the public supports fairness for all couples.”

“We also encourage media outlets to share stories of the New Jersey couples who are left vulnerable after today’s vote,” Barrios said.

Jarrett Barrios reflects on his first few months with GLAAD

In an open letter, Jarrett T. Barrios reflects on his first few months as president of GLAAD and talks about the important work of the organization.

Have you signed the Buju Banton petition yet?

Have you signed yet?

GLAAD has called on community members and allies to contact the Recording Academy and sign an online petition protesting the recent Grammy nomination of reggae singer Buju Banton’s album “Rasta Got Soul,” and urging Recording Academy members to not support his nomination.

The petition can be viewed at www.glaad.org/bujubantonpetition.

Their goal is to get 5,000 signatures and they've currently got 4,031.

Add your name today!

DC city council says 'I do' to gay marriage

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, today applauded the Washington, D.C. city council’s vote to pass legislation that extends marriage equality to same-sex couples in the District. The bill will now be sent to District Mayor Adrian Fenty, followed by the U.S. Congress. By law, Congress has 30 days to review and overturn laws created by the District's city council.

“Gay and lesbian people in our nation’s capitol are today one step closer to the important legal protections that marriage affords and that all loving and committed couples deserve,” said Jarrett Barrios, President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. “Today’s vote affirms the commitment of so many gay and lesbian couples in the District and reflects the growing support for protecting people equally under the law.”

"GLAAD congratulates and expresses our deepest appreciation to DC For Marriage, Campaign for All DC Families, and the organizations and couples whose personal stories moved the council to today’s historic vote," Barrios said. “We also encourage media reporting on this story to ground their coverage in the stories of our allies in the faith community and the couples whose love and commitment is at the heart of today's decision.”

GMAD and NBJC join GLAAD's protest of anti-gay Grammy nomination

Gay Men of African Descent (GMAD) and the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) have announced that they stand with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) in its petition drive and advocacy work protesting the recent Grammy nomination of reggae singer Buju Banton’s album “Rasta Got Soul.” Banton has a long history of advocating the killing of gay people.

In a popular song released in 1988 entitled “Boom Boom Bye,” Banton says that "faggots have to die" and he will "shoot them in the head" or "burn them." He continues to sing this song at his concerts today. In October 2009, Banton was quoted in news reports saying: "This is a fight, and as I said in one of my songs 'there is no end to the war between me and faggot' and it's clear."

Sharon Lettman, the Executive Director of NBJC says, “We must take a stand against any type of negative expression that encourages violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. With music being a major cultural influence, such messages that fuel hate and homophobia place our community in harm’s way.”

Find out more after the jump.


Tokes M. Osubu, GMAD’s Executive Director adds, “By nominating this album, the Recording Academy is sending the message that the violence against the LGBT community especially in Jamaica, which Buju Banton has so wantonly celebrated and encouraged in his music, is not worthy of condemnation, and that protecting our lives is of little importance.”

GLAAD urges community members and allies to protest Buju Baton’s Grammy Nomination and tell Recording Academy members to not support his nomination. The petition can be found at www.glaad.org/bujubantonpetition.

On Wednesday the Recording Academy released the following statement to GLAAD.

The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Awards have a long history of supporting freedom of speech and creative expression, and of supporting artists and the music they create. Artists of a variety of political or cultural perspectives have been nominated or featured on the telecast, despite protests and backlash. The Academy acknowledges that there are very strong and diverse opinions on many issues and in many instances, we have helped initiate dialogue on matters that require education and further discussion. It takes tolerance to teach tolerance, and it is through dialogue and debate that social discovery may occur. The GRAMMY Awards is a celebration and recognition of outstanding musical achievement by music makers, regardless of politics, and that will continue to be our mission.

GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios issued the following response:

"While we appreciate the Recording Academy issuing a response, we firmly disagree with their justification for nominating Buju Banton for a Grammy Award. Advocating the murder of gay people is not a ‘political or cultural perspective.’ We urge Recording Academy members NOT to support Buju Banton's nomination. Ignoring his continued promotion of brutality against gay people sends a message that violence against our community is OK.”





