The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association announced the nominees for the 2012 Dorian Awards, which honor the best in film and television.  Founded in 2008, GALECA is comprised of entertainment journalists and critics from all over America and the UK.

Among the nods are many of the films currently stealing the awards season spotlight (Lincoln, Argo), as well as some of the year’s best inclusive films, such as Keep the Lights On (Film of the Year) and Any Day Now (Film Performance of the Year – Actor).  In addition to an LGBT Film of the Year, the awards also feature some more light hearted categories, including Visually Striking Film of the Year (including Cloud Atlas and Anna Karenina), Campy Flick of the Year (including Pitch Perfect and Magic Mike), and Unsung Film of the Year (such as Your Sister’s Sister and the Cabin in the Woods).

On the television side, inclusive shows like Game of Thrones, Modern Family, and Happy Endings are among the Drama and Comedy of the year categories, while Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Jim Parsons are among the recognized actors.

Sir Ian McKellan will be recognized with the Timeless Award, for having an “exemplary career [that] has been marked by character, wisdom and wit.”

Winners will be announced next Wednesday, January 16.  You can see a full list of nominees here, visit GALECA on Facebook here.

In addition to a well-deserved nomination for the stirring documentary How to Survive a Plague, the only only LGBT-inclusive film to receive a substantial Oscar nomination this year was actually the animated family film, ParaNorman.

The stop-motion animated horror-comedy from Focus Features was nominated in the Animated Feature Film category alongside films like Disney’s Brave and Wreck-It Ralph, which may be the first time that an (openly) LGBT-inclusive film has ever been recognized in this category.  ParaNorman includes the major character of Mitch Downe; the school jock who is revealed at the film’s end to be gay.

Unfortunately not one of the nine Best Picture nominees is an LGBT-inclusive film this year, nor are any of those recognized in the acting, directing, or writing categories.  The expanded Best Picture field led some to speculate that The Perks of Being a Wallflower might sneak into one of the final spots, but that wasn’t the case.  What’s worse, Perks was also shut out of the Adapted Screenplay category where many had predicted it was a lock for a nomination.  Skyfall - the latest Bond film featuring Javier Bardem’s bisexual antagonist, Silva - did receive some technical nods for Cinematography and Sound, as well as Music.

In fact, it’s still relatively rare for films with significant LGBT characters and stories to be recognized by mainstream awards like the Oscars at all.  It’s been a few years since The Kids are All Right received some Oscar attention, and even longer since Brokeback Mountain emerged as an Oscar front-runner.  Much of the problem lies in the fact that mainstream film studios are still not green-lighting inclusive films, despite Kids and Brokeback (both from ParaNorman distributor Focus Features) proving they can be both awards-magnets and box office hits. 

By comparison, mainstream television programming is more diverse than ever, with inclusive shows like Modern Family consistently dominating both the ratings and awards categories.  In 2012, GLAAD’s Where We Are On TV report recorded the highest ever number of LGBT characters in the broadcast networks’ fall lineups thanks to news shows like Chicago Fire and The New Normal. 

This year’s crop of Oscar nominees is further proof that the mainstream film industry still has quite a ways to go before it catches up with television in more accurately reflected the diversity of its audience.  The Academy Awards will air Sunday, February 24 on ABC.

The LGBT community in Puerto Rico and everywhere won a big victory when a comedian known for making anti-gay comments resigned Jan. 8 and his show will be going off the air. Antulio "Kobbo" Santarrosa--who voiced life-sized puppet La Comay on Puerto Rican gossip show, SuperXclusivo—resigned from the show’s network, WAPA TV, following a two month-long grassroots social media campaign, Boicot a la Comay, which targeted the show’s advertisers.

The campaign emerged after publicist José Enrique Gómez Saladín was brutally murdered and his body burned. On the show, La Comay shocked many on the island by suggesting Saladín brought the violence on himself because he was allegedly in an area known for “prostitution and homosexuality.” GLAAD worked with Puerto Rican activist Pedro Julio Serrano and Boicot la Comay. Over 25 LGBT and Latino organizations and leaders signed a letter December 18 calling for the show to stop defaming LGBT people. Signatories included National Council of la Raza, National Hispanic Media Coalition, Familia es Familia and HRC.

Some of the advertisers that dropped their support of the show included AT&T, Walmart, Ford, Coca-Cola, and Chevrolet. Many celebrities, including Ricky Martin also participated in a show of solidarity with the victim and his family, proclaiming "Todos somos José Enrique" ("We are all José Enrique")

Santarrosa and co-host Hector Travieso had been in trouble before for using anti-LGBT, racist, xenophobic and anti-female language. In good faith, local groups, such as Puerto Rico Para Tod@s and national groups, such as GLAAD and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, worked to help them understand their power to inflame prejudice. Network executives apologized and arranged for media trainings with producers and reporters, many of whom do good media work covering LGBT issues and people. But La Comay remained the unfortunate and unrepentant exception and eventually resumed making anti-gay statements. When, a few days ago, the network reportedly told Santarrosa they would review SuperXclusivo’s content before it aired, he resigned.

