http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/11407220.htm
Posted on Sat, Apr. 16, 2005

Mexican television network to get gay-sensitivity training

Staff at Mexico's Televisa network will undergo training in how to depict gays and lesbians fairly and accurately on its shows.
BY CHRISTINA HOAG

Gay rights groups will conduct a media training session for Televisa reporters and producers in Mexico in a bid to stamp out stereotypes of gays and lesbians on shows seen by U.S. Hispanic and Mexican viewers.

"This is an important first step in what we hope will be a productive collaboration between Televisa and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community," said Xavier Labrada, general programming director of Mexico's biggest network.

Labrada and other Televisa representatives met earlier this week with activists from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in Los Angeles and Mexico City's Comité Orgullo México (Mexico Pride Committee) to discuss negative depictions of gay people.

"Spanish-language media have often portrayed LGBT people in a sensationalistic and stereotyped manner," said Mónica Taher, GLAAD's people of color media director.

Televisa's cooperation is key to GLAAD's mission because many of its programs are broadcast in the United States on Univisión, as well as in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America, she noted.

Last year, GLAAD representatives met with Univisión executives and later held a training session for the U.S. Spanish-language network's staff on how to fairly portray gay characters and themes.