GLAAD’s "The Best and Worst of National News"
April 2008

Hartford Courant Spotlights the Tax Challenges Faced by Gay Families

In April, millions of Americans share in the stress of preparing tax returns.  However, as the Hartford Courant explained, gay couples can face additional challenges when filing their taxes.  In the March 26 article “Same-sex couple blocked by H & R,” reporter Mark Pazniokas educated readers about the bureaucratic burdens still endured by those Connecticut gay couples who are in civil unions.  Pazniokas specifically focused on Jason Smith and Settimio Pisu, who were shocked to discover that H & R Block would not help people in legal civil unions file joint tax returns because the company’s software was too outdated. Additionally, he reported about the ACLU’s demand for the company to cease discriminating against couples in relationships recognized by their states and about competing tax preparation services that welcome gay people in legal relationships. By spotlighting this issue, Pazniokas illustrated how many companies and bureaucracies have yet to catch up with several states’ legal recognition of civil unions and domestic partnerships, thus producing headaches for gay families—especially at tax time.

READ ARTICLE:
http://www.topix.com/content/trb/2008/03/same-sex-couple-blocked-by-h-r

TAKE ACTION:
GLAAD encourages you to contact Mark Pazniokas and the Hartford Courant to thank them for educating readers about the tax challenges faced by gay families in civil unions.

CONTACT:
mpazniokas@courant.com
letters@courant.com

The Baltimore Sun Shares Stories of Clergy Who Support Marriage for Gay and Lesbian People

The media has been paying increasing attention to the many religious leaders who support equality for LGBT Americans.  Continuing this trend, The Baltimore Sun profiled the growing of number of clergy in Maryland and Virginia who are refusing to sign marriage licenses as agents of the state until marriage is legally available for gay and lesbian couples. In her in-depth March 31 article “From the altar, a vow of protest,” reporter Rona Marech interviewed a rabbi and several Presbyterian pastors about the reasons they are standing up for marriage equality and the responses they’ve received from their congregants. Rev. David Ensign of Clarendon Presbyterian Church in Virginia explained that his church membership grew after his church made a decision in 2005 not to sign marriage licenses until marriage equality was achieved. “A lot of people were interested in what we were doing,” Rev. Ensign said. “They were looking for a place that shared those commitments to justice and commitments to being an open and progressive Christian community.”

READ ARTICLE:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.marriage31mar31,0,2635397.story

TAKE ACTION:
GLAAD encourages you to contact Rona Marech and The Baltimore Sun to thank them for highlighting the stories of religious leaders who are taking a stand for marriage equality.

CONTACT:
rona.marech@baltsun.com
letters@baltsun.com

The New York Times Shares Inspiring Story of a Homeless Transgender Woman

The lives of homeless transgender and gay people are often rendered invisible in the national media. However, The New York Times has been doing a great service by introducing readers to the stories of homeless LGBT young adults during recent years.  Continuing to do so on March 30, The Times published a brief but moving article about a homeless 21-year-old transgender woman.  In “Finding Her Voice,” reporter Chiara Goia profiled Nicole Von Valkenburg, who lives at Carmen’s Place, a shelter for homeless LGBT young adults in Queens run by Episcopal priest Rev. Louis Braxton, Jr.  Goia discussed how Nicole—who had experienced a difficult and often despairing adolescence—has turned her life around at Carmen’s Place since moving there in 2007. “He helped to build me up,” Von Valkenburg said about Father Braxton, “to go out and be stronger.” Goia concluded her poignant snapshot of Von Valkenburg by asking her what she hopes to be doing in 10 years. “Married to my boyfriend, adopting two children, have my own place, have a car, and going to school to become a nurse,” Von Valkenburg replied.

READ ARTICLE:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/nyregion/thecity/30tran.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

TAKE ACTION:
GLAAD encourages you to contact Chiara Goia and The New York Times to thank them for shedding light on the lives of homeless LGBT young adults.

CONTACT:
letters@nytimes.com

THE WORST

Fox News Continues to Present Derisive Coverage of Transgender People

In a disappointing contrast to Nightline’s in-depth and objective coverage of transgender executive Megan Wallent, Fox News coverage continues to discuss transgender lives only in a dismissive and sensational manner. The most recent example of the news network’s derisive coverage occurred on the Feb. 28 episode of The O’Reilly Factor. During the show, host Bill O’Reilly joined contributor Laura Ingraham in criticizing a Colorado school district for its acceptance of an 8-year-old transgender student. Beyond being uninformed about the facts of the Colorado case, both O’Reilly and Ingraham showed a derisive attitude toward transgender people. This is only the latest instance of Fox News commentators preferring sensationalism over substance when covering transgender issues. On Feb. 12 and Feb. 13, host Neil Cavuto of Fox News’ Your World also discussed the Colorado story by expressing disdain for the school district’s willingness to create a safe and inclusive environment for all its students. And, on Feb. 8, Laura Ingraham asserted that a transgender conference was “killing our culture” while guest-hosting The O’Reilly Factor. It is unfortunate that a news network that prides itself as being "fair and balanced" continues to present inequitable and mean-spirited coverage of transgender people.

READ TRANSCRIPT:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,334008,00.html

TAKE ACTION:
GLAAD encourages you to contact Fox News and The O’Reilly Factor to live up to professional journalistic standards and avoid sensational, derisive coverage of transgender people.

CONTACT:
oreilly@foxnews.com

Washington Post Column Dismisses Inclusive Children’s Book as Propaganda

In recent years, the children’s book "And Tango Makes Three"-- which tells the true story of two male penguins who raised a penguin chick, has faced considerable opposition across the country. Co-authored by playwright Peter Parnell and psychiatry professor Justin Richardson, the 2005 book received recognition as an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book. However, some parents and administrators have sought to remove the book from school libraries because it presents an affirming message about same-sex parents.

After the Loudoun County, Virginia school superintendent recently pulled the book from school library shelves for this reason, The Washington Post featured a March 2 column by blogger and author Barbara Curtis that argued that schoolchildren should be guarded from books like "And Tango Makes Three" because they are nothing more than “propaganda.” Unfortunately, Curtis dismissed the book as "meaningless" without displaying any knowledge about its content or about readers’ responses to it. Instead, Curtis lifted a previous quote by the author of an unrelated children’s book to allege that all books like "And Tango Makes Three" were written "simply for indoctrination purposes." It is disappointing that The Washington Post published an article dismissing "And Tango Makes Three" by an author who revealed a startling lack of familiarity with the book and its effect on readers.

READ ARTICLE:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/29/AR2008022904159.html

TAKE ACTION:
GLAAD encourages you to contact Barbara Curtis and The Washington Post to urge them to display knowledge about inclusive children’s literature before categorically dismissing it.

CONTACT:
letters@washpost.com