Tonight catch a showing of the GLAAD Media Awards nominated film The Birdcage.

What to Watch: Monday, December 10

10:00pm: The Birdcage, Cinemax (2 hrs) REPEAT

In this GLAAD Media Awards nominated film, the son of a drag queen and a gay cabaret owner introduces his parents to his fiancee's conservative parents. Check out the trailer below.

This morning and afternoon, check your local listings for information about Ellen, The Talk (CBS) and The Chew (ABC). Days of Our Lives on NBC (check local listings for time) features gay character Will as a series regular; keep an eye out for developments between Will and Sonny.

____________________________________________________

About TV Gayed

Grab the remote or set your DVR! GLAAD brings you the most up-to-date listing of LGBT content on television every weekday. Check GLAAD Blog for daily TV Gayed posts!

About GLAAD
GLAAD amplifies the voice of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, see www.glaad.org, www.facebook.com/glaad, www.twitter.com/glaad and www.glaad.tumblr.com.

The Merck Foundation became the latest corporate leader to speak out against the Boy Scouts of America’s ban on gay scouts and scout leaders. The Merck Foundation announced that it will suspend all funding to the BSA and will consider funding the organization again when the BSA ends the discriminatory ban. The Merck Foundation joins other BSA sponsors including the Intel Foundation and the UPS Foundation in choosing to provide financial support to only those organizations that align with the company’s non-discrimination policy.

You can read a letter from Brian Grill of the Merck Foundation on Scouts for Equality's site.

In a statement on Merck’s site, they explained:

The BSA's policy of exclusion based on sexual orientation directly conflicts with the Merck Foundation’s giving guidelines.  The Foundation re-evaluated funding for the BSA when the organization restated its policy that excludes members on the basis of sexual orientation.  Merck Foundation has notified the BSA of this decision.

As part of the broader review of funding decisions in 2013, the Foundation is currently assessing all current and future funding commitments to ensure that it is not funding organizations with policies contrary to its own.

In June of this year, Merck & Company chairman and CEO Kenneth C. Frazier was honored with the “Good Scout” Award by Philadelphia’s Cradle of Liberty Boy Scout Council. Frazier grew up in North Philadelphia and has credited Scouting as being instrumental in his life.

Last week founder of Scouts for Equality Zach Wahls launched a Change.org petition calling on Verizon to suspend funding to the BSA. Despite more than 60,000 signatures, Verizon has yet to respond. On its website, the Verizon Foundation states that only those organizations which "serve the community without discrimination," including on the basis of sexual orientation, are eligible to receive funding. Yet, Verizon gave more than $315,000 in grants to the Boy Scouts in 2010, despite the BSA's anti-gay policies.

You can add your name to the Change.org petition here.

As part of our campaign to end the discriminatory ban, GLAAD, along with Scouts for Equality, is continuing to contact corporate sponsors of the Boy Scouts of America to inform of them of the BSA’s ban on gay scouts and scout leaders.

Wahls, an Eagle Scout, responded to the news from Merck today:

“I am thrilled that Merck & Company -- a Fortune 100 pharmaceutical giant -- has announced its foundation arm is immediately withdrawing funding from the Boy Scouts of America until the program ends its anti-gay membership policy. Now it’s Verizon’s turn to join the growing list of political and corporate leaders urging the Boy Scouts of America to save the organization from itself.”

GLAAD President Herndon Graddick said:

"These companies are helping to bring change to the Boy Scouts of America by speaking out against the discriminatory policy and in support of the young people who are harmed by it. The Boy Scouts of America should take the health of their organization into account and focus making scouting open to all, rather than working to keep an outdated and unpopular ban in place."

In September 2012, the Intel Foundation said that the company could no longer fund organizations like the Boy Scouts of America, so long as the Scouts stand by their ban. BSA troops and councils around the country that have stated they will not adhere to the ban may still receive support from the Intel Foundation. More than 80,000 people signed a Change.org petition started by Co-Founder of Scouts for Equality, Zach Wahls, and supported by GLAAD, which called on The UPS Foundation to end funding from the national BSA. In October, the UPS Foundation adopted a new policy and confirmed to GLAAD that under these guidelines, which UPS said have been in development for several months, organizations that are unable to attest to having a policy or practices that align with the Foundation’s non-discrimination policy will no longer be considered eligible for funding.

The CEOs of two major companies -- AT&T and Ernst & Young -- called for an end to the Boy Scouts’ anti-gay policies earlier this year. AT&T’s CEO, Randall Stephenson, and Ernst & Young’s CEO, James Turley, both sit on the national board of the Boy Scouts of America.

GLAAD first started calls for the Boy Scouts of America to end their ban on gay scouts and scout leaders in April 2012 after Jennifer Tyrrell, a mom and den leader from Ohio was removed from her 7-year-old’s Cub Scout Pack for being gay. Tyrrell’s Change.org petition has attracted more than 330,000 signatures in support of ending the Boy Scouts’ ban on gay Scouts and leaders.

Jennifer has spoken out on the growing list of sponsors that are withholding funds from the BSA:

"We are finally heading in the right direction in this country and that is the direction of equality for all. It is time that the BSA respects the needs of the American people and stops rejected devoted parents and scouts because they happen to be LGBT. Until the BSA joins the national trend of equality, sponsors of the organization should continue to withhold support or support the growing number of troops that have rejected the ban."

GLAAD and Scouts for Equality have also called attention to the Americans who are continuing to be harmed by the anti-gay policy, including Kentucky dad Greg Bourke who was ousted from his son’s troop this summer and launched a Change.org campaign to be reinstated as well as 18 year-old Ryan Andresen whose mother started a Change.org petition which is at over 425,000 signatures after he was denied an the rank of Eagle Scout because he is gay. Last week, Ryan was honored by the California Assembly.