“Thanks to thousands of Puerto Ricans on the island and in the U.S. who mobilized to demand respectful programming, Wapa TV finally took action,” said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. “The network now has an opportunity to undo the years of damage and present stories that educate, inspire and create positive change, not fuel a climate of intolerance and violence.”

Puerto Ricans have had to live with escalating violence for years. There were a record-breaking 1,136 murders in 2011, according to the Huffington Post, including an alarming uptick in crimes targeting gay and transgender men and women. In 2009 the world was horrified by the murder and decapitation of gay teen Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado.

This weekend catch the 70th Golden Globe Awards and the premieres of Cyndi Lauper: Still So Unusual, Girls and Shameless! Plus all new episodes of Malibu Country, Say Yes to the Dress: Randy Knows Best, Underemployed, Revenge, The Good Wife, Happy Endings and Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23.

What to Watch: Friday, January 11

8:30pm: Malibu Country, ABC (30 mins) NEW

Reba runs into trouble when Sage catches her on tape speaking poorly of Kim as she plans her baby shower. Meanwhile, June struggles with having feelings for Sage even though she knows he is gay and Lillie tries to help Cash get a group of girls to pay attention to him.

10:00pm: Say Yes to the Dress: Randy Knows Best, TLC (30 mins) NEW

Randy recalls the top 10 outrageous family moments he has had to deal with during fittings including jealous family members, stubborn fathers and outspoken aunts.

10:30pm: Say Yes to the Dress: Randy Knows Best, TLC (30 mins) NEW

Brides-to-be with big personalities and difficult demands are profiled in a top 10 episode.

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.

What to Watch: Saturday, January 12

8:00pm: Underemployed, MTV (1 hr) NEW

Sophia seeks her parents approval following the publication of her book; they split ways when her parents refused to accept Sophia after she came out. Meanwhile, Lou attempts to win Raviva back and Miles pursues modeling abroad.

9:00pm: Cyndi Lauper: Still So Unusual, WE Tv (30 mins) SERIES PREMIERE

In the series premiere Cyndi struggles to balance her career with her family as she travels to L.A. to perform on The Voice, only to arrive and find out she has laryngitis. Later, she meets up with Kathy Griffin for lunch. Check out a sneak peek below.

9:30pm: Cyndi Lauper: Still So Unusual, WE Tv (30 mins) NEW

Cyndi takes her husband David and son Declyn to the Kentucky Derby and serves as grand marshal of the Pegasus Parade. Later her keyboard goes missing and she is caught swearing on live television.

What to Watch: Sunday, January 13

8:00pm: Golden Globe Awards, NBC (3 hrs) NEW

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler host the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Jodie Foster receives the Cecil B. DeMille Award in a moving tribute, check out the list of LGBT stars and inclusive nominees here.

9:00pm: Girls, HBO (30 mins) SEASON PREMIERE

Elijah and Hannah throw a house-warming party to celebrate him moving into the apartment, but it's difficult for Hannah to move on with her life while still playing nursemaid to Adam. Meanwhile, Marnies gets bad news at work followed by a visit from her mom, Shoshanna does her best to avoid Roy at Elijah's party and Jemima returns from her honeymoon.

9:00pm: Revenge, ABC (1 hr) NEW

Emily and Aiden put their new plan into action at a fundraiser and wine auction and Victoria scrambles to plot her next move. Meanwhile, Jack, Declan and Amanda struggle with figuring out what will come next for The Stowaway.

9:00pm: The Good Wife, CBS (1 hr) NEW

Alicia, Will and Diane quickly step up to help investigator Elsbeth Tascioni when she is arrested and puts one of her cases in danger. Meanwhile, Peter gets conflicting advice from Eli and Jordan.

9:00pm: Masterpiece Classic: Downton Abbey, PBS (1 hr) NEW

The future of the Abbey depends on a letter written by Lavinia's father to Matthew. Meanwhile, Thomas spreads lies about O'Brien to Molesley and Mrs. Hughes receives news from Dr. Clarkson.

9:00pm: Shameless, Showtime (1 hr) SEASON PREMIERE

Fiona loses her job and has to learn to deal with being around Jimmy all day now that he has moved in with the Gallaghers. Meanwhile, Frank works with smugglers to get across the border and Lip is sentenced to community service after stealing a robot. Watch a sneak peek below.

10:00pm: Happy Endings, ABC (30 mins) NEW

Alex talks everyone into playing on the kickball team her store is sponsoring for the city-wide tournament - except Jane who decides to join a team with a better winning record. 

10:30pm: Don't Trust the B---- in Apt 23, ABC (30 mins) NEW

Chloe drugs June and when she wakes up, she is unable to remember anything that happened the day before. Meanwhile, James worries that may have gotten June's friend pregnant on her wedding day.

____________________________________________________

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.

