GLAAD Call to Action: Tell CNN to use experts, not the anti-gay industry

For years, CNN has insisted on including the voices of the anti-gay industry whenever a topic that involves the LGBT community has come up. It's time to speak up and tell CNN that this is unacceptable. If CNN was running a story about education, would it seek out the opinion of someone who hates teachers? If the network was running a story about agriculture, would it invite a guest who believes farming is a sin? Of course not, yet the anti-gay point of view is one that CNN seeks out regularly. The media needs to stop going to the anti-gay industry to provide the "other side" of LGBT issues-- especially when there really is no "other side" to speak of, aside from their false and harmful rhetoric. CNN needs to stop elevating anti-gay opinions to the level of the actual experts who they SHOULD be talking to; people like scholars, historians, professionals, or folks with actual experience (not just animosity). We're asking you to add your voice to the chorus of those who are speaking out about this. Take action and tell CNN to keep the anti-gay industry off its airwaves, and instead seek out the opinions of those who can contribute something of value to the discussion. If you feel strongly that the mainstream media should speak to experts and authorities about LGBT issues, rather than voices from the anti-gay industry, please make a donation of $5, $10, or $25 to help GLAAD ensure that the networks place reason over anti-gay rhetoric. Donate Today.

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

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

Call to Action: Protect gay Ugandans from state-sanctioned murder

HRC reports that if we don't act quickly, a terrifying bill now being considered in Uganda could make homosexuality punishable by life imprisonment or even death.

Act now by clicking here and sending an email make sure our leaders use their influence to help protect LGBT Ugandans from this homicidal bill.

Public comments needed for Prop. 8 case

Supporters of Prop 8 - which took away the right of same-sex couples to marry in California - are fighting to keep televisions out of the courtroom when the law is challenged in federal court.

The court just announced that it is seeking public comment on the proposal to televise the trial - and that all comments must be submitted to the court by this Friday morning.

Timing is urgent: the federal court challenge to Prop 8 starts this Monday, January 11.

Sign this petition today to submit your public comment.

Love Takes Over: January 3-9

Love Takes Over is a nationwide initiative calling on citizens to write to their local newspapers about marriage equality during the week of January 3rd-January 9th. Love Takes Over seeks to promote and foster dialogue about marriage equality on a local level.

The idea behind Love Takes Over is simple: One week. One unified voice. Everyone take over America’s local newspapers and get people talking about marriage equality across the entire country at the same time.

Love Takes Over encourages American citizens to open up dialogue on a variety of issues pertaining to marriage equality. These issues include why civil marriage is a civil rights issue, why Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships are not equal to marriage, how inequality affects the families and children of same-sex couples, and why the issue of marriage equality is personally important to the author of each article.

“We believe in the power of small,” say the activists behind Love Takes Over, “We believe that the small steps people take everyday to educate their families, friends, and local communities are a vital part of any social justice movement.”

Articles are to be published during the week of January 3rd-January 9th. College students on Winter Break are encouraged to write to their hometown newspapers and submit a piece to their campus newspaper at the start of the new semester.

Contact your Senator today to support GLBT health funding

Recently, 46 Representatives supported the addition of a GLBT question to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

Now Senator Whitehouse (D-RI) is leading the charge in the Senate to rally support for appropriating the $2 million necessary to add this question. The Senator has begun circulating a sign-on "Dear Colleague" letter in the Senate to show support for adding $2 million in increased funding to the budget for the National Center for Health Statistics, which will pay all costs associated with adding a question about sexual orientation and gender identity to NHIS.

This survey helps set the federal government's priorities in funding health programs, so gathering data on LGBT demographics is vital for demonstrating the importance of LGBT health concerns and pushing for increased funding for services for the LGBT community.

Contact your Senator today to ask them to sign onto the Whitehouse Letter in the Senate.

To contact your Senator, call the Senate switchboard at 202-224-3121, tell them your state, and ask to speak to your Senator.

When you are connected to your Senator's office, ask for the staff member who works on Health and Human Services appropriations. Tell them that you are a constituent who supports appropriating an additional $2 million for the National Health Interview Survey and that you would like them to sign on.