Earlier this year President Obama, who serves as honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America, publicly opposed the Boy Scouts of America’s anti-gay policy.

More than 60 years ago, the United Nations declared December 10 International Human Rights Day. Partly a reaction to the horrors of the Second World War, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), in 1948, set out to define basic human rights and freedoms afforded to any person, regardless of race, gender or ethnicity.

Nearly all states have adopted the UDHR, and it has since been translated into more than 380 languages. But LGBT people across the world continue to face discrimination, persecution, or worse - for simply being who they are.  

"International Human Rights Day is an opportunity to highlight the ongoing challenges faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in communities around the world," said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. "From the 'Kill the Gays' bill in Uganda, to the reportedly pending executions of twelve gay men in Libya, to the ever-present threat of violence against trans women around the globe, LGBT equality can literally be a life or death issue."   

Just last month, the intentional community paused for Transgender Day of Remembrance to remember the hundreds of transgender women whose lives were lost in the past year. According to Transgender Europe, there were 265 reported anti-trans murders worldwide between 2011 and 2012.  

As noted by Gwendolynn Ann Smith, founder of TDOR: "In 1999 a handful of transgender people sought to highlight the need for awareness around anti-transgender violence, which refers to attacks against people who are perceived as transgender -- regardless of how one may personally identify. To that end, we held the first Transgender Day of Remembrance event in the Castro district of San Francisco, holding the names of those we'd lost in silent testimony.Yet we still see anti-transgender violence. Every year, we still find ourselves with a list of people who have been violently murdered for simply being themselves.”

British media has reported that twelve gay men in Libya are facing execution by a militia, after they were abducted from a private party. The militia itself reportedly made this claim on its facebook page.

And any day now, the Ugandan parliament may vote on the horrendous “Kill the Gays” bill, the controversial legislation that calls for at least a life sentence in prison for gay and lesbian people, as well as imprisonment for anyone who does not “turn in” gay and lesbian people to the government. This would include parents, teachers, neighbors, doctors, clergy, and landlords. 

Box Turtle Bulletin has provided the most complete, up-to-date coverage of the bill. While the bill has been called the “Kill the Gays” bill, there is debate about whether the death penalty would be included. Additionally, faith leaders here in the US are speaking against the bill, joining Ugandan LGBT organizers like Frank Mugisha and Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera. 

Swift action is needed to publically condemn the bill. Pastor Joseph Tolton is the driving force behind Hope in Uganda, which has gathered signatures from African-American religious leaders throughout the United States who oppose the “Kill the Gays” bill. All Out is closing in on 250,000 signatures on their petition against the bill, with support coming from the United States, Canada, Iceland, the Czech Republic, Malaysia, Ireland, Brazil and many other parts of the globe. Since, petitions have sprung up targeting Citibank and Barclays, PepsiCo and The White House.

This International Human Rights Day, GLAAD encourages you to take time to sign these petitions and urge your friends and family to take action using the hashtags #VoiceCount and #4Rights.

Here are other ways you can get involved, from The Huffington Post.

Last week, after months of effort, students at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, CA were told by the Office of Student Development that, “administration will shut down any club centered around sexual orientation that makes it through the club chartering process.”

In 2010, when Director of Spiritual Life, Todd Clayton, came out while in office, the conversation around LGBT equality was brought to the surface on a campus that previously shied away from any sort of dialogue. Ultimately, Clayton quit after administrators told him he could only remain in his position if he agreed not to, “act gay.”

Now two years later, LGBTQ students and straight allies who were given hope earlier this semester that an LGBTQ club chartering might, indeed, be possible find themselves devastated by the news that no institutional space will ever be created for them. 

Sean Lewis, an openly gay senior at PLNU who was spearheading the effort said in a statement that he, “was slightly caught off guard since all my other conversations with the VP left me feeling optimistic.” He continued: “This is an ongoing topic that Point Loma Nazarene University is continuing to brush under the carpet.”

Most shocking to Lewis was the fact that the club charter he proposed was rejected, despite his best efforts to draft a non-divisive mission statement.  Since PLNU is affiliated with the Nazarene Church, a conservative Christian denomination that does not recognize the right of LGBTQ women and men to be full members of its community, Lewis intentionally avoided the use of moral-theological statements about LGBTQ rights in his charter. 

“We are aware that LGBT students are a suffering population on the campus of Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU), and we have realized that the common exclusiveness of the Christian community can overlook the spiritual and interpersonal needs of LGBT community. Through entering this place, we hope LGBT students at PLNU can share their neglected stories, lingering questions, and increasing trials with their Christian comrades, and together, we can learn what it means to practice listening to and dignifying your political or theological enemy and actively learning to live and love in real-time. We hope to seek reconciliation not based on a change of belief system but rather from a commitment to live in relationship with opposing worldviews while seeking to understand and dignify the humanity of the “other.””

This, however, was deemed too radical a mission by the PLNU Office of Student Development and denied a charter.  In response to the school’s decision, Clayton created a petition, calling students, staff, faculty, and alumni who support Lewis’ endeavor to agree to abstain from funding the university through donations until the charter is passed.  It reads: “Despite the denominational policy, many of us remain compelled to advocate for LGBTQ rights and find it difficult to remain associated with an institution that so blatantly makes LGBTQ students feel unwelcome and unloved. Institutional complexity does not absolve moral imperative to stand for justice even if that stand comes at great cost.”

Since the petition went live Saturday morning, it has garnered over 500 signatories. What is significant about the petition, however, is the breadth of response: 15 former student government board members, 4 former student body presidents, 3 former directors of spiritual life, 4 current employees, 3 former employees, 32 seminarians, 12 ministers, 1 bold Nazarene pastor, parents of LGBTQ alumni, doctors, nurses, educators, and hundreds of current students.