Sweden has moved closer to the full repeal of a law that forced transgender citizens to udnergo sterilization through surgery in order to change the gender marker on their legal identification. A December ruling by the Stockholm adminstrative court, which found the 1972 law to be discriminatory and in violation of the European Convention of Human Rights, sets legal precedent as of January, with a full repeal of the law expected for July 2013.

Opposition to the discrimiantory law has been growing for some time. The international LGBT organization All Out hand-delivered a petition with nearly 80,000 signatures to the Swedish prime minister in January 2012, urging that the sterilization requirment be repealed. Sixteen other countires in the European Union - and many U.S. states - currently mandate surgical procedures that result in sterilzation in order for transgender people to change their legal identifictaion. These laws stand despite the fact that many transgender people cannot access surgery or do not want it.  

The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights is now calling for the government to compensate those transgender people forced to udnergo sterilizing surgery, as it did after ending the country's more than sixty-year-long practice of eugenic sterilization.

It is common knowledge within the LGBT community that Family Research Council Senior Fellow Peter Sprigg has called for gays to be both criminalized and "exported."  GLAAD has been working to get this information out to the public and to ensure that pundits and anchors hold folks like Peter accountable for their own views.

Today, Wayne Besen scored a major win when he silenced Peter on-air by using comments from his Commentator Accountability Project profile and was then backed up by CNN anchor Carol Costello.  Here's the segment, in full:

(*accountability begins around 4:05 mark) 

(*Clip via Carlos Maza from Equality Matters)

Also of note: Sprigg cited Lifeway Research, an evangelical research company. Their September poll found that 52% of people think LGBT relationships are a sin. The problem with that?  Lifeway Research just released new data that found only 37% of respondents indicated that they found homosexuality to be a sin.  Peter must have missed this update, or he ignored it because it's not good for his business.

Then, to push back a bit on Carol Costello, who recited the claim that most Christians oppose LGBT people, supporting Sprigg's own claim that “Bible-believing Christians” oppose LGBT people. This is simply not true.  Recent data says otherwise:

-- Survey | Majority of Americans say they support same-sex marriage, adoption by gay and lesbian couples [Public Religion Research Institute]

-- Religious Americans’ Perspectives on Same-sex Marriage [Public Religion Research Institute]

But all in all, a really strong segment in which both anchor and fellow pundit refused to let the "values" voice play the role that he surely wanted to play on-air.  A great win for accountability.  

The new Episcopal Bishop of Rhode Island has shared his support for marriage equality, as that state is considering such legislation. According to the Rhode Island Future, Bishop Nicholas Knisely supports marriage equality, and will change a diocesan policy to allow priests to bless same-gender couples.

This last summer, The Episcopal Church approved a rite of blessing for same-gender couples, however the practice must be allowed by bishops in individual dioceses. Bishop Knisely will be changing the policy by allowing the blessings to take place. However, he does require individual congregations to have a discussion and make a formal decision about performing weddings and blessing for same-gender couples.

It should be noted that the rite approved by The Episcopal Church is a blessing, and not a marriage. It may be used in states where legal marriage for same-gender couples is not yet available to ask for a blessing upon the couple, but has no legal binding.

Bishop Knisely is also in talks with a religious coalition supporting marriage equality. Besides his personal support, he wants to determine The Episcopal Church in Rhode Island can play a role supporting marriage equality in the state.

Every week, The GLAAD Wrap brings you LGBT-related entertainment news highlights, fresh stuff to watch out for, and fun diversions to help you kick off the weekend.

1) Chris Colfer’s debut film Struck by Lightning opens in select theaters today. Colfer, who also wrote and executive produced the film, plays Carson Phillips, a high school senior who recounts the last months of his life via flashback after being hit by a lightning bolt. Colfer wrote a guest post for Entertainment Weekly about how the film relates to his own high school experience, his role on Glee and how the film’s novelization came about. Find a screening of Struck by Lightning near you , or check out the film On Demand now. 

2) Kyle Patrick Alvarez is the director and screenwriter of C.O.G., the first ever film adaptation of humorist David Sedaris’ work, which will premiere at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in just over a week. The film, starring out actors Jonathan Groff and Denis O’Hare, is based on Sedaris’ short story of the same name from his 1997 essay compilation Naked, and follows an arrogant young man who travels to Oregon and takes a job on an apple farm, only to find his persona and beliefs challenged. Check out Alvarez’s “Meet the Artist” profile for Sundance below where he discusses why he chose to make this film and the importance of the story’s gay characters.

3) NBC’s daytime drama Days of Our Lives has been renewed by the network through September 2014. The GLAAD Media Award winning series, which currently features gay couple Will Horton (Chandler Massey) and Sonny Kiriakis (Freddie Smith), has been on air since 1965 and marked their 12,000^th episode this week. The cast of Days of Our Lives also went purple for Spirit Day this past October to stand up against anti-LGBT bullying.

4) Wendi McLendon-Covey will be returning to Modern Family as Pam, Cam’s lesbian nemesis from a previous episode. Cam and Claire recruit Pam, who is a contractor, to help with their house flipping project, but tensions rise when Cam’s ideas don’t mesh with what Pam feels will be most effective for selling the house.

