WEEK OF JULY 14, 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!

Entertainment Media: GLAAD Releases Second Annual Network Responsibility Index
GLAAD has released its second annual GLAAD Network Responsibility Index, a report that maps the quantity, quality and diversity of images of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people on primetime television over the course of 366 days. Once again, programming on the five broadcast networks was evaluated and for the first time original primetime programming on 10 of the highest-rated cable networks was examined as well.

ABC and The CW both received a grade of Good, with 24 and 21 percent, respectively, of their primetime programming hours inclusive of LGBT representations. CBS followed with an Adequate; 9 percent of its programming hours were LGBT-inclusive. NBC and Fox both received grades of Failing for their 6 and 4 percent, respectively, of programming hours with LGBT images. Of the 10 cable networks evaluated, FX, HBO and Showtime each received a grade of Good, with FX leading with 45 percent of programming hours featuring LGBT representations. Lifetime and MTV were ranked Adequate. A&E, Spike, TBS, TNT, USA all received grades of Failing. None of the evaluated networks – broadcast or cable – received an Excellent ranking.

For the full analysis, please download the GLAAD Network Responsibility Index.

Entertainment Media: Hancock “Homo” Joke Gets International Coverage
A GLAAD cineQueer blog entry about an inappropriate and unfunny joke in the Will Smith film Hancock has received international press coverage. The film is being marketed to families and young people and includes a line where Smith’s character refers to other superheroes as “homo.” In the online opinion piece, GLAAD stated that "the slur sends a message that it's okay to discriminate against gay people," a sentiment that was picked up by press and bloggers around the globe.  Read the most trafficked cineQueer blog post “Hancock’s Homo Blunder.”

Sports Media: GLAAD Attends Associated Press Sports Editors Convention
The Associated Press Sports Editors Convention was held June 25 – 28 in Minneapolis, Minn. Approximately 150 editors from the world of print journalism gathered to discuss the state of sports journalism. The conference gives editors the opportunity to sit in and listen to workshops and panel discussions on a variety of topics, including how women’s sports stories are not given enough space, the state of diversity at sports desks and how to write compelling “off the field” stories. GLAAD’s Director of Sports Media attended sessions with the editors, discussed the role of the Sports Media program and how GLAAD can help the editors’ publications write compelling LGBT sports stories in a fair, accurate and inclusive manner.

Media Field Strategy: GLAAD Empowers Midwest Community to Engage Local Media
This summer, GLAAD has helped Midwestern LGBT community members respond to anti-gay voices in their local newspapers. When the Des Moines Register—which has historically covered LGBT issues and people in a fair light—published a Letter to the Editor attacking the paper for its LGBT content, GLAAD worked with statewide LGBT organization One Iowa to identify a local ally whose Letter to the Editor thanked the Register for its fair, accurate, and inclusive coverage.
 
GLAAD also assisted Nebraska statewide organization Citizens for Equal Protection in leading a Letter to the Editor writing campaign in response to anti-gay coverage about people of faith in the Lincoln Journal-Star. GLAAD supported a local retired UCC minister, among others, whose letter was recently published. Another recent Letter to the Editor success came from one of GLAAD’s media monitoring volunteers in Illinois, whose letter in support of marriage for gay and lesbian couples was published in the Chicago Tribune the day after marriages became legal in California.
 
Media Coverage:
Des Moines Register – July 1, 2008
“Gay Issues Received Fair Treatment”
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080701/OPINION04/807010355/1035/

Lincoln Journal-Star – July 7, 2008
“All are Children of God”
http://journalstar.com/articles/2008/07/06/opinion/letters/doc486ebc6a3e308556312647.txt
 
Chicago Tribune – June 18, 2008
“California Setting Precedent for Gay Marriage”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi_080618calif_briefs,0,6548259.story

Media Field Strategy: GLAAD Connects With Thousands at Atlanta Pride
GLAAD had a resoundingly strong presence at the Atlanta Pride Festival, reaching an estimated 10,000 attendees over the beautiful holiday weekend of July 4-6. With the help of GLAAD’s enthusiastic board members, leadership council members, and volunteers, GLAAD engaged participants in conversations about local media, and distributed literature about our mission, programs, and ways to get involved.

Throughout the weekend, GLAAD strengthened relationships with the Southern Voice, Sean’s Last Wish, Lambda Legal, and Youth Pride, while forging numerous new contacts in the fields of Sports, Communities of African Descent, and Religion, Faith, & Values.