GLAAD's Jarrett Barrios responds to Maine marriage equality loss

In Maine, voters yesterday eliminated the state’s marriage equality law, which was passed by the state legislature and signed by Gov. John Baldacci earlier this year.

“We are disappointed and disheartened by results in Maine, where we saw marriage equality eliminated for loving and committed couples," said Jarrett Barrios, President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). “It’s wrong to take basic rights and protections away from neighbors, friends and co-workers who just want the same opportunity to care for their loved ones and families. It’s wrong, unfair and, frankly, un-American. Many Mainers voted that responsibility and commitment should continue to be respected and protected, but a slim majority wrested away the basic protections of marriage from couples and their families. Opponents campaigned on fear and misinformation leaving those loving and committed gay and lesbian couples- and our allies- back to square one: forced to lead lives without the needed protections that marriage affords. We must commit to sharing more stories on the truth about our lives and families to ensure the legal protections of marriage for all loving, committed couples.”

And the Advertising Award Recipients of the first annual GLAAD Media Awards are ...

The GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising recognize and honor individuals and projects in the advertising and marketing industries for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives.

Actor Alan Cumming, who received the Vito Russo Award at the 16th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, hosted the event and was joined by special guests including Bryan Batt ('Mad Men') and Jay Manuel ('America's Next Top Model').

"Advertisers that promote fair, accurate and inclusive images of the gay and transgender community send an important message to their customers, to fellow corporations – and to anyone who sees their ads – that LGBT people should be accepted and valued for our contributions to society," said Jarrett Barrios, GLAAD President. "GLAAD congratulates the award recipients and will continue to advocate for increased inclusion of LGBT images in mainstream advertising to show gay and transgender people are part of America and respected as customers and employees in these companies."

See the complete list of GLAAD Media Award recipients after the jump.


Corporate Responsibility Award: Subaru

Public Visibility Award: Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams

TV - Mainstream Market : "Golfers" Orbitz

TV - LGBT Market: "Bertolli Oven Baked Meals" Bertolli

Print/Outdoor - Mainstream Market: "Insurance Comes Out" Allstate

Print/Outdoor - LGBT Market: "GLBT Print Campaign" Progressive Insurance

Interactive: "Scion's Create-Your-Own-Comic" Toyota Scion

Outstanding Advertising - Electronic: TIE: "Logo Unbuttoned" Levi's & "We All Walk In Different Shoes - Nina Poon" Kenneth Cole

Outstanding Advertising - Print: "Will You Marry Me?" ABSOLUT® VODKA



GLAAD Board of Directors elects new officers

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, today announced a new Board Member and the results of its annual election of officers. John Hadity and Susan Mindell will serve as Co-Chairs of the national Board of Directors, Collin Sam was re-elected to serve as Treasurer, and Mike Schaefer was re-elected to serve as Secretary.

Read more after the jump.


Current Co-Chairs Yvette Burton, Ph.D., a Global Business Development Executive with the IBM Corporation, and Laurie Perper, a Managing Partner at Fusion Advisory Partners (NYC) both applauded the new officers. "We congratulate our new Board Member and officers, all who share our commitment to changing hearts and minds," Burton said.

John Hadity is the Chairman of the Producers Guild of America East and has a VP seat on the PGA’s national Board of Directors. Hadity is an independent producer and financier with over 20 years of studio experience, most recently having served as the Executive Vice President of Motion Picture & Television Production Finance for Miramax Films from 1993-2005. His other board service includes the executive committee for the Alumni Council of Hamilton College, and he previously served as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of GLAAD. At this weekend’s Board meeting, the Directors of GLAAD voted to extend term limits in order to keep Hadity engaged in a leadership role.

Susan Mindell is a Partner at Levine Plotkin & Menin, LLP in New York City representing clients in entertainment law, and specializing in all aspects of theater from development to production. She has been named in Media and Entertainment Section of “The Legal 500,” a directory of leading law firms and lawyers. She graduated with a B.A. from Emory University and received a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. Mindell was instrumental in leading the creation of the 2009-2013 Strategic Plan for GLAAD. She has served on the Board of Directors since October 2005.