5) 15-year-old Noah St. John won NPR’s Snap Judgment“Performance of the Year” for a stunning story of his two mothers. NPR’s Snap Judgment is a storytelling competition where people tell their story to musical accompaniment. St. John previously won the Youth Speaks Grand Slam Champion prize. Watch his moving performance of “The Last Mile” below.

6) Rehearsals have officially begun for the American Repertory Theater’s production of gay playwright Tennessee Williams’ classic drama, The Glass Menagerie. The story follows aging Southern beauty Amanda Wingfield (out actress Cherry Jones) who persuades her discontented son Tom (out actor Zachary Quinto) to a find an appropriate gentleman to court her handicapped daughter Laura (Celia Keenan-Bolger). Previews begin February 2, with opening night on February 6 and the production running through March 17 at Cambridge’s Loeb Drama Center.  Tickets are available now.

7) Prodigals, an upcoming web series revolving around three siblings who have drifted apart, is looking for funding help to cover shooting and editing costs. The siblings – Garrett, Melissa and Billy – couldn’t be more different and are no longer close, in part because of disagreements over Garrett’s engagement to his now-fiancé, Neil. The three are forced together following a life-altering event and must evaluate themselves and their relationships with each other. Visit the Prodigals’ Seed & Spark page for more information.

Washington, D.C. police officer Kenneth Furr was senteneced in the District's Superior Court after being tried for allegedly shooting his service weapon while off duty at car with five passengers, including two transgender women. Furr was sentenced to three years' probation, 100 hours of community service, and a $150 fine for one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of sexual solicitation. One of the victims in the shooting released a statement read by the Assistant U.S. Attorneys leading the prosecution, expressing disappointment that Furr had not been convicted of a count of assualt with intent to kill, and criticizing the release of Furr from prison while he awaited sentencing that left the victim fearful of leaving home.

According to testimony, Furr was the only one armed in the incident, brandishing his gun and firing it several times at the victims in the early hours of August 26, 2011. Prosecutors criticized Furr for endangering the victims' lives, and noted that members of the transgender community already bear a heightend risk that they will become victims of violent crime. A D.C. police spokesperson said that Furr has been suspended without pay, and confirmed that the police department will follow its usual procedure for dealing with officers convicted of felonies.

Today, Anderson Cooper's syndicated talk show Anderson Live featured Kylan Wenzel, a transgender woman competing this weekend in the Miss California USA pageant.  GLAAD is thrilled that our work, together with many transgender advocates, back in April resulted in the Miss Universe pageant making a rule change that allows transgender women like Kylan to participate.  And we are excited that Anderson Live chose to spotlight Kylan's story.

Unfortunately, comments made during and after the interview by co-host Robin Robinson were ill-informed, inappropriate and insulting.

After Kylan explained that she moved up the date of her sex reassignment surgery so she could participate in this year's competition, Robinson asked "How long ago did you complete the surgery, are you still in any kind of pain?"  This question exemplifies the type of personal and inappropriate questions people feel they can ask transgender people, and it's just not relevant to the reason Kylan was asked to be on the show.

Robinson later says to Kylan "But everybody isn't in agreement with this.  Have you had any pushback from people who say, 'Look, this is a female pageant, get in your own transgender pageant.'"  The underlying assumption is that Kylan isn't female, and that transgender women should be segregated from "real women."  To her credit, Kylan showed great poise in answering that she is a woman, and she hopes that by simply being herself she can educate people.

Finally, after saying goodbye to Kylan and wishing her the best, Robinson once again questioned Kylan's womanhood, saying to Anderson "I do wish her luck, but being devil's advocate, that's what some people say is not fair. A man working out a lot gets a  whole different result from a woman working out a lot.  You guys get that ab thing going quicker than we do.  Some people could say that's an unfair advantage."  Fortunately, Anderson responded that Kylan is a woman because she has undergone hormone therapy and had sex reassignment surgery.

Anderson Live received a GLAAD Media Award nomination for an episode that aired in 2011 featuring transgender youth and their families.  But in recent months the show has taken a turn toward the sensationalistic in its coverage of transgender issues.  Last fall, LGBT advocates condemned the show for booking a guest who claimed taking the drug Propecia caused her to become transgender.

Kylan has dreamed of competing in the Miss California USA pageant since she was 11 years old.  Ideally both hosts would have focused their questions on her dreams and aspirations, and on her courageous decision to be the first openly transgender woman to run for Miss California USA.  Instead, Robinson's questions in particular focused on the tired old issues of surgery and whether or not Kylan is a "real woman."  As transgender stories become more and more common in mainstream media, GLAAD hopes that journalists and talk show hosts can move beyond questions about surgery and "when did you know."  Transgender women and men know that our lives are more interesting and compelling than can be covered in "Trans 101."

