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GLAAD leads conversation calling out TLC's irresponsible program
GLAAD went public with concerns about TLC's special, "My Husband's Not Gay," which sensationalized the lives of Mormon men rejecting their sexual orientation because of pressure from their faith community. Leading the conversation, GLAAD's strategic efforts to raise awareness about the show's damaging and irresponsible nature, including a petition created by LGBT advocate Josh Sanders and shared by GLAAD, garnered signatures from more than 126,000 people hoping for TLC to cancel the special, as well as international attention. "This show is downright irresponsible," GLAAD's president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement issued to The Hollywood Reporter. "No one can change who they love, and, more importantly, no one should have to. By investing in this dangerous programming, TLC is putting countless young LGBT people in harm's way." Good Morning America, The View, The Talk, E!, Entertainment Tonight, Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Cosmopolitan, USA Today, CNN Money, and many more cited GLAAD's advocacy on the issue, and Rolling Stone and the Salt Lake Tribune published notably thoughtful pieces on the subject, as well. Read more here.
Board of Directors Co-Chair thanked by Golden Globe winner as the whole world watches
Trans advocate, author, professor, and Board of Directors co-chair Jenny Boylan was thanked by Jeffrey Tambor, who won Best Actor in a Comedy, during his acceptance speech. Jeffrey, who worked closely with Jenny throughout the show and who reportedly based his character in part on her, said to Jenny, "Thank you. You led me through the steps to find more of Jeffrey than I've ever known in my entire life." Jenny was an advisor to the show to ensure well-rounded, educated representations of transgender people. While Jeffrey's speech, in which he dedicated his award to the transgender community, was widely covered, Rolling Stone, Slate, Xfinity Comcast, Windy City Times, Chris Geidner, and Colby College specifically noted his credit to Jenny. Washington Post even named it among the "top feminist moments at the 2015 Golden Globes." When Jill Soloway, creator of Transparent, and Tambor won, they both thanked the transgender community in emotional speeches, allowing the audience to acknowledge transgender people who have worked tirelessly to have their community heard. Read more here.
Tiq Milan speaks about the need for trans equality, honors Leelah Alcorn
GLAAD's spokesperson, Tiq Milan, appeared on MSNBC's News Nation with Tamron Hall as well as MSNBC'S Ronan Farrow following the tragic, untimely loss of trans teen Leelah Alcorn, to discuss the trans community and best practices for helping transgender youth as they come to terms with their identity. Tiq was also interviewed for MTV's website about gender identity, where he said, "I am acutely aware that there are places in this country where my marriage, my family and I are not protected simply because I am trans…As a Black man in the United States, there are a host of issues that I have to live in and contend with that intersect with the struggles endured by the trans community." Milan's personal approach brought a human voice to the intersectionality between race and LGBT issues to further educate the public on how to evoke change in these communities. Read more here.
Lee Daniels and Naomi Campbell of FOX's hit show, Empire, talk to GLAAD
GLAAD's Video & News Strategist, Claire Pires, interviewed Lee Daniels, the creator of FOX's new hit show, Empire, and Naomi Campbell, supermodel and actress in Empire, about the LGBT storyline in the show. The interviews were for GLAAD's video series, GLAAD: All Access, which features interviews with newsmakers, hit-makers, and people making a difference. Empire centers around a hip hop music company, and one of the main family members ("Jamal" played by Jussie Smollett) is an openly gay African American man fighting for acceptance. “This is not just TV for me, it’s my life that’s up there," Daniels said in the interview. Naomi Campbell plays "Camilla," who has an affair with the family's youngest son. Campbell has been an advocate for LGBT equality and presented this past April at the 25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles where she spoke out in support of Carmen Carrera and the inclusion of transgender models in fashion. The interviews were picked up by outlets, including Frontiers LA and Bustle.com. This show amplifies the experiences of LGBT youth of color, identities that are often excluded from mainstream media. Watch the interviews here.
Moving story of overcoming adversity in Texas gets attention
GLAAD's Spanish-Language Media team worked with Robert Salcido, the field organizer for the LGBT advocacy organization, Equality Texas, to bring his inspiring story to readers throughout the country. Salcido chronicles the painful time after his father's death when he came out to his mother who, at first, was hesitant to accept him, but then became brave enough to speak against homophobia in Texas. "I hope that, as my mom speaks up, so too will my neighbors and fellow Texas residents so that we can build communities free of discrimination that provide young people — and, really, all people — the security they need to be their true, best selves, in any place," Salcido wrote. The team placed his op-ed in the San Antonio Express News in English and Huffington Post Voces and La Opinion in Spanish. The story educates families of LGBT youth about how to advocate for equality among your family and in the community. Read more here.
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