Best & Worst: June 2008

"The Best and Worst of National News” is a monthly publication that provides GLAAD's constituents and friends with an overview of recent praiseworthy and problematic print, television and radio coverage of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. The report encompasses stories from the national media as well as from major regional news outlets, and provides synopses, analyses and contact information so constituents can contact news outlets with messages of appreciation or concern.

In a refreshing look at the hopes and struggles of LGBT youth, The Houston Chronicle published a June 23 article, “A better reception to being ‘out.’” Reporter Maggie Galehouse contemplated the potential effects of marriage in California on young LGBT people in the Houston. “We all want to be able to love who we love- and be respected,” said A’Ja Lyons. But as Galehouse went on to report, that respect is still hard to come by for many. A recent survey by GLSEN revealed that 90 percent of LGBT teens were victims of harassment or assault last year. But at the same time—and on a much brighter note—Galehouse reported that many LGBT teens recognize a growth in acceptance for their generation compared to generations past.

READ ARTICLE:
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2008_4588696

TAKE ACTION:
GLAAD encourages you to contact Maggie Galehouse and the Houston Chronicle and thank them for calling attention to the often-unheard voices of gay youth in the South while highlighting both the strides they have made and the struggles they have encountered.

CONTACT:
Maggie Galehouse
Maggie.galehouse@chron.com

Amidst the flood of media attention that came from California this month, Francisco Vara-Orta’s Los Angeles Times story on the ups and downs of one gay couple as they hurriedly planned for their California wedding stood out as a rich portrait. The June 16 article, “For one same-sex couple, marriage was always the goal,” took readers through the flurry of preparation and planning required for Paul Waters and Kevin Voecks, who were thrilled finally to have the opportunity to exchange vows after committing to one another so many years ago. “This is the statement we've waited for 15 years to make,” Voecks said. The story reported that with a mere 13 days to plan an entire wedding, Waters and Voecks wanted to take the first opportunity to wed on June 17th, even in the face of the impending November ballot initiative that could potentially write a ban on marriage for gay and lesbian couples into California’s constitution. Vara-Orta concluded the piece by giving readers the option to follow the couple as they make a lifelong commitment to one another, at www.latimes.com/couple.

TAKE ACTION:
GLAAD encourages you to contact Francisco Vara-Orta and the Los Angeles Times to thank them for compassionately profiling the journey of one couple who were finally able to declare their love and commitment in marriage.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Spotlights Lessening Isolation for LGBT People in Rural Areas

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published a moving story on the LGBT community in Washington County, Pa., in its June 18 edition. L.A. Johnson’s article, “Out in the country; rural gays feel less isolated today, but stigma remains,” chronicled the journey of Patrick Arena, who grew up in the area during the 1960’s and was ridiculed and harassed for being gay. He left in the 1970’s to seek refuge in New York City, but eventually returned home to care for an ailing parent and found that the climate for LGBT people had not improved significantly. “I thought that things would have changed somewhat in those 25-plus years. I found that there’s a lot of homophobia here and it hadn’t changed as much as I’d hoped it had.” Thankfully, the story noted, there is now a Gay-Straight Alliance for youth in Washington County, although many young LGBT people in the area still experience harsh rejection from their parents after coming out. One Washington County teen, Patrick Cameron, eventually came out at school and became comfortable enough to talk about it in class and went to a homecoming dance with the young man he was dating. Cameron says, "You can live in Washington, Pa., have a huge community of friends on the Internet and not be isolated and get the support that you need. It's just really a phenomenal thing."

READ ARTICLE:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08170/890608-51.stm

TAKE ACTION:
GLAAD encourages you to contact L.A. Johnson and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to commend them for highlighting the experiences and struggles of gay people in rural America.

CONTACT:
L.A. Johnson
ljohnson@post-gazette.com

In the June 5 edition, the New York Post printed yet another immature, inane cartoon by Sean Delonas, this one containing a clueless swipe at marriage for gay couples.
On the heels of the California decision extending marriage to gay and lesbian couples, openly gay actor George Takei announced his upcoming marriage to his partner in California. Delonas depicts characters from the original Star Trek series, on which Takei played Sulu. The scene shows Sulu getting married with his colleague Spock saying, “Totally Illogical, Captain,” as the other crew members of the imaginary USS Enterprise look on in disbelief.
VIEW CARTOON:
http://www.glaad.org/2008/Images/DelonasCartoon060508.jpg

TAKE ACTION:
GLAAD urges you to contact Sean Delonas and the New York Post and voice your concerns about their continued insulting and offensive coverage of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.

Even after he was awarded the dubious “Pink Brick Award” in early June—Bill O’Reilly, host of FOX NEWS’ The O’Reilly Factor, still managed to do two more faulty segments on LGBT issues in June. He started off his run of out of touch, clueless jabs on the June 9 edition saying that if bans on marriage for gay couples are lifted, “plural” marriages should be permitted. And during the June 20 airing of The O’Reilly Factor, the host and his guests deconstructed the British Heinz mayonnaise commercial which featured a kiss between two men. Heinz pulled the ad after receiving complaints. O’Reilly claimed that the commercial was “obviously a gay thing” and that he doesn’t know what the message is other than “gay people like mayonnaise.” He went onto say, “I just want mayonnaise. I don’t want two guys kissing.”

VIEW JUNE O’OREILLY CLIPS:

Fox News: The O'Reilly Factor
June 9, 2008
View this clip.

Fox News: The O'Reilly Factor
June 20, 2008
View this clip.

TAKE ACTION:
GLAAD urges you to contact Bill O’Reilly and The O’Reilly Factor and voice your concerns about O’Reilly’s continued lack of professionalism in his discussions of LGBT issues.

On his June 23 broadcast, nationally syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh made crude comments directed at gay and African American voters. Media Matters for America released audio of the remarks in which Limbaugh said that Democrats will “bend over, grab the ankles, and say, ‘Have your way with me’” to African American and gay voters. Limbaugh then asked why Democrats don’t say “To hell with you, you wacko nuts in the base.” GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano reacted in a media release, saying, “These sorts of crass diatribes aren’t surprising coming from Rush Limbaugh, but it’s still important for people to call these comments what they are – ugly, crude and unacceptable.”
Rush Limbaugh’s radio program has an estimated audience of nearly 13.5 million weekly listeners. It is syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, which is a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications.

LISTEN TO CLIP:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200806240008?f=h_latest

TAKE ACTION:
GLAAD strongly urges you to write to Clear Channel Channel and its CEO Mark Mays and respond to Rush Limbaugh’s crass comments directed at African American and gay voters. Ask Mays to hold Limbaugh accountable for his remarks.

CONTACT:
Mark Mays
markpmays@clearchannel.com

THE BEST AND WORST OF NATIONAL NEWS JUNE 2008

THE BEST AND WORST OF NATIONAL NEWS

JUNE 2008