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Be sure to check out GLAAD's Blog each week for updates about our latest work to build support for LGBT equality through news, entertainment and online media.
After conferencing with GLAAD, popular Mexican rock band Molotov's has decided to remove the anti-gay slur "maricón" from its 1997 song "Puto" during this summer's Jägermeister Music Tour. The song "Puto" included the lyrics "matarile al maricón" which can be translated as "kill the fa**ot." Band members have commented in the past that the song is meant as an anti-establishment call to stand up for oneself and that the word "puto" is, for the band, defined as "coward." Along with removing "maricón," from the "matarile al maricón" lyric, the band will introduce the song during the tour with a message of support for LGBT people. The band will also be donating some of the tour's proceeds to LGBT organizations. Read more.
This week, GLAAD joined national and international LGBT organizations – including the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Lambda Legal, the National Black Justice Coalition, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission – to urge New York City legislators to defend historic legislation that bans discriminatory police profiling, despite a veto by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The statement issued by 34 local and national LGBTQ organizations noted that “from Stonewall to stop and frisk, LGBTQ people - and particularly LGBTQ people of color, LGBTQ youth, and transgender and gender nonconforming people - have long been targets of profiling and other forms of discriminatory policing. The consequences have ranged from death to deportation, assault to arrest, homophobic harassment to humiliation.” The statement’s signatories called on legislators to “continue to stand firm with LGBTQ people and communities of color, and to vote against efforts to veto this landmark legislation and turn back the clock on this victory. The safety of LGBTQ New Yorkers depends on it.” Read more.
GLAAD had a chance to speak with gay comedian Josh Thomas, who has already made quite a name for himself back in his home country of Australia, about his award-winning standup and acclaimed TV comedy series Please Like Me, which focuses on LGBT youth issues in his native country. Now, thanks to the newly-launched Pivot TV network, American audiences will get a chance to check out Josh's brand of clever/awkward comedy for themselves. Read more.
GLAAD helped elevate the work done by Campus Pride, which has brought attention to a disturbing development in the making for the University of North Carolina (UNC) school system. The UNC Board of Governors is considering banning all-gender housing on all 17 UNC campuses. The ban first has to be voted on by the UNC Board of Governors University Governance Committee on Thursday, August 8th, then approved at the public meeting on Friday, August 9th. GLAAD provided online resources of actions to be taken to help prevent this from happening. Read more.
GLAAD and Rusa LGBT, an organization that works to support LGBT Russians, began collaboration to address the ongoing persecution of LGBT Russians, who are facing extreme violence and oppression due to the recent passage of the country's draconian 'Anti-gay propaganda' law. GLAAD provided Rusa spokespeople with best-practices for media interviews and will work to actively secure placement of Rusa spokespeople in national and international media outlets.
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