National Youth Pride Services featured an essay by Brian Alston Carter, an alumnus of the HBCU Morehouse College in Atlanta. Brian, who is openly gay, spoke out in 2010 to protest a dress code at the all-male college that was specifically targetting gay and gender non-conforming students, a fact which Morehouse's vice president of Student Services openly admitted. VIBE magazine brought the story to national attention with an article featuring Brian and several other students at the school. Since then, Morehouse has made several advances for LGBT people of color visibility, including the creation of the Bayard Rustin Scholars Program, named for the LGBT and Civil Rights pioneer, and the introduction of the school's first LGBT Black History course. Students of Morehouse also went purple for Spirit Day to show support for LGBT youth and stand against bullying.

Reflecting on the shift at Morehouse overtime, Brian writes: "During New Student Orientation of 2011, I was stopped by a group of incoming freshman and parents who thanked me for being vocal about the experience...A shift in institutional and Black culture—a bold step towards conquering old fears and a taboo topic. This is the work of community. We started the movement but it is up to our community to keep the flame burning despite the blood, sweat and tears." Brian served as a NAESM Creating Responsible Intelligent Black Brothers Fellow and a Directed Studies HIV/AIDS Researcher in the Department of Sociology at Morehouse College until May of 2011. He also eceived an appointment to the Morehouse College Respect & Diversity Committee as a Board Member. In a recent piece for the Huffington Post, Morehouse student Marus Lee shares his persepective on the college's new LGBT Black History course.

Executives at the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) are feigning ‘tight control’ of the organization, despite mounting pressure from within their own ranks to end the group’s anti-gay policies.

The fact remains, however, that a growing number of Scouts, Councils and volunteers (not to mention multi-million dollar sponsors) are growing weary of the BSA’s outdated and grossly discriminatory ban on gay scouts and leaders; some have abandoned it altogether.

In what can only be called a limp exercise in damage control, BSA spokesperson Deron Smith, reassured the Dallas Morning News today that Councils remain obedient and docile, adhering to the anti-gay ban as imposed by the BSA autocracy.

“The BSA national office maintains tight control,” writes Morning News reporter Scott Parks. “My reporting on this issue has not found any BSA council in which the chief scout executive is openly defying the national office on this issue — and the buck stops with them,” Parks continues – a lie parroted by BSA spokesperson Deron Smith.

[Smith] said he is not aware of any scout executive who is not following the current anti-gay membership policy.

“Like the rest of the people in this country, our scout executives hold many different views on this policy, but they all agree to abide by it and we take them at their word and don’t ask them about their personal opinions on this policy or how they interpret it,” Smith said.

What Parks’ reporting failed to find (and what Smith fails to admit) is that several Councils are not only overlooking the ban on gay scouts, they’re also adopting fully inclusive non-discrimination policies that bar the removal of any scout based on his sexual orientation.

In 2001, for instance, the Boston Minuteman Council adopted this statement of nondiscrimination:

The mission of the Boston Minuteman Council, Boy Scouts of America is to provide character development, citizenship training, growth in physical and mental fitness, and leadership opportunities for the young people of the Boston metropolitan area. We pride ourselves on the diversity of our members, and we are committed to providing young people with an educational and stimulating environment in which to learn and grow. Through the Scout Oath and Law, we pledge to respect all people and to defend the rights of others. Bias, intolerance and unlawful discrimination are unacceptable within the ranks of the Boston Minuteman Council.

The Boston Minuteman Council serves youth through volunteers in Packs, Troops and other units without regard to color, race, religion, ethnic background, sexual orientation or economic status.

We have done our best to live up to this statement in the decade since its adoption. (Emphasis added.)

It seems unlikely that Smith would be unaware of a policy installed more than a decade ago. Rather, says Boston Minuteman Council spokesperson, Sean Martin, not only have Smith and the BSA been long aware of the policy, but there have also been zero repercussions because of it.

When The Wall Street Journal asked Smith about the Minuteman policy in July 2012, “Mr. Smith… said he had no information about the Boston group's practice.” It would appear that he didn’t look into it afterward either.

And as for Council officials, who are keen to stand idly by and propagate discrimination at the BSA’s behest – not so, reports the Boston Globe:

Outgoing Minuteman Council president Dick DeWolfe said in a recent interview, ''If someone raises his hand at one of our board meetings and says, `By the way, I'm homosexual and I just want you all to know that,' the position we've taken is that we're going to do nothing.'' Incoming president Bill Van Faasen seconded that, adding, ''We've basically tried to take a page from the Girl Scouts.''

Of course, the Boston Minuteman Council is just one of eleven BSA Councils, serving over 260,000 Scouts, that refuses to shun qualified and devoted Scouts simply because they’re gay. The Northern Star Council, which represents more than 75,000 Scouts, for instance, told the Wall Street Journal in July that it, too, does not discriminate "with regard to ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, and/or sexual orientation…."

It’s no surprise then that, as more Councils turn their backs on the unelected officials demanding discrimination, that the BSA will continue misleading media and the American public. GLAAD, Scouts for Equality, and the people whose lives continue to be adversely impacted by this policy, will keep calling for change, however, until the BSA’s ban on gay scouts and leaders meets its inevitable end.