About the petition, Clayton said, “taking a moral stand against the injustice is crucial. It is telling that an institution is creating graduates that find themselves morally incapable of supporting it after they leave. Signing the petition lets current LGBTQ students know that they are not alone, and that there is a network of alumni who find the injustice done against them atrocious. Injustice couched in religious language and piety remains injustice.” Clayton is currently a student at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York.

Take action and stand with the students of PLNU who are seeking to create a space for themselves to be safe on campus. We urge you to sign Clayton’s petition—which will be delivered to the President and cabinet of PLNU later this week—in a similar show of support.

Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge, best known as The Faboulous Beekman Boys, won CBS’s The Amazing Race’s $1 million grand prize last night as the couple crossed the finish line in New York City, beating out nine other teams and ending a trip that covered nine countries and more than 25,000 miles. Their victory was even more surprising because the team never came in first during any of the previous challenges. Watch the clip of the Beekmans crossing the finish line below!

"Looking back after this exhausting and exhilarating journey, it seems appropriate that it culminated in that very difficult final Amazing Race challenge," the couple wrote in a thank you note on their official website. "'Hello' and 'Goodbye' are perhaps the most important words we need to learn as human beings, and we should all try to learn them in as many languages as possible. But along the Race, we also learned nine equally valuable ones: Xie xie, Terima kasih, Dhanyabad, Sagolun, Spasibo, Dank je, Gracias, Merci & Thank you."

Josh and Brent plan to use their prize money to pay off their farm in upstate New York and the boys will begin living together and working off the farm full time, a dream years in the making that the couple had been unable to support until now. They also plan to invest in a new building for their Beekman 1802 brand and launch a new line of food products named after a 1929 Heirloom Tomato, “The Mortgage Lifter,” with 25% of its profits going to help other small farmers pay off their debts.

On this 2012 observance of International Human Rights Day, anti-transgender violence continues to be suffered at alarming rates throughout the world. Transgender Europe noted a total of 265 cases of reported killings of trans people from November 15th 2011 to November 14th 2012. This number only accounts for those crimes that were reported – many are not – and says nothing of anti-transgender violence that did not result in death.

International news reports from recent days reflect our world’s tragic pattern of anti-transgender violence – that it occurs so frequently, and that law enforcement is at best, ignoring the issue and at worst, responsible for it.

·      The Times of India reported the brutal attack of a local transgender leader in Madurai by an unidentified group that left deep cut injuries all over her body.

·      The Jakarta Post reported that transgender people in the Indonesian capital are facing violence from local anti-trans activist groups, paired with law enforcement that is unwilling to protect them.

·      The Associated Press shared interviews with transgender sex workers in Ivory Coast who have been routinely beaten, strip-searched and raped by military personnel.

To make matters worse, the media often misreports, underreports or sensationalizes stories involving transgender people. Local media outlets in New York have offensively covered the trial of a transgender woman alleging violence from her former partner. In Virginia, the case of a transgender teenager who has been missing for more than 20 days has received little media coverage at all.  

Media outlets have an opportunity on this International Human Rights Day to draw attention not only to isolated incidents of anti-transgender violence, but to the fact that this violence is a global issue.

Following outreach from GLAAD, Steve Czaban and Andy Pollin, hosts of the "Sports Reporters" show on Washington D.C.'s ESPN 980, today made a brief on-air statement in which they apologized for calling transgender basketball player Gabrielle Ludwig "it," but failed to address the rest of an extremely offensive segment.

Station management at ESPN 980 responded quickly to our outreach, with a clear understanding of why the content that aired last week was so offensive. They assured us that the hosts understood as well, and that an apology would be forthcoming. (Station executives said due to contract language, they are unable to discuss whether any disciplinary actions would be taken.) But while this apology was certainly better than devoting another segment to making fun of Gabby, it fell far, far short of the goal.  Here's what led up to this:

Last Wednesday, Ludwig was the subject of a lengthy piece in USA Today. The following day, this article was brought up by Andy Pollin on "The Sports Reporters." That particular show featured Czaban, Pollin and Maryland basketball analyst Chris Knoche.

Pollin introduced the segment talking about the USA Today story, and when he revealed that Gabby was transgender, Steve Czaban audibly groaned, then quoted Austin Powers.  After the panel made fun of Gabby's appearance and mocked the picture of her that appeared with the article. They briefly discussed college athletics eligibility requirements, then it was back to dehumanizing Gabby. You can hear the whole segment here, via OutSports:

The closest the panel ever got to being respectful is when Czaban stated "Don't go playing sports saying 'But I've got the rights of everyone else.' Yeah, you've got the rights to live as a human being, you know, with other people respecting you and everything else, but athletics is different."

Unfortunately, the hosts then participated in this exchange.

Czaban: "What's the net net of the story? Because I'm not going to read it."

Pollin: "Well, the net net is, you know she's ... she/he has had a lot of probems in his/her life..."

Czaban: "I think 'it' is the politically correct term..."

Pollin: "...Whatever it is, and this basketball is helping him/her transform his/her life into a better life, such as it is."

To my ear, the key takeaway from this exchange isn't when Czaban disgustingly called Gabby "it." - the only part of this segment for which there has been an apology. The most important moment happens in the second sentence, when Pollin starts to sum up the story.  Listen to it again. He actually started to use the correct pronoun, but caught himself mid-sentence, and you actually can hear the moment - that little pause - when he clearly changed his mind about appearing respectful, and littered the rest of his recap with disrespectful terms like "he/she" and "his/her," just to make it clear to the audience that he does not respect Gabby's gender identity.

Not only did he want listeners to think she shouldn't be sharing a basketball court with other women, he wanted listeners to think Gabby shouldn't even be sharing pronouns with other women.