National News: GLAAD Achieves In-Depth Coverage of Transgender Woman’s Murder
Following the murder of Ebony Whitaker, an African American transgender woman in Memphis, Tenn., GLAAD collaborated with local organizations to ensure fair and accurate coverage of her death. GLAAD worked  with the Tennessee Equality Project to change discriminatory coverage and provide appropriate contacts. The National News team worked closely with four media organizations, providing the GLAAD Transgender Terminology Glossary and local contacts.

A particularly defamatory news story on ABC-24 referred to Ebony as a “man in a dress.” Working with GLAAD, the station changed their online article to read “transgender woman” and produced a feature-length story that quoted at length from Ebony’s family. Although the feature-length story continued using male pronouns at the request of Ebony’s family, the story did highlight the increased violence towards transgender women and the family’s mission to find justice. GLAAD is still working closely with this reporter.

Media Coverage:
ABC-24 – July 7, 2008
“Family of Murdered Transgender Woman Seeks Justice”
http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=fa1a880a-fc1e-4eb1-ad97-2db13635ce4d

Media Field Strategy: GLAAD Supports Ohio Couple in Announcing Equality
GLAAD is continuing to work with Ohio couple Ronda Moorhead and Kelli Shaw, who submitted their engagement announcement to their local newspaper, the Canton Repository, earlier this year, but were told by the paper’s editor that their announcement would not run because they are gay. Moorhead and Shaw got in touch with GLAAD, received in-person GLAAD media spokesperson training, and set out to tell their story to the media.

Since June 27, 2008, both the couple and their newspaper’s discriminatory practices have been featured in stories in statewide LGBT paper the Gay People’s Chronicle, alternative weekly Cleveland Free Times, and the local Cleveland, Ohio, Fox and CBS TV affiliates. The local CBS affiliate held a live blog forum on its website, during which many community members voiced support for their neighbors Moorhead and Shaw. One wrote: “I think it’s wrong to deny them the announcement, because they are just like everyone else. They are just another couple who love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together.”

GLAAD has been working with couples to Announce their Equality since 2002, when, after meeting with GLAAD, The New York Times began to run announcements for gay and lesbian couples. As of GLAAD’s 2006 Announcing Equality survey, more than 800 daily papers across the country will publish gay and lesbian couples’ announcements.

Media Coverage:
WJW– July 9, 2008
“Newspaper Won't Publish Gay Couple’s Engagement Announcement”
http://www.myfoxcleveland.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=33AD09B7207DE5035C238D6EC51BAF02?contentId=6948240&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1

Gay People’s Chronicle – June 27, 2008
“Paper Leans on Marriage Ban to Refuse Couple's Engagement Notice”
http://www.gaypeopleschronicle.com/stories08/june/0627086.htm

Cleveland Free Times – July 2, 2008
“Putting the Can't in Canton”
http://www.freetimes.com/stories/15/61/putting-the-cant-in-canton

GLAAD’s Announcing Equality Resource Kit
http://www.glaad.org/action/campaigns_detail.php?id=3945

Religion, Faith & Values: GLAAD Lends Helping Hand During Historic Presbyterian Decision
When the Presbyterian Church (USA) made its historic vote paving the way for ordinations of lesbian and gay clergy in committed relationships, the GLAAD Religion, Faith & Values team was on-hand to make the quick turnaround on a Friday afternoon and get the breaking news to media, including the Los Angeles Times, The Associated Press, Reuters, Religion News Service and countless others. 

Working with three gay-affirming organizations – Covenant Network of Presbyterians, That All May Freely Serve and More Light Presbyterians – GLAAD staff provided spokesperson training for key leaders of all three groups and pitched them to media. 
 
Media Coverage:
The Associated Press – June 27, 2008
“Presbyterian Assembly Votes to Drop Gay Clergy Ban”
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jS1udR4uiYj1j7mjonL9JV4BoVoQD91IRR580

Los Angeles Times – June 27, 2008
“Presbyterian Leaders OK Gay Clergy”
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ordain28-2008jun28,0,7679148.story

Religion News Service – June 27, 2008
“Presbyterians Move to Allow Gay Clergy, but Fight Remains”
http://pewforum.org/news/display.php?NewsID=15953