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LGBTQ
Roundup: A sense of hope and despair in this Pride Month
Taxpayers Have to Fund Anti-LGBTQ Religious Schools, SCOTUS Says (VICE | June 21, 2022)
Surge in small-town Pride events helps LGBTQ folks find home. Is it enough? (USA Today | June 21, 2022)
Threats and violence: LGBTQ community faces renewed political battles during Pride Month (ABC News | June 21, 2022)
Sexualized Pride ads stir debate on LGBTQ marketing campaigns (NBC News | June 20, 2022)
Podcast: A new wave of LGBTQ candidates running for all levels of office. (Axios | June 21, 2022)
GLAAD Report: LGBTQ representation has dropped in 2020 - 21 primetime TV programming
About 9.1 percent of the 773 series regular characters that appeared on broadcast scripted primetime television this season were of LGBTQ identities. This representation is a decrease from the previous year’s record high percentage of 10.2 percent, according to a GLAAD report, Where We Are On TV (2020 - 21).
Netflix backs Chappelle despite criticism over his remarks about transgender community
(Oct. 11, 2021, AP) - A top Netflix executive said Dave Chappelle’s special “The Closer” doesn’t cross “the line on hate” and will remain on the streaming service despite fallout over the comedian’s remarks about the transgender community. Continue to read this article.
Queer and Arab: Was there no room for the queer individual in Arab history?
By Aya Labanieh (edited by Sam Dresser)
(Sept. 7, 2021 | AEON)‘I’m sure you’ve heard about Sarah Hegazy,’ read the text on my phone. It was 2020; I was tying a red bandana around my face – for both aesthetic and pandemic purposes – en route to a BLM protest in the thick of Manhattan’s June. ‘You’re always checking in on me when something tragic happens in my community. I’d like to extend the same solidarity when something happens in yours. I’m here to talk if you want to.’
Please read the entire article on AEON's website
Pride Month and the media
Pride Month takes place in the U.S. every June to honor Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan in 1969, a turning point for the Gay Liberation Movement. How media are covering and reflecting the Pride Month?
Pride Month programming: How networks are marking LGBTQ celebrations in June
How television news is covering Pride Month
In a new memoir, the miracle of Black Queer self-creation
By Darnell L. Moore
(May 18, 2021 | The New York Times) - “Punch Me Up to the Gods” is a coming-of-age story that explores Black manhood and queerness in the Rust Belt. The title of the book is a reference to the ways that Black boys are often socialized into rigid conceptions of manhood — sometimes by the use of violence.
A top editor becomes her ‘True Self’
(June 4, 2021 | The New York Times) - For most people, the pandemic lockdowns will be remembered as a time that shrank our worlds, stripping away most of life as we knew it. For Gina Chua, the executive editor of Reuters, it was when her world opened up.
Gina Chua is returning to the Reuters offices post-pandemic as one of the most senior transgender journalists in the country.
Queer Media in China
(Routledge) - This book, published on May 31, 2021, examines different forms and practices of queer media, that is, the films, websites, zines, and film festivals produced by, for, and about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in China in the first two decades of the twenty-first century. It traces how queer communities have emerged in urban China and identifies the pivotal role that community media have played in the process.
Learn more about Queer Media in China
How the homophobic media covered the 1969 Stonewall uprising
By Gillian Brockell
The most striking thing about the media coverage of the Stonewall riots — the 1969 uprising that was a turning point in the gay rights movement — is how offensive much of it was.
Medill names Daniel H. Renberg Chair on social justice, LGBTQ media studies
(Source: Medill School) - Journalist Steven Thrasher has been named the inaugural holder of the Daniel H. Renberg Chair, an endowed professorship that will focus on social justice in reporting, with an emphasis on issues relevant to the LGBTQ community, at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications.
Facebook deletes pro-family page for ‘hate speech’ against LGBT
By Calvin Freiburger
(Nov. 19, 2018 | Life Site News) - Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH) president Peter LaBarbera revealed last month that Facebook unpublished their page. According to a Life Site News report, Facebook removed the page of this prominent social-conservative group for allegedly using unspecified “hate speech,”
Murphy Brown's Gay Indian-American Unicorn
By Daniel Reynolds
(Nov. 26, 2018 | Advocate) - During freshman orientation at Occidental College in 2011, Nik Dodani joined his classmates on a football field in an exercise illustrating the benefits of privilege. Statements were read aloud, such as, “I can marry the person I love in any state.” If a statement applied to a student, he or she took one step forward.
Kristen Stewart to Star in Clea DuVall's Gay Rom-Com Happiest Season
By Tracy E. Gilchrist
(Nov. 27, 2018 | Advocate) - Christmas came early this year with the announcement that Kristen Stewart has signed on to star in director Clea DuVall’s upcoming holiday comedy Happiest Season from TriStar Pictures, Variety reports.
DuVall, who’s been a favorite with queer women since she starred as a baby lesbian in 1999’s conversion therapy satire But I’m a Cheerleader, is directing the film from a script she penned with her writing partner Mary Holland.
Pro-LGBT media hail 12-year-old ‘drag kid’s’ success in Thailand
By Calvin Freiburger
Pro-homosexual media outlets are celebrating yet another prepubescent child for immersing himself in the hyper-sexualized world of drag.
Pelosi’s top legislative priority would punish dissenters on LGBT issues
By Ryan Anderson
(Oct. 31, 2018 | The Daily Signal) - Nancy Pelosi made headlines last week stating that if Democrats reclaim the House of Representatives, a top agenda item will be to pass laws banning disagreement on LGBT issues.
Will Trudeau demand news organizations support abortion, LGBT agenda to receive tax breaks?