Pollin's natural instinct was correct, but it certainly sounds like he second-guessed the way calling her "she" would go over with his audience. That's where the problem lies, and that's the preconception what those of us who are working towards LGBT equality and inclusion in the sports world are constantly battling.

We also can't ignore the fact that this happened in Washington D.C. The city with more murders of trans people than any other in the U.S. over the last decade. The city where there have been more than 40 attacks against trans people in the last year alone - that we know of.  The brevity and tone of Czaban's on-air "apology" indicate that he doesn't feel the rest of the piece was disrespectful.

GLAAD will continue to be in touch with station executives, who again were very cooperative, until we can reach a suitable resolution.

Tonight catch all new episodes of Happy Endings, Don't Trust the B---- in Apt 23 and Underemployed.

What to Watch: Tuesday, December 11

9:00pm: Happy Endings, ABC (30 mins) NEW

Max searches for a new BFF when Penny ditches him for her new boyfriend. Jane and Alex's parents come to town for a holiday dinner and Jane struggles to make her father happy, while Alex worries because she hasn't told her parents that she and Dave are back together.

9:30pm: Don't Trust the B---- in Apt 23, ABC (30 mins) NEW

It's the premiere day of James' Dancing with the Stars season and jaws will drop when he hits the stage. Meanwhile, Chloe uses his empty apartment to run a scam and June tries to teach her the importance of honesty.

10:00pm: Underemployed, MTV (1 hr) NEW

Daphne tries to impress Todd by hosting an upscale party. Meanwhile, Lou is offered a promotion and has to decide if this job is really what he wants.

This morning and afternoon, check your local listings for information about Ellen, The Talk (CBS) and The Chew (ABC). Days of Our Lives on NBC (check local listings for time) features gay character Will as a series regular; keep an eye out for developments between Will and Sonny.

____________________________________________________

About TV Gayed

Grab the remote or set your DVR! GLAAD brings you the most up-to-date listing of LGBT content on television every weekday. Check GLAAD Blog for daily TV Gayed posts!

About GLAAD
GLAAD amplifies the voice of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, see www.glaad.org, www.facebook.com/glaad, www.twitter.com/glaad and www.glaad.tumblr.com. 

Scout and Liz, an LGBT couple whose engagement at the White House's LGBT Pride reception went viral in an online video were married last week. Scout, a transgender man, proposed to his partner Liz Margolies in June before a cheering crowd. The couple's engagement video has received more than 75,000 views on YouTube and sparked comments of support, as well as some unfortunate anti-LGBT bias.

Several months later, the couple was married by an LGBT-affiirming rabbi in New York City. Scout and Liz wanted their wedding to serve as a message for LGBT youth who had been inspired by the story of their engagement, but were then discouraged by the uproar from anti-LGBT voices .

The two both work in LGBT advocacy, with Liz serving as the executive director of the National LGBT Cancer Network, and Scout the director of the Network for LGBT Health Equity at the Fenway Institute. In lieu of wedding gifts, Scout and Liz asked that donations be made to the Tyler Clementi Foundation and the Trans People of Color Coalition (TPOCC). Their marriage contract was signed by James Clement, brother of Tyler Clementi, and Melissa Harris-Perry, who featued a video of the wedding on her MSNBC show. 

We offer our sincere congratulations and best wishes to Scout and Liz, and we applaud Melissa Harris-Perry for bringing this moving and personal story to her audience.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Shonda Rhimes, the creator of such shows as Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, and Scandal, responded to a tweet she received asking why her shows often feature gay and lesbian characters. Rhimes, clearly miffed that the question had even been asked, defended her decision with a litany of reasons posted on her blog.

Rhimes was recently honored at the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards this year with the Golden Gate Award, which is given to a media professional who has made a significant contribution in supporting LGBT equality. Her full response to the twitter question is below:

RT @yvonneh48 love your shows but why all the gay and lesbian story lines?

Because I believe everyone should get to see themselves reflected on TV. EVERYONE. And because I love all my gay and lesbian friends. AND because I think same-sex marriage is the civil rights fight of our era and back when being a person of color was the civil rights fight, people like Norman Lear put black people on TV and helped change some minds. So you know, it's gotta be paid forward. As long as we are willing to sit by while one person is not free, none of us are free. And FINALLY: because as long as someone feels like it is okay to ask the question "why all the gay people on your shows", then there is still a HUGE problem that needs to be solved. It's like asking "Why all the black people on your shows". (Which is, in fact, why there are also a lot of people of color on my shows . Cause people keep asking. Like it's unusual. Which means we have a LONG way to go). Okay, done preaching.

GLAAD commends Shonda Rhimes for her continued commitment to bringing attention to LGBT characters and elevating their stories, as well as her dedication to advancing equality for the LGBT community.

Following outreach from GLAAD, ESPN980 in Washington D.C. announced today that it has suspended Steve Czaban and Andy Pollin, hosts of the "Sports Reporters" show, over a segment they ran last week in which the pair made fun of transgender college basketball player Gabrielle Ludwig.

In a statement this afternoon, the station said:

We strongly believe two of our employees crossed the line when discussing a transsexual person on their program last Thursday. Such intolerance and insensitivity will never be tolerated by this company. Due to the nature of this conversation, the pair have been temporarily removed from ESPN980's Sports Reporters program.

This suspension sends a strong message that the station takes this matter very seriously, coming after a half-hearted apology was offered by Czaban yesterday.

Here is the segment that led to the suspension, via OutSports:

 We have been working with Gabby and Mission College, and she is nothing short of extraordinary, certainly undeserving of the ridicule she received last week. We are very hopeful that Czaban and Pollin will return to the air with a greater understanding of the impact that their words can have, the power their platform provides, and the breadth of their listenership - which they now know includes many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and allies.