“Today more than ever, GLAAD’s work to amplify our voices, share our stories, and increase understanding of LGBT people, and the challenges we face is critical to our equality,” said Mindell.

“Susan and I are honored to work with our fellow Board Members and the staff to continue GLAAD’s work in delivering LGBT words and images to the public as we expand our media advocacy and anti-defamation work into the digital world and social media,” said Hadity.

Collin Sam will continue serving as Treasurer and has been a Board Member since February 2008. He is based in Pasadena where he is a Director of Business Strategy Reporting & Implementation at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. Mike Schaefer, based in Seattle, serves as Secretary, after joining the Board of Directors in February 2008.

The Board of Directors also welcomed new member James Walker. James Walker is a Senior Commercial Real Estate Executive with over twenty five years experience. He recently served as Chairman of the Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce as well as its Treasurer and has played an instrumental role in continuing the revitalization efforts of Silver Spring, MD. Walker is also currently a member of the board of Equality Maryland and serves as the organization's Development Committee Chair. He served as Chairman of Basic Rights Montgomery, a political advocacy organization to advocate for legal equality of the transgender community in Montgomery County, MD. He graduated from Harvard College and is also an alumni of Columbia Business School.

"The leadership of our Board has always been one of the most important resources to change hearts and minds,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. “GLAAD welcomes our new Board Member, officers and their commitments to strengthen our LGBT advocacy work.”





Slowly but surely more gay characters are coming to your TV screen

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) today released the14th annual “Where We Are On TV” study, a comprehensive review of scripted LGBT primetime characters in the 2009-2010 television season. After more than doubling last year,the overall number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) characters on broadcast networks continues a steady rise.

The report shows that 18 LGBT characters will account for 3% of scripted series regulars in the 2009-2010 broadcast television schedule, up from 1.3% in 2006, 1.1% in 2007, and 2.6% in 2008. The number of scripted LGBT series regulars found on mainstream cable networks continue to decline, from 40 in 2007, 32 in 2008 to only 25 this year.

From research and information provided by the five broadcast networks — ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and The CW — GLAAD’s “Where We Are On TV” study reviewed 79 scripted comedies and dramas announced to air this upcoming season, and counted a total of 600 series regulars, 18 of which are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

More after the jump.


“It is promising to see not only an increase in the quantity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender television characters but that storylines about the LGBT community are becoming more reflective of current issues impacting our lives,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. “Americans now see LGBT couples marrying, raising families and contributing to their communities. As more and more Americans see these fair and accurate images of our community reflected on the small screen, they come to accept and better understand their LGBT family members and neighbors.”

For this upcoming season, ABC continues to lead the other broadcast networks in LGBT representation, with eight LGBT characters out of 168 total series regular characters (5%), the highest number and percentage of LGBT characters of any network for the 2009-2010 season. FOX, which only two years ago featured zero series regular LGBT characters at the launch of the season, now offers four LGBT series regulars out of 105 (4%). NBC has three series regular LGBT characters (3%) out of a total of 126. The CW is showing gradual improvement with two LGBT series regular characters out of 69 (3%). Unfortunately, CBS continues to disappoint. Out of 132 series regular characters, none are LGBT. For a complete list of LGBT characters on broadcast television, please click here.

On mainstream cable networks, the number of announced LGBT series regular characters dropped to 25 from last year’s total of 32. The presence of LGBT-focused cable networks here! and Logo, which program specifically for LGBT viewers, add an additional 27 series regular LGBT characters. For a complete list of LGBT characters on cable, click here.

This marks the fifth year that GLAAD has analyzed the demographics of the race, gender and ethnicity of all the 600 series regular characters expected to appear on the broadcast networks in the upcoming season. Male characters continue to outweigh female characters 57% (345) to 43% (255) in overall numbers, while 77% (466) of all series regular characters are white, down 2% from last year. African American representation has remains at 11% (67) while Latino/a representation has dropped to 5% (27). GLAAD counted 23 Asian Pacific Islander characters (4%), four more than last season.

Of the 18 announced LGBT regular charac ters in the 2009-2010 primetime broadcast season, only four are people of color.