Tonight catch the series premiere of The Carrie Diaries and a new episode of The Biggest Loser.

8:00pm: The Carrie Diaries, CW (1 hr) SERIES PREMIERE

In this Sex and the City prequel, Carrie Bradshaw deals with high school drama while getting her first taste of the big city. Carrie's mother has just passed away and her father is struggling to raise her and her sister by himself. Her friends, including a young man named Walt, try to help her through the first day of junior year, but things don't start to pick up until she accepts an internship with a Manhattan law firm and meets a new boy at school. Check out a season preview below.

8:00pm: The Biggest Loser, NBC (2 hrs) NEW

The players play a trivia game focused on childhood obesity and the losers must spend hours in a room with their temptation foods.  Meanwhile, the doctor visits the youth contestants' homes to improve their families eating habits. Out trainer Jillian Michaels returns this season and the series' first out contestant, Jackson Carter, is a member of the red team.

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.

On his show yesterday, the single most hostile voice of any profiled by GLAAD's Commentator Accountability Project showed a clip from a recent UK television program.  Take a look:

Clearly, the host viewed Bryan's rhetoric in an unfavorable light.  By that, I don't mean to say that the host had a particular point of view or political position (which he may or may not have; I'm not familiar with him).  I mean to say that Bryan's comments, particularly about Islam, were so clearly out-of-line and so obviously over-the-top that any objective observer would have concerns, at best, about what this conservative commentator is stirring up on his daily radio show.

But here's the thing: this show was not all about Bryan Fischer as a singular subject.  This wasn't a documentary about this one person or even about the American Family Association in general.  The episode was titled "Talk Radio Nation."  Bryan was one of a few hosts used to represent the dominance of conservative talk radio in America.  Massive audiences in the UK saw this portrait of what passes for acceptable commentary in the United States, with Bryan in the driver's seat.  Bryan served as a representative for this entire class and style of punditry.

Now, obviously those of us who cover LGBT matters have clear concerns when Bryan shows up in mainstream media, considering the jaw-dropping suggestions he has made for LGBT human beings and about LGBT rights.  However, I would argue that there is another group that should be even more concerned about this Channel 4 episode. I'm referring, namely, to the responsible voices who care about the worldwide image of the American punditry class.  Conservative hosts, in particular.  

On the Channel 4 piece, Bryan is identified by his prominence within conservative circles and is presented as a key voice for that point-of-view.  Rightly so, I would say, considering the level of access that the conservative movement has granted him.  But dangerously so, I would also say, considering how little concern Bryan has demonstrated for the welfare of our rich and diverse American fabric.  This lack of concern, in which Bryan so fully positions his own self-serving interests above all else, should scare the heck out of those who have built their careers around fair and honest debate.  

Do America's conservative talkers really want to be represented by a man who says, quite plainly, that he wants to convert all Muslims to Christianity?  By a man who claims that Native Americans are cursed?  By a person who blames the Sandy Hook tragedy on a lack of God's protection?  By an activist who cites Jerry Sandusky as a reason why gay people's children should be taken away from us?  By a man who has hosted several programs dangerously denying that HIV causes AIDS? Because Bryan has said all of that and much, much more (*see his Commentator Accountability Project profile).  Bryan has proven himself willing to condemn just about anyone who doesn't look, pray, love, vote, and believe exactly as he does.  Is this the image that more measured radio hosts want to present to a receptive world at large?

I would assume (/hope) that "no!" would be the consensus position.  So the question: what are responsible conservatives going to do to change this image?  It's not like this Channel 4 crew pulled Bryan Fischer's name out of a hat.  The team putting together this program turned to Fischer because when one looks around for a representative of conservative talk in America, Bryan's name comes quickly into the fore.  Over the past year, Bryan has appeared in the New York Times, on CNN, in a lengthy New Yorker profile, and in countless internet reports.  The media cited Bryan as influential enough to get a political staffer fired from a campaign.  Bryan is a regular fixture on the conservative conference circuit.  And so on and so forth.  Anyone who sets out to find a bona fide prototype of conservative talk would find Bryan to be a ripe representative.  He has made a name for himself.

This is why I say rational conservative voices should be concerned.  Ours is, in fact, a talk radio nation—but is that nation defined by a man who calls gay people Nazis (and claims that the actual Nazis were themselves gay people) and says that the Democratic party wants African-Americans to "stay on the Democratic plantation" because they are "like drug-added addicts and the Democrat Party has gotten them addicted to welfare benefits"?  Bryan Fischer is trying his best to define talk radio in that way.  I would strongly suggest that commentators who've attacked groups like GLAAD or the Southern Poverty Law Center for simply noting what people like Bryan are themselves saying instead step up and take a hard look at the very real, very global damage that this rhetoric is posing.  

It's time for voices who care about responsible debate to take a breath, a pause, and a hard look inward.  Both our national discourse and national image deserve better than this.

