WEEK OF JUNE 30, 2008

GLAAD Snapshots highlight some of the work we are doing in communities across the country – from working with local organizations on media training spokespersons to informing media coverage of major issues affecting the LGBT community. Snapshots reflect GLAAD’s program areas – National News, Media Field Strategy, Entertainment Media, Spanish Language Media, Young Adult, Communities of African Descent, Asian Pacific Islander Media, Sports Media, and Religion, Faith & Values. Check back every Monday for the latest updates!

19TH Annual GLAAD Media Awards Air on Bravo
The 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Aired on Bravo on Friday, June 27.  The historic telecast the of the awards show recognizing and honoring media for fair, accurate and inclusive representation of the LGBT community was made available to the largest telecast audience to date.  Said GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano, “Thanks to our partnership with Bravo, the GLAAD Media Awards will be available to over 84 million homes, giving people across the country a chance to celebrate these media images and their creators.” 

For those who would like to see the show again, it will be available soon at www.glaad.org.

Media Field Strategy: GLAAD Marches in New York City Pride Parade and Greets Hundreds at Pride Festival
It may have rained on our parade, but GLAAD staff and volunteers marched on, along with newly engaged George Takei and Brad Altman at the New York City Heritage of Pride Parade on Sunday, June 29. GLAAD volunteers helped decorate the sleek convertible that drove Takei and Altman, the first couple to receive their marriage license in West Hollywood on June 17. All who marched in the parade or greeted at the booth helped create an incredible presence at the festival. This is the second year that GLAAD has marched in the parade.

Entertainment Media: GLAAD Takes FX to Task for Featuring Defamatory Claims of Anti-Gay Activist in Show About Gay Parents
After asking FX Networks to alter a biased and anti-gay segment in its reality series 30 Days, GLAAD issued an Action Alert. The GLAAD Media Award-winning series aired an episode on June 24 entitled “Same Sex Parenting.” In this episode, a woman named Kati, who believes gay parents should be banned from adopting children, moves in with Dennis and Thomas Patrick and their four adopted children. While the show is one GLAAD would have liked to support, the episode also featured Peter Sprigg of the anti-gay activist organization Family Research Council, who was allowed to make inaccurate, misleading claims about gay parents that went unchallenged. GLAAD contacted FX requesting that Sprigg’s defamatory misrepresentation be removed from the episode before it aired, or that a credible social science expert or child health authority be brought in to provide an on-air correction, but the network refused to edit or make adjustments to the show.

Read the Action Alert:
http://www.glaad.org/media/release_detail.php?id=4459

Media Coverage:
CineQueer Blog – June 25, 2008
“30 Days Look at Parenting Falters”
http://glaadorg.nexcess.net/cinequeer/2008/06/30-days-look-at-parenting-falt.html

The Stranger – June 24, 2008
“Tonight’s 30 Days by Dan Savage”
http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/tonights_30_days

Good As You – June 24, 2008
“So How Was 30 Days?”
http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2008/06/video-so-how-wa.html

Spanish Language Media: GLAAD Provides Strong Coverage of Marriages in California
Marriage in California continues to generate strong media coverage in Spanish language media. GLAAD is working hard to ensure that the personal stories of couples are being heard.  GLAAD-trained couples and GLAAD staff were featured in CNN en Español; The Associated Press Latin America bureau; the powerful Spanish syndicate EFE; Agence France-Presse and Noticiero Telemundo and Noticiero Univision, among many others. A highlight was inclusion in coverage of a sunset wedding and reception hosted by allies Christine Chavez and Oscar Gonzales, Jr. Chavez is the granddaughter of labor leader Cesar Chavez, and the reception at their home garnered exceptional coverage in both Spanish and English language media. Our Director of Spanish Language Media also appeared on the NPR radio program Tell Me More and on CNN en Español Radio.

Recently, GLAAD also helped train ally the Reverend Dr. Ignacio Castuera to appear on top-rated political morning show Al Punto con Jorge Ramos where he debated an evangelist pastor about the proposed anti-gay California ballot initiative. Working with Project Harmony and COLAGE, we also found several sources for a La Opinión reporter who reached out to GLAAD in order to include gay dads in her newspaper’s Father’s Day coverage.

Media Coverage:
The Associated Press – June 19, 2008
“Parejas gay latinas, felices”
http://www.univision.com/content/content.jhtml;jsessionid=ALQPX1WS2J0PKCWIAAOSFEYKZAAB2IWC?cid=1571938

La Opinión – June 18, 2008
“Discreción entre los gays latinos”
http://www.impre.com/laopinion/noticias/la-california/2008/6/18/discrecion-entre-los-gays-lati-61877-1.html

Hoy – June 16, 2008
“Eric y Juan, una historia de amor”
http://www.hoyinternet.com/noticias/localidades/losangeles/hoy-0616nupciasjun16,0,979985.story

Communities of African Descent: GLAAD Continues to Amplify Students’ Voices
GLAAD’s National News team, in partnership with the New York Blade and the Hetrick-Martin Institute has placed an op-ed authored by Harvey Milk High School student Rosa Guerrero in the New York Blade. The op-ed, “Learning to Love,” discusses Harvey Milk High School (HMHS) as an affirming and safe space for gay and transgender youth. Guerrero describes HMHS as an environment where difference is not just tolerated but accepted and nurtured.

The voices of these youth will now be heard across the Chicago area, as the Windy City Times newspaper began reprinting the op-eds. The pieces entitled “Not All Girls Prefer Pink” and “How Do Gay Couples Fall in Love” appeared in the newspaper’s Fifth Annual Literary Pride Supplement. Other op-eds penned during the semester will run throughout the summer.

Media Coverage:
The New York Blade – June 24, 2008
“Learning to Love”
http://www.nyblade.com/2008/6-6/viewpoint/opinion/1223OpEdLearnLove.cfm

Windy City Times – June 25, 2008
“Not All Girls Prefer Pink”
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18743

Windy City Times – June 25, 2008
“How Do Gay Couples Fall in Love”
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18744

Media Field Strategy: GLAAD Helps Tell the Personal Stories of Historic Wedding Day in California
GLAAD helped coordinate press for the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara markets and helped secure several positive stories of couples obtaining marriage licenses and marrying on June 17th, the first day couples could legally marry in California. GLAAD identified and trained several couples to tell their stories, including Paul Waters and his partner Kevin who were featured in the LA Times, which followed them preparing for their wedding, live blogged the wedding and created narrated slide show.

GLAAD also worked with several Equality for All coalition partners to coordinate press in West Hollywood where George Takei of Star Trek fame and his partner, Brad Altman, along with several GLAAD spokes couples were obtaining their licenses.

Media Coverage:
Los Angeles Times – June 16, 2008
“For One Same-Sex Couple, Marriage Was Always the Goal”
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/inland/la-me-couple16-2008jun16,0,7288406.story

KCBS – June 17, 2008
“Gay Couples Line Up to Get Married in California”
http://www.cbs2.com/video/?id=69589@kcbs.dayport.com