“Our analysis also shows where there’s still work to be done. This past year, we’ve seen real progress from many networks toward making their scripted programming more LGBT inclusive. At the same time, we continue to advocate that other networks including CBS follow suit and that networks across the board better reflect the diversity of the LGBT community,” Barrios said.

This research serves as a benchmark for GLAAD’s advocacy efforts of increases in LGBT characters and stories. The storylines and characters in the Where We Are On TV report will later be reviewed for GLAAD’s Network Responsibility Index, released after May 2010 sweeps, which grades networks on overall LGBT impressions.





Say 'thank you'

Want to see more of this on TV?

It is important that the millions of everyday Americans watching 'So You Think You Can Dance' now have the opportunity to see couples like Jacob and Willem (above). Images like this build understanding and acceptance and inspire young LGBT people to feel good about who they are and to pursue their life dreams.

GLAAD urges you to thank FOX for this inclusive and moving episode and for future fair, accurate and inclusive LGBT images on all of their shows.

Send your messages to:
Jason Clark
Vice President, Fox Publicity
Jason.clark@fox.com

Out in Hollywood

Click to embiggen and read all about Out in Hollywood: The Rise of the LGBT Actor.

So You Think You Can Dance judges praise same-sex couple

On Wednesdays episode of “So You Think You Can Dance,” same-sex dance couple Jacob Jason and Willem De Vries auditioned and their moving performance received praise from all three judges.

During their segment, Jacob and Willem discussed wanting to audition to illustrate that there is "a world of same-sex dancers." Jacob & Willem’s routine nearly brought judges Mary Murphy and Mia Michaels to tears.

The judges had positive reviews following the routine:

Mary Murphy: “I can understand why you’re welling up. I have to say that I’m just really proud of you two. And that showed all the emotion and passion in a strong way. It had great lines, great technique. Well done. I’m really proud of the two of you. “

Mia Michaels: “All I know is that I celebrate the courage that you guys have to just expose yourselves and your hearts and passion and who you are.”

Nigel Lythgoe: “Thank you for showing me that same sex ballroom dancing can be very strong and very good.”

This inclusive episode occurred thanks to all of you who voiced concerns to FOX following a May 22 GLAAD Call to Action regarding homophobic comments made after aspiring competitors Misha Belfer and Mitchel Kibel performed a samba for the judges. Lythgoe -- in his on-air and online criticisms of their performance -- made snide, and ultimately homophobic, comments about the routine. To view Lythgoe’s original comments please visit: http://www.glaad.org/Page.aspx?pid=680.

Nominees announced for 1st GLAAD Awards in Advertising

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced today the nominees and honorees for its 1st GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising Presented by Southwest Airlines. Among the nominees are: Cadillac's "Road to Success: Catherine Opie," Rogaine's "Making the Cut," Progressive Insurance's "GLBT Print Campaign," Wells Fargo's "When Two Accounts Become One," and Allstate's "Insurance Comes Out."

As part of GLAAD's Advertising Media Program, excellence in advertising will now be recognized at a special event specifically focusing on advertising media. The GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising will recognize and honor individuals and projects in the advertising and marketing industries for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their lives.

GLAAD also announced that Subaru will receive the Corporate Responsibility Award for its long-standing and public commitment to the LGBT consumer. Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams will receive the Public Visibility Award for including LGBT stories in the advertising for their company Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, and for their personal efforts to advocate for LGBT equality.

"As with other forms of media, advertising has the power to change hearts and minds," said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. "Companies that promote fair, accurate and inclusive images of the LGBT community in advertising send an important message to their customers, to corporations and to any consumer who sees their ads. We will be recognizing those companies that do just that, and in so doing, set a standard to which other companies may aspire."

See the complete list of nominees after the jump.