GLAAD has extended an offer to sit down with Czaban and Pollin and leaders from the transgender community to talk about the issues that affect transgender Americans, particularly those who are involved in athletics. It is important that the lesson they take away from this isn't simply "don't make fun of transgender people or you'll get suspended."  LGBT equality and inclusion in sports will never improve unless we are able to use these moments to educate each other and see each other as human beings.

Today, GLAAD joined hundreds of global LGBT and human rights advocates at the United Nations in New York City. The event, titled “Leadership in the Fight against Homophobia” was a panel discussion in recognition of International Human Rights Day at the United Nations, which was celebrated on December 10. The event was organized by The United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, and Human Rights Watch.

 UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon attended and opened the conversation. He noted that around the world, LGBT people are targeted, attacked and in some cases killed. He made a specific point to note that, “Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are entitled to the same rights as everyone else,” and urged the United Nations to lead by example.

Secretary Ban was joined by not one, but two pop superstars, from two different continents. Ricky Martin, who has been honored with the Vito Russo Award by GLAAD in 2011 sat to General Ban’s left. 

He spoke about his coming out experience being a healthy and positive experience for him and for his family. Martin also made a point of acknowledging the work of LGBT advocacy around the world, “I want to thank the activists who opened the doors for people like me and families like mine.”

Additionally, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, the “The Princess of Africa”, addressed the crowd as a woman who struggled against Apartheid in South Africa, a singing superstar, and as a mother. “Why should I sit back when there is so much injustice against my ordinary brothers and sisters?” She spoke about loving her child unconditionally, regardless of who they love. She also spoke about the terrors of a practice known as “corrective rape” that has been committed against lesbian women in an attempt to make them straight.

Additionally, we heard from LGBT advocates from various parts of the world. Olena Shevchenko spoke about Ukraine’s anti-homosexuality propaganda law, which could likely censor LGBT-inclusive media, LGBT advocates and human rights defenders.

Gift Trapence spoke about legal and societal improvements in Malawi since 2010, when a gay couple was imprisoned for getting married to one another. Since then, the country has made moves to drop its laws against LGBT people.

Blas Randi celebrated the new transgender protections law in Argentina, which transgender people the authority to identify themselves as a particular gender. Transgender people in Argentina may now change their name and gender marker on public documents without having undergone gender-reassignment surgery and without approval from a doctor or judge.

The celebration closed with a video by South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu who called on all governments to protect people against discrimination and to “decriminalize same-sex love”. He noted the improvements that he has seen, but urges vigilance against abuses against LGBT people.

During International Human Rights Day, GLAAD has been alerting the media to anti-transgender violence around the world, as well as urging the media to cover the draconian “kill the gays bill” in Uganda. We will continue to work with LGBT and human rights organizations to protect LGBT people around the world.

Tonight catch brand new episodes of Modern Family, Chicago Fire, Top Chef, American Horror Story: Asylum and Happily Divorced.

What to Watch: Wednesday, December 12

9:00pm: Modern Family, ABC (30 mins) NEW

Claire and Cam make over an abandoned field when Manny and Luke's little league team need a place to play. They decide to try and capitalize on their success and flip a house as Phil and Mitch argue over who has to be the bad guy and tell them no. Meanwhile, Gloria tries to sing to the baby in utero to bond.

10:00pm: Chicago Fire, NBC (1 hr)  NEW

Vargas is forced to leave his life as a firefighter behind after he is injured. Boden tries to help a suspected teenage arsonist and Severide gets an intriguing invitation from a woman he saved from a car accident. Meanwhile, Cruz tries to save his younger brother from a gang.

10:00pm: Top Chef, Bravo (1 hr)  NEW

The Quickfire challenge tests the chefs on their ability to share as they prepare dishes based on their lineage. Celebrity couple Anna Faris and Chris Pratt throw a homecoming dinner and the chefs cater the party.

10:00pm: American Horror Story: Asylum, FX (1 hr)  NEW

Lana works to exonerate Kit with the new evidence she has. Meanwhile, Dr. Arden gets a visit from an unexpected person and the Monsignor takes on a trainee. Watch a clip below.

10:30pm: Happily Divorced, TV Land (30 mins) NEW

Fran is concerned about what will happen to Peter after she moves out, but once she meets his new roommate (guest star Debi Mazar), she realizes his life won't change much at all. Check out a sneak peek below.

This morning and afternoon, check your local listings for information about Ellen, The Talk (CBS) and The Chew (ABC). Days of Our Lives on NBC (check local listings for time) features gay character Will as a series regular; keep an eye out for developments between Will and Sonny.

____________________________________________________

About TV Gayed

Grab the remote or set your DVR! GLAAD brings you the most up-to-date listing of LGBT content on television every weekday. Check GLAAD Blog for daily TV Gayed posts!

About GLAAD
GLAAD amplifies the voice of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, see www.glaad.org, www.facebook.com/glaad, www.twitter.com/glaad and www.glaad.tumblr.com.

Regardless of the details, one really must laugh when one sees a biased pundit like Tony Perkins criticizing a program for being too biased on a subject like marriage equality: 

But when you throw in the details of this particular segment that Tony is blasting, the takeaways are even larger and extend beyond just the one vocal opponent.  Let's consider.

First the segment.  In a widely publicized clip from this past Sunday's edition of This Week with Geoge Stephanopoulos, all of the conservatives on the panel—political consultant Mary Matalin, strategist Matthew Dowd, and longtime conservative thinker George Will—noted the obviously changing tide in American public opinion.  George Will, in particular, framed the issue of marriage equality as one that the aging opposition will never be able to beat back:

Let's stop here and remind everyone that all three of the conservatives who appeared on the panel (which you can watch in full here) were at one time arguing the other way.  It's not like these are three pundits who have always bucked the trend.  Instead, these are three conservatives, led most vocally by Will, who have spent time thinking about this issue, their own view, and the trend lines of the debate.  It's because they have looked at it so closely and with some sense of objectivity that they now see the obvious writing on the wall.  