Last week, Fox News' Bill O'Reilly and Megyn Kelly made a series of offensive, dehumanizing comments about transgender inmate Michelle Kosilek during a segment on The O'Reilly Factor, as reported by Equality Matters. O'Reilly and Kelly wrongly referred to Kosilek as "he" and "a guy" throughout their discussion in which they trivialized a Massachusetts court ruling ordering the state to cover Kosilek's gender-confirming surgery. By the end of the segment, the segment had degenerated into the two hosts making fun of Kosilek's appearance and "joking" about her safety while she is housed in a male prison.  

Refusing to refer to Kosilek with the gender and pronouns with which she identifies herself is completely irresponsible, a point which the AP Style Guide made clear more than a decade ago. Additionally, for O'Reilly and Kelly to "joke" about Kosilek's appearance and make light of the sexual violence she might face living in a male prison is despicable. Violence is never a laughing matter, and transgender prisoners have reported alarming rates of physical and sexual assault by both fellow inmates and staff. Moreover, the overarching theme of this segment, an attempt to trivialize transgender people's need for affordable medical treatment, ignores the position of the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and countless other authorities on heath. 

Of course, this is not the first time that Fox News hosts have shown sweeping disrespect for transgender people. In 2011, Fox News' "expert on psychiatry" Keith Ablow made ridiculous claims about transgender advocate Chaz Bono, prompting criticism even from Megyn Kelly at the time - in addition to the many actual experts that discredited Ablow. The outlet as a whole fails to provide fair, accurate and inclusive converge of LGBT issues in various ways, such as an article running today on the Fox Nation website about transgender healthcare that erroneously includes a still from the film Mrs. Doubtfire, once again trivializing this serious issue. It's time for Fox News to stop misrepresenting transgender people with its sensational and dehumanizing coverage.

Lena Dunham, creator, writer and star of HBO’s LGBT-inclusive comedy Girls, won big at last night’s Golden Globe Awards as she accepted the awards for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical and Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical. While Dunham mentioned boyfriend Jack Antonoff (lead guitarist of rock band Fun. and co-founder of The Ally Coalition) in her thank you’s as “family” and sported a ring on her wedding finger, she said backstage, “I’m not engaged. I don’t want to get married until all gay people can get married.” She went on to say that Jodie Foster’s coming out speech“was mind-blowingly beautiful.” Girls second season premiered last night, you can watch Dunham’s acceptance speech below.

Editor's Note: This guest post from long-time GLAAD volunteer, Dan Bacalzo, is part of GLAAD's new effort to draw more attention to theater projects with LGBT content.

2013 LGBT Theater Preview
BY DAN BACALZO

The New York City theater world will be keeping it inclusive in 2013 with a host of shows of interest to the LGBT community. Here’s a list of ten highlights for the first half of the coming year, in the order that they are scheduled to open.

Ruff (Dixon Place, January 10-19)
Multiple GLAAD Media Award nominee Peggy Shaw world premieres this new solo, which chronicles her recovery from a debilitating stroke while also paying tribute to the legendary downtown performer’s influences. This funny and moving performance is co-written and directed by Shaw’s longtime Split Britches collaborator, Lois Weaver.

Tawny, Tell Me True (Laurie Beechman Theatre, January 12-26)
David Drake, author of the award-winning The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me, brings his drag creation Tawny Heatherton back to New York for this evening of songs and stories.

All the Rage (Peter Jay Sharp Theater, previews January 19, opening January 30, through February 24)
Martin Moran, who received a GLAAD Media Award nomination for The Tricky Part, returns to the New York stage with a new autobiographical solo play. While not the focus of the new piece, LGBT issues do come up within this show that follows Moran from the Las Vegas funeral of his father to his efforts to translate an asylum seeker’s accounts of torture.

Good Person of Szechwan (La MaMa E.T.C., February 1-24)
Three-time GLAAD Media Award nominee Taylor Mac stars as the prostitute Shen Tei in the Foundry Theater’s production of Bertolt Brecht’s classic morality play. GLAAD Media Award winner Lisa Kron co-stars in this production, which also features original live music by indie musicians César Alvarez and The Lisps.

From White Plains (Pershing Square Signature Center, February 8-March 9)
Fault Line Theatre’s compelling and complex play looks at the problem of bullying of LGBT high school students from the perspective of a former bully forced to confront his past actions. The show, which had a brief run last summer, points out: “Just because it gets better doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”

The Laramie Project Cycle (Brooklyn Academy of Music, February 12-24)
Tectonic Theater Project brings back its GLAAD Media Award-winning documentary theater piece examining the aftermath of the murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard, and pairs it with a sequel made ten years later. The newer piece asks the question, “How do you measure change,” and includes interviews with numerous Laramie residents, the victim’s mother Judy Shepard, and killers Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney.

Kinky Boots (Al Hirschfeld Theatre, previews March 3, opens April 4)
This new Broadway musical features a book by four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein with music and lyrics by Grammy winner Cyndi Lauper. Based on the 2005 film (and the true story that inspired it), the show follows the heir to a struggling shoe factory who is inspired by a flamboyant drag queen (played by Billy Porter) to reinvent his company as a maker of fetish footwear.
 