1st GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS IN ADVERTISING
NOMINEES

www.glaad.org/advertisingawards/nominees

Outstanding TV – Mainstream Market
"Golfers" Orbitz

Outstanding TV – LGBT Market
"Bertolli Oven Baked Meals" Bertolli
"Cadillac's Road to Success: Catherine Opie" Cadillac
"Real Momentum: Jenn Hofman" Subaru

Outstanding Print/Outdoor – Mainstream Market
"How are you Healthy" Lifelube
"Insurance Comes Out" Allstate
"Sage is…" Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders
"We'll Support You" Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Minnesota

Outstanding Print/Outdoor – LGBT Market
"Coors Light Equality is Refreshing" Coors Light
"Gay Travel" Southwest Airlines
"GLBT Print Campaign" Progressive Insurance
"LGBT Brand and Retail ads" Travelocity
"When Two Accounts Become One" Wells Fargo

Outstanding Interactive
"GPTMC 2009 Web Campaign" Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation
"Making the Cut" Rogaine
"Scion's Create-Your-Own-Comic" Toyota Scion
"Something Extra" Hyatt Resorts



The following nominees were previously announced as part of the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. Award recipients in these categories will be presented at the October 27 event. In the future, all advertising media will be nominated in the newly created categories.

Outstanding Advertising – Electronic
"I Don't Judge" IKEA
"Logo Unbuttoned" Levi's
"Market" Chemistry.com
"We All Walk In Different Shoes – Nina Poon" Kenneth Cole
"Rugby Drinking Party" Jawbone

Outstanding Advertising – Print
"First Comes Love. Then Comes Marriage." Macy's
"Home for the Holidays" Swanson
"Rings" Paris Las Vegas
"We All Walk In Different Shoes – Nina Poon & Robert Jason" Kenneth Cole
"Will You Marry Me?" Absolut Vodka



HBO tops GLAAD'S Network Index

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) today released its third annual Network Responsibility Index, a report that maps the quantity, quality and diversity of images of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people on television. Primetime programming on the five broadcast networks was evaluated as well as original primetime programming on 10 of the highest-rated cable networks.

HBO scored the highest rating of the 15 networks evaluated with LGBT characters on shows including 'True Blood', 'The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency' and 'Entourage' that reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of the LGBT community. Of HBO's 14 original series, 10 included LGBT content and 42 percent of the network's total programming hours included LGBT representation.

See more results and a link to the full report after the jump.


"This year programming was not only inclusive of LGBT people, but networks like HBO are beginning to reflect the broad diversity within our community," said Rashad Robinson, Senior Director of Media Programs at GLAAD. "With upcoming fall programming and new storylines there is a tremendous opportunity for networks to share the stories of all members of our community including lesbian, bisexual and transgender people as well as LGBT people of color, all groups which continue to be underrepresented across all networks."

GLAAD reviewed a total of 4,901 hours of primetime programming for inclusion of LGBT characters or issues on the five major networks (ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox and NBC) from June 1, 2008 to May 31, 2009. GLAAD also examined 1,212.5 hours of original primetime programming on 10 highly-rated cable networks. Each hour was reviewed for on-screen LGBT representations. Based on the quantity, overall quality and diversity of these representations, a rating was assigned by GLAAD's Entertainment Media Program to each network: Excellent,Good, Adequate, or Failing.

Additional findings from the GLAAD Network Responsibility Index:

Good
- HBO and Showtime received grades of Good, with HBO leading with 42 percent of programming hours featuring LGBT representations.
- ABC, with shows including Brothers & Sisters, Grey's Anatomy and Ugly Betty, again received the highest ranking of the five broadcast networks, earning a Good grade with 24 percent of their primetime programming hours including LGBT representations.
- The CW also received a grade of Good, with 20 percent of their primetime programming hours including LGBT representations.
Adequate
- While Fox received an Adequate, rising from last place and a Failing grade in 2008; 11 percent of its programming hours were LGBT-inclusive, yet some of those hours included problematic content.
- Among cable networks evaluated, TNT showed the largest growth, jumping from one percent of LGBT inclusive primetime programming hours last year to 19 percent. FX posted the sharpest decline, dropping 32 percent over the previous season. Both were graded
Failing
- NBC and CBS received Failing grades, for their 8 and 5 percent, respectively, of programming hours with LGBT images. CBS moved down from third place in last year's GLAAD Network Responsibility Index to last among the five major broadcast networks.
- A&E, Sci Fi and TBS received grades of Failing.
"Television shows that weave our stories into the fabric of the series present richer, more accurate representations and are the kinds of images that help Americans understand and embrace their LGBT family members, friends and neighbors in a more meaningful way," said Robinson.