That writing looks like this: =.

Back to Tony,  He, someone who relies on anti-LGBT politics for a sizable portion of his paycheck, can't afford to note the obvious.  Tony and FRC need this debate to go on because, quite frankly, the gay stuff has been a major fundraiser for these groups.  That being so, Tony has no choice but to accuse these three conservatives of being something other than what they are.  He might see and know the reality, but he has to say something different.  He has to cry "BIAS!"    

The truth, however, is that the makeup of the panel and its featured trio's expressed views are themselves statements on they way this debate is turning.  It's unlikely that anyone involved in production at ABC sought out three conservatives who would speak to the obvious demographic shift that makes marriage equality inevitable.  Instead, producers booked three conservative pundits who speak on all kinds of issues.  When this one issue of marriage equality arose, they spoke the truth as they see it.  The difference between these three and someone like Tony Perkins is that they are not beholden to the "culture war" for funding, access, and general support, so they are free to have a take that might not sit well with some of the more conservative voters who do want to waste time on obviously losing battles.  This freedom actually makes them less biased than Tony, not more.  

The fact of the matter is that it will become increasingly more difficult for TV producers to book the kind of back-and-forth sparring on marriage equality that some of them might even want for the sake of ratings.  Outspoken activists like Tony are losing credibility because efforts like GLAAD's Commentator Accountability Project have reminded media bookers that their form of engagement tends to go well beyond policy and instead cuts right into LGBT people as human beings.  That kind of commentary is getting increasingly diffcult to defend, not only within a media that should ideally strive for fair debate but also with the members of the conservative commentariat who are more concerned with winning elections and pushing through policy proposals than with fighting the contrived (and inevitably losing) "culture wars" of the past.  This natural evolution is playing out in punditry, mirroring the evolution that is playing out all across the American heartland.  The harsh noise that defined conservative resistance is still around, sure.  But after this latest round of defeats in the states, an ever-increasing number of same-gender couples who are marrying without bringing forth the host of horribles that the anti-LGBT crowd predicted, LGBT visibility that is belying the misdefintions that our critics have ascribed to our lives, and poll numbers that are reliably showing majority support for civil marriage equality, it's becoming much more difficult for the far-right activist class to make a credible case.     

Tony Perkins will surely try to get back on mainstream television as soon as he can, and he will likely score some high profile bookings in the coming year.  Unfortunately for him, he is not free to name whatever reality fits his agenda.  When he tries to discuss marriage as if he is coming at it from a policy position, we will remind the network that booked him that he is on record saying some of the harshest things imaginable about LGBT people (and LGBT children, most disturbingly).  When he tries to spin away the changing tide that is so evident to anyone who values honest reads, we will cut through the noise machine that defines the "pro-family" movement.  And when he tries to accuse conservatives who voice an opinion that doesn't fit his demanded script, we will remind everyone that Tony is the one whose strings are being pulled by predetemined factor$ greater than just a personal opinion that is guided by objective reality.

Our TV debates are getting more focused and less biased.  We are all better for it.  Even Tony Perkins the American citizen is better for it, if not Tony Perkins the paid pundit.

The Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF) announced a victory for a 12-year-old transgender girl who was excluded from her school just because of who she is. The girl (who is referred to by TLDEF with the pseudonym Emma for identity protection) and her parents asked their school district to transfer her to another school where she could dress in girl's clothes and be called by her correct name, Emma. The school district refused, saying that Emma would “be required to dress as a boy or in gender neutral attire" because her mere presence as a girl in school “would disrupt and interfere with the learning environment.” Following Emma's distress over this unfair decision, her parents decided to home-school her. 

In the meantime, TLDEF advocated for Emma after being referred to the case by Trans Youth Family Allies, urging the school district to reconsider its initial decision and noting that it was violating its own non-discrimination policy, as we as federal law and the U.S. Constitution. Eventually, the school district reversed its decision, and this past September Emma returned to class ather new school, wearing clothes she is comfortable in, and being called by her correct name. Emma's parents report that she is doing well in the new school, and TLDEF is continuing to monitor and ensure that the school district upholds its obligations to her. 

GLAAD's Religion, Faith & Values program works to elevate LGBT-affirming voices of faith in mainstream, regional, and community media. To find out more, visit www.glaad.org/faith. For additional religion and faith updates, be sure to subscribe via our online registration form. We welcome suggestions at faith@glaad.org.

International Human Rights Day was Monday, and many, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, took the opportunity to address the ‘Kill the Gays Bill’ in Uganda, urging prominent religious leaders to speak out against the bill.

The Mormon Church set up a web site to ask the LGBT community to “stay with us.” Justin Lee describes the experience of being gay and Christian as “TORN”. And a LGBT affirming mosque has opened (although at a secret location) in Paris.

Students at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego are launching a public petition to get an LGBT student organization on campus, but being met with administration resistance. At the same time, self-professed conservative Christian and Pennsylvania State Rep. Mike Fleck shared that he is also gay.

Episcopalians are ready to start using that new blessing for same-gender unions, Bishop Gene Robinson told John Stewart so! And they are being joined by more and more Americans who support marriage equality.