The Nance (Lyceum Theatre, previews March 21)
Tony Award winner Nathan Lane stars in a new Broadway play by GLAAD Media Award nominee, Douglas Carter Beane, set in the gay underground of 1930s New York and centering on a burlesque performer who specializes in playing stereotypically “camp” gay men.

Choir Boy (New York City Center, previews June 18, opens July 2)
GLAAD Media Award winner Tarrell Alvin McCraney brings his latest play to Manhattan Theatre Club. The work centers on a gay student at a conservative African American prep school who hopes to lead the school’s famous gospel choir.

Sontag: Reborn (New York Theatre Workshop, Summer 2013, exact dates TBA)
Moe Angelos – of GLAAD Media Award-winning Five Lesbian Brothers fame – adapts and performs the journals of the late cultural icon Susan Sontag in this fascinating solo show, previously seen at last year’s Under the Radar festival. The work includes details of Sontag’s first lesbian love and her tempestuous relationship with playwright Maria Irene Fornes as it chronicles its subject’s life from ages 14 through 30.

Today we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr on what would be his 84th birthday. A visionary and true champion for equality, Dr. King's nonviolent protests, essays and speeches remain an inspiration to all who believe that every person should be treated fairly.

As his now-famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail, dated April 16, 1963, states:  "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly… Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outside.”  

As we remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of equality, we'd like to share with you IN THE LIFE's inspiring interviews with LGBT people and allies “who stood up, spoke out and made a difference in the fight for full LGBT equality.” The episode highlights the contributions of openly lesbian African American Hon. Judge Deborah Batts, former NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, and former National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) President Keith Boykin. (Watch the entire episode below.)

Tonight catch all new episodes of Pretty Little Liars, Emily Owens, M.D., Happy Endings, Go On, Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23 and The New Normal.

What to Watch: Tuesday, January 15

8:00pm: Pretty Little Liars, ABC Family (1 hr) NEW

Aria, Emily and Spencer are positive that Mona is up to her old tricks after the events of the school marathon, but Hanna holds out hope for her old friend and insists they find more proof before they do anything. Meanwhile, Aria's suspicions about her father grow stronger when something important hidden in her room goes missing. Check out a sneak peek below.

9:00pm: Emily Owens, M.D., CW (1 hr) NEW

Tyra offers to teach Emily how to flirt to prove Emily's theory that Will is jealous about her going on a date. Meanwhile, Dr. A.J. Aquino returns to the hospital, Emily deals with a patient who claims to be psychic and Cassandra's lung transplant patient has a tough choice to make when the team finds additional complications.

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

Jane's ex, Ryan, comes to town and Brad is shocked to find out that Ryan is a woman. Meanwhile, Max gets a new roommate, Chase, who immediately upgrades the apartment with new furniture and electronics, but the gang are suspicious and begin digging into his personal life when he suddenly disappears.

9:00pm: Go On, NBC (30 mins) NEW

Ryan is eager to get his first date following his wife's passing done and over with, but he runs into competition from guest star Shaun White when he asks out one of Carrie's friends. Meanwhile, Yolanda starts her new job at the hospital where Sonia works and tries to use this new start to re-invent herself.

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

Chloe encourages June to get back out in the world and start dating again. When they find out they've both accidentally asked out the same man, they end up in a pseudo dating show with James organizing a variety of challenges as they compete for the man's attention.

9:30pm: The New Normal, NBC (30 mins) NEW

When Bryan and David fail to find the perfect nanny, they discuss one of them becoming a stay-at-home dad once the baby arrives. They both want to try, so they decide to test their skills on Shania, but neither find themselves prepared for the reality of being a stay-at-home parent.

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.

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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.

Author, professor and GLAAD board member Jennifer Finney Boylan is now a blog contributor to PsychologyToday.com. In a series called “Stuck In The Middle With You: Parenthood In Three Genders” – the same title as her upcoming book – Jennifer shares her experiences as a parent who is transgender and confronting new territory with her wife and two sons. Jennifer's book will be both a memoir and a collection of interviews with other authors on once being children and, for some of them, now being parents. 

Jennifer's first blog for Psychology Today asks how her transition as a transgender woman has interacted with her family's dynamic, and what this says about the meaning of family. She writes:

"Some people might feel that the loss of gender as a well defined area of un-negotiable certainty destabilizes the culture, not to mention the lives of children. But it’s my feeling that embracing the wondrous scope of gender is to affirm the vast potential of life in all its messy, unfathomable beauty. And what greater celebration of life’s potentiality—and its messiness—is there than the family?"

In addition to her work as an author, Jennifer is an advocate for transgender equality and was featured in I AM: Trans People Speak campaign created by the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition and sponsored by GLAAD.

Jennifer's first memoir She's Not There, published in 2003 by Doubleday, was one of the first best-selling works by a transgneder American. She recently contributed a video to the We Happy Trans project, which shares the stories of transgender people's postivie expereinces.