The third annual GLAAD Network Responsibility Index was delivered to programming executives at the 15 graded networks, and GLAAD's Entertainment Media Program will continue discussions with them to advocate for improvements in the quality, quantity and diversity of their LGBT representations.

The Executive Summary and full report can be viewed online at www.glaad.org/nri2009.




GLAAD responds to Bruno

I haven't seen 'Bruno' yet - though I definitely will - so I can't really say for sure yet whether I think the movie is going to be good, bad, or indifferent for the gay community.

In the meantime, here's what GLAAD has to say:

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) issued the following statement from incoming President Jarrett Barrios in response to the film “Brüno,” which opened in movie theatres nationwide Friday, July 10. The film grossed an estimated $30.4 million worth of ticket sales in North America according to Hollywood.com Box-Officeand was the top grossing film of the weekend.

“In many parts of the United States, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people live life in harm’s way. We are among the most frequently targeted for hate crimes—including physical attacks, verbal assaults and destruction of our property. In particular, LGBT youth experience bullying and violence in school and social settings--harassment that contributes to lower self-respect, depression and increased incidence of suicide.


Into this context steps the movie “Brüno,” an 80-some-minute series of sketches apparently intended to skewer these homophobic attitudes—and get some laughs along the way. Clearly, the filmmakers wanted to use satire to highlight and challenge homophobia. But their film also reinforces troubling attitudes about gay people in ways that run counter to the intentions of the filmmakers.

The movie repeatedly builds entire scenes around stock stereotypes and situations that make gay people and families the butt of crude jokes. I can’t help but think of all the teenage kids already getting bullied, beat up and ridiculed for being--or for being thought to be--gay. For these kids, this movie will give their tormentors one more word in the anti-gay lexicon of slurs: Bruno.

Instead of challenging stereotypes, it reinforces them for many of those who voted to take away the freedom to marry from loving, committed gay and lesbian couples in California. Many states have gone even further—Arkansans went to the polls and effectively eliminated the ability of gay people to adopt or foster children in that state. In a cruel twist, “Brüno,” some of which was actually shot in Arkansas, includes a scene where the title character shows a talk-show audience photos of sexual activity occurring in the presence of an infant child. Can this help the gay families across the country who continue to be reduced to political punching bags at the ballot box?

It's unfortunate that “Brüno” ultimately misses the mark, particularly when there are still far too few positive images of gay people in major studio films. Some members of our community will not be offended by this film. Others, like those of us at GLAAD, find it frustrating and discouraging to be confronted with a movie that wants to increase America’s discomfort with homophobia, but which for much of America, seems likely to decrease its comfort with gay people.”



GLAAD to host Homophobia in Virtual Communities panel

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy organization, today announced panelists and topics to be covered in a panel on Homophobia & Virtual Communities on July 18, 2009 on the Electronic Arts campus in Redwood City, California.

The first of its kind panel discussion will spotlight the issue of homophobia in virtual communities and include the perspectives of both gaming companies and LGBT gamers. Discussion will revolve around the state of the problem in these communities, policy solutions that have been developed to address homophobia – some that are working and those that are not - as well as looking forward to challenges and opportunities in various sectors of the industry including production, policy and enforcement, financial, customer service and the end user experience.

Confirmed panelists include:

Flynn DeMarco (Alias: Fruite Brute), Founder of GayGamer.net
Dan Hewitt, Senior Director of Communications & Industry Affairs for the Entertainment Software Association (ESA)
Caryl Shaw, Senior Producer in the Maxis Studio (Electronic Arts, Inc.)
Cyn Skyberg, VP of Customer Relations at Linden Lab
Stephen Toulouse (Gamertag: stepto), Program Manager for Policy and Enforcement on Microsoft's XBox LIVE

Moderator: Justin Cole, Director of Digital & Online Media, GLAAD

“The panel will provide an important forum to discuss a problem many LGBT people face in virtual communities and will help set the groundwork for better and more LGBT inclusive policies,” said Jarrett Barrios, incoming President of GLAAD. “These companies have voiced a commitment to all their customers - ensuring a safe environment for LGBT people is a critical part of that.”