Baptist

• Queer Suicide and the Malpractice of “Love”
  • Religion Dispatches, December 11, 2012

Catholic

• Catholic teen’s gay marriage stance unsettles Minnesota town
  • LA Times, December 3, 2012
• Catholic Notre Dame announces services for gay students
  • CNN, December 7, 2012
• Fargo church targets disenchanted Catholics, embraces gay parishioners
  • Grand Forks Herald, December 12, 2012
• Notre Dame approves gay/straight alliance
  • Windy City Media Group, December 12, 2012

Christian

• Christian’s year of living ‘gay’ leads to dramatic change, sparks controversy
  • CNN, December 2, 2012
• Pennsylvania State Rep. Mike Fleck Announces He is Gay
  • Opposing Views, December 3, 2012
• An Urgent Call from US Faith Leaders in Support of Gay Ugandans
  • Human Rights First, December 6, 2012
• US Christian Leaders in Uganda’s Anti-Gay Proposed Laws
  • National Catholic Reporter, December 7, 2012
• Polls: Americans’ views on gays and lesbians shifting fast
  • Religion News Service, December 7, 2012
• ‘Torn’: Living As An Openly Gay Christian
  • NPR, December 9, 2012

Episcopal

• Liturgy for Blessing Same-Gender Relationships Begins Provisional Use
  • Episcopal News Service, December 3, 2012
• Episcopal priests offer spiritual support for gay unions
  • Sun Sentinel, December 4, 2012
• Episcopal Church Removes Bishop Who Split Following LGBT Inclusion Vote
  • Religion Dispatches, December 7, 2012
• Episcopal priests will be able to marry same-sex couples
  • The Spokesman-Review, December 8, 2012

Evangelical

• Rick Warren Condemns Uganda Anti-Gay Bill after Faith, LGBT Groups call for response
  • The Christian Post, December 7, 2012

International

• Faith groups given freedom to host same-sex weddings
  • Ekklesia, December 7, 2012
• Bishop launches attack on David Cameron over gay marriage
  • The Telegraph, December 9, 2012
• England’s marriage law to include church weddings
  • Box Turtle Bulletin, December 10, 2012
• Parliament bars Church of England from hosting gay weddings
  • Religion News Service, December 11, 2012
• Pope gay marriage ad not targeted at Catholics
  • The New Zeland Herald, December 11, 2012
• Marriage Equality Advances in Uruguay, Mexico
  • Religion Disptaches, December 11, 2012
• Rick Warren Tweets Opposition to Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill
  • Box Turtle Bulletin, December 11, 2012
• Desmond Tutu Pens Op-Ed for Ugandan Newspaper
  • Box Turtle Bulletin, December 11, 2012

Jewish

• Sexual Conversion is not a Jewish Value
  • Haaretz, December 3, 2012
• Filmmakers Weigh in on Lawsuit Against ‘Ex-Gay’ Org JONAH, Wonder if Founder’s Gay Son Will Testify
  • Towleroad, December 3, 2012
• Gay Orthodox Jews Prepare for Hanukkah
  • NPR, December 7, 2012

Lutheran

• Illinois’ Augustana College to allow same-gender ceremonies on campus
  • ReconcilingWorks, December 3, 2012

Marriage Equality

• UK Prime Minister David Cameron To Push For Gay Weddings in Church
  • Queerty, December 7, 2012
• A holy impatience: Supreme Court must right a great wrong on marriage
  • Washington Post, December 10, 2012

Miscellaneous

• Liberals in our Midst: How the Religious Left Is Changing America’s Future
  • Take Part, December 10, 2012

Mormon

• Mormon website embraces LGBT community
  • CNN, December 6, 2012
• With new Latter-day Saint Web site, a gay Mormon moment
  • Washington Post, December 11, 2012

Muslim

• Gay Muslims: The Elephant in the (Prayer) Room
  • Huffington Post, December 3, 2012
• Paris gay-friendly mosque denounced by Islamic leaders
  • Pink News, December 4, 2012
• Gay and Muslim: The Challenge of Homophobia in Islam
  • Huffington Post, December 7, 2012

Nazarene

• LGBTQ Club Denied Charter at Point Loma Nazarene University
  • GLAAD, December 10, 2012
• Gay-themed group denied charter at Point Loma Nazarene University
  • ABC 10 News, San Diego, December 11, 2012

Salvation Army

• UC Berkeley Student Government Demands School Ban Salvation Army for its Bias Against Gays
  • Towleroad, December 7, 2012

Unitarian Universalist

• OUTreach invites LGBT teens in
  • The Star Press, December 7, 2012

The University of Iowa wants to better connect its LGBT students with the university's resources and support networks. And what better way to do so than to ask those students to identify themselves and involve them in the process of fostering an environment in which all are welcomed. 

On Wednesday,  The University of Iowa, in partnership with Campus Pride, announced that it would begin asking LGBT students to identify themselves on their college applications. The goal? As University of Iowa Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Vice President Georgina Dodge says, inviting students to provide this information will help with both student success and retention.

"LGBTQ students are important members of our campus community, and we want to provide them with an opportunity to identify themselves in order to be connected to resources and to build networking structures,” said Dodge, in the CampusPride announcement.  "Asking LGBTQ students to identify themselves demonstrates that we value this aspect of identity just as we value the other categories for which students check boxes."

The University's new college admission application asks an optional question—“Do you identify with the LGBTQ Community?” — and offers “Transgender” as an additional gender option. The questions will be used to determine incoming students’ needs, track retention rates, potential interest in campus programs, and to offer support resources. The optional identity question appears in a section of other optional questions asking students about family connections to the university, parents' educational background, interest in ROTC programs, and interest in fraternities and sororities.

“The move by University of Iowa administrators to include these specific LGBT identity questions represent a growing paradigm shift in higher education to actively recognize out LGBT youth populations and to exercise greater responsibility for LGBT student safety, retention and academic success,” said Shane Windmeyer, Campus Pride executive director. “For the first time, a major, public and national research university has taken efforts to identify their LGBT students from the very first moment those students have official contact with them. This is definite progress in the right direction -- and deserves praise.”

GLAAD's President Herndon Graddick also applauded the University of Iowa's decision and urged more schools to ensure that its LGBT students feel welcomed and protected. "The historic move by The University of Iowa to include these optional questions allows students to safely identify as LGBT and provides the university with valuable information to ensure that all  students feel supported and safe. Campus Pride’s dedication to the equal and fair treatment of LGBT students on college campuses across the country is vital to ensuring that every student can learn without fear of harassment or bullying."   

In January 2011, the Common Application, which represents nearly 400 colleges and universities, rejected a proposal supported by Campus Pride and others to add similar identity questions to their standardized national admissions application citing cultural norms and that very few colleges have sought the information. The organization the same year added a question around religious affiliation for public and private campuses.

“Campus Pride knows from our national research that a quarter of LGB students encounter harassment on campus and this percentage is even greater for transgender students. We also know that LGB youth are at higher risk with certain negative health factors. There is no reason today why colleges and universities should not be held accountable for the campus climate as well as want to ensure the academic success and retention of LGBT students,” said Windmeyer. “ We track retention for other student populations. Now is the time to do so for LGBT students.”

The University of Iowa, a public institution of higher education founded in 1847, is now the first public institution and the second U.S. college or university to add LGBT-specific demographic questions to its college admission form. The school follows Elmhurst College, a private four-year liberal arts college, which made history in August 2011 as the first U.S. institution of higher education to ask such demographic questions on their admission form. Elmhurst’s and Iowa’s decisions reflect a conscious choice by administrators at the schools to actively exercise responsibility for retention and academic success of LGBT students.

 In addition, Campus Pride’s LGBT-Friendly National College Fair Program gives schools the opportunity to actively reach out and recruit talented and driven students from across the country. The Fair’s tour stops in cities like Charlotte, NC, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Dallas and New York.  The next fair date is Friday, Jan 11, 2013 in New York City. 

Nominations for the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were announced this morning at the Pacific Design Center’s SilverScreen Theater in West Hollywood and several out actors and LGBT-inclusive series were honored.

Out actor Jim Parsons was nominated in Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on The Big Bang Theory. Parsons is also included in the series’ nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.  Eric Stonestreet received a nod in the same category for his role as Cameron Tucker on Modern Family.  This is his second time being nominated in this category.

LGBT-inclusive series Modern Family, Glee, Nurse Jackie and The Office all scored nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. Modern Family and The Office have each previously won twice in this category and Glee has picked up the award once. Downton Abbey received a nod in Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series and Game of Thrones was nominated for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series.  On the film side, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

The 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 8:00pm EST/5:00PM PST from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.

The nominations for the 44th Annual NAACP Image Awards were announced this week and the nominees include several LGBT-inclusive series and out characters.

Glee and Modern Family picked up nods for Outstanding Comedy Series. The Shonda Rhimes-penned series Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal were both nominated for Outstanding Drama Series, as was HBO’s True Blood. Rhimes herself was nominated in Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series for the same shows. ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and Fox’s The X Factor received nominations for Outstanding Reality Series. TeenNick’s Degrassi scored a nomination for Outstanding Children’s Program.

Archie Panjabi is nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of bisexual investigator Kalinda Sharma on CBS’ The Good Wife. Rutina Wesley joins her in the category for her work as the bisexual newly-made vampire Tara Thornton on HBO’s True Blood.

Winners will be announced when the 44th Annual NAACP Image Awards air live on NBC on February 1, 2013.

On December 16, you can celebrate the holiday season at GLAAD's annual holiday-themed fundraiser, GLAAD Tidings. All funds raised will support GLAAD's culture-changing work in the name of equality. You could win the chance to join us!

We're hosting a contest through Twitter, and if you answer correctly, you could win two tickets to join us at the London West Hollywood Rooftop in West Hollywood (transportation not included).

The GLAAD National Board of Directors, President Herndon Graddick, and the Los Angeles Leadership Council invite you to join us for GLAAD Tidings, our annual holiday-themed celebration of amplifying lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) voices.

Guests will enjoy an evening of guilt-free holiday shopping with handcrafted Ketel One cocktails, great music and gourmet hors d’oeuvres while bidding on exclusive auction items to help raise funds to support GLAAD’s culture changing work. From standing up for Ellen DeGeneres when anti-gay activists called for her to be fired, to sharing stories of LGBT families and allies that inspired votes for marriage equality in Maine, Maryland and Washington, GLAAD is leading the conversation that moves us closer to equality. But we need your support to continue this important work!

The event will feature a special performance by stage actress and singer Shoshana Bean. Special guests will include Shane Bitney Crone, Guillermo Diaz, Mike Manning, Heather McDonald, Lisa Vanderpump, Bruce Vilanch, and Wilson Cruz. DJ Blacklow will join us as guest DJ for the evening. It’s an event you don’t want to miss!

GLAAD Tidings will take place on Sunday, December 16, 2012 from 5:30pm to 9:00pm at The London West Hollywood Rooftop (1020 N San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA). Enter our contest by following the instructions below, and we hope to see you there!

Contest Rules:
You can enter on Twitter by following these guidelines:

1. Follow @glaad on Twitter: twitter.com/glaad
2. Tweet your answer to this question: What do you want to celebrate at GLAAD Tidings this year? by 12:00pm PST on Friday, December 14.
3. Include @glaad and the hashtag #GLAADTidings in your tweet!

Answer correctly and you might win the tickets!

If you don’t win the tickets, be sure to buy your GLAAD Tidings tickets before they sell out. Purchase your tickets today and join us!

Please note that the prize does not include travel or transportation to/from the event in West Hollywood, and you must be 21 or over to enter.

More information about GLAAD Tidings can be found at www.glaad.org/glaadtidings.