(Nov 26, 2018 | Life Site News) - After several years of consistent lobbying, the Canadian mainstream press has finally managed to persuade the Trudeau government to give their failing industry precisely what they desperately wanted: A bailout.
Video reveals plans of ISIS supporter who wanted to blow up gay bars
By Neal Broverman
(Dec. 18, 2018 | Advocate) - The defense for aspiring terrorist Amer Alhaggagi is now complicated by a video that shows the Yemeni-born man plotting to use homeless people to bomb public buildings.
The undercover FBI video, obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle, shows Alhaggagi in 2016 expressing excitement at the process of killing American civilians.
33 must-see TV shows for LGBTQ viewers in Fall 2018
By Advocate.Com Editors
(Sept. 6, 2018 | Advocate.Com) - When curating a list of TV recommendations for LGBTQ viewers, the editors at The Advocate considered several criteria. Is the show entertaining? Is it diverse? Is there queer representation? Does it make us laugh or cry, or inspire us to rise up and resist the forces that oppress us? Or does it help us forget our troubles? The following shows check at least one (if not more) of these boxes. They're also the comedies, dramas, and dramedies we'll be watching and reporting on throughout the rest of 2018.
India's top court decriminalizes gay sex in landmark ruling
By Manveena Suri
(Sept. 6, 2018 | CNN) - India's Supreme Court has struck down a colonial-era law criminalizing consensual gay sex, overturning more than 150 years of anti-LGBT legislation.
The court announced the landmark verdict in Delhi on Thursday, as jubilant crowds cheered and rights activists hugged one another, overcome with emotion.
Research needed on family-based stigma against LGBTQ youth, study finds
(Sept. 6, 2018 | NBC News) - Although family relationships play a crucial role in the well being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) adolescents, few programs tackle stigma and discrimination within families, in part because of a lack of evidence on what works, researchers say.
Once ostracised, now Pakistani transgender people are running for parliament
By Memphis Barker
(July 23, 2018 | The Guardian) - Cast out, marginalised and even murdered, transgender people in Pakistan used to have to rely on their wits to survive. Now they are running for parliament.
The country is conservative and deeply religious and homosexuality is illegal, but it has nonetheless introduced laws that are at the global forefront of trans rights. Pakistan has officially recognised a third gender since 2009.
Lee Hurley: An image of Putin and Trump kissing isn’t funny. It’s homophobic
By Lee Hurley
(July 21, 2018 | The Guardian) - With both eyes closed and one hand gently caressing the face of Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump leans in for a passionate kiss with the object of his obsessive affections. It’s a hilarious image, right? Two men who imperil the lives of queer people on a daily basis would hate to be seen as gay. It’s their biggest fear, so it’s funny to pretend they are gay to annoy them. Genius. It can’t be homophobic to imply that Putin and Trump are “gay for each other”, we’re told, because the people making the “joke” are woke lefties who simply adore us queers. Heck, they even have some of us round for tapas in the summer. This is an ally action – we’ve got your back, Jack.
When children say they’re trans
By Jesse Singal
(July/August 2018 Issue | The Atlantic) - Claire is a 14-year-old girl with short auburn hair and a broad smile. She lives outside Philadelphia with her mother and father, both professional scientists. Claire can come across as an introvert, but she quickly opens up, and what seemed like shyness reveals itself to be quiet self-assuredness. Like many kids her age, she is a bit overscheduled. During the course of the evening I spent with Claire and her mother, Heather—these aren’t their real names—theater, guitar, and track tryouts all came up. We also discussed the fact that, until recently, she wasn’t certain she was a girl.
Retirement communities turn their sights on a once-invisible group: LGBT seniors
By Tara Bahrampour
(July 16, 2018 | The Washington post) - In 2016, as Kenneth MacLean was about to turn 90 and was looking to move to a retirement community, he had a question for Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, Md.
“I asked, ‘Would there be many gays here? Would gays be welcomed?’ ” MacLean, a retired Unitarian minister, wanted to be sure his partner of 22 years, a man who lives in England and spends several months a year visiting him, would be welcomed by staff and other residents.
Major milestone for gay rights: Lebanese Court of Appeals rules homosexuality is not a crime
By Lama Hajj
(July 13, 2018 | Beirut.Com) - In a progressive and momentous ruling, on July 12, 2018 a Lebanese Court of Appeals in Mount Lebanon as presided over by Judge Randa Khoury issued a new judgment holding that homosexuality is not a crime. This came as a re-examination of Article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code (which prohibits having sexual relations that are "contradicting to the laws of nature” - an interpretation that many previously used to prosecute people suspected of homosexuality).
Justices send gay rights and voting cases back to lower courts
By Adam Liptak
(June 25, 2018 | The New York Times) - The Supreme Court on Monday said it would not consider sequels to its decisions this month on a baker who refused to serve a gay couple and on challenges to voting maps warped by politics.
“British royal family will make history this summer with its first-ever same-sex wedding”
By Rebecca Tan
(June 22, 2018 | The Washington Post) - Meghan Markle made history in May as the first black American woman to marry into the British royal family. Less than a month later, the royal family announced plans for yet another historic union: Lord Ivar Mountbatten will marry James Coyle, his partner of two years, in the monarchy’s first-ever same-sex wedding later this summer.
New frontier for gay rights: Bias and bullying in senior housing
By Nara Schoenberg
(May 17, 2018 | Chicago Tribune) - Even before she began searching for senior housing, Marti Smith had heard the horror stories. Her gay friends told Smith, a lesbian, that when their partners entered assisted living the partners had to hide their homosexuality to avoid bias and bullying. Even Smith's friends had to play along when they visited. “Visitors were told not to act gay or dress gay because of fear of harassment when they left,” said Smith, 73.
The unspoken factor in Amazon’s search for a new home: Jeff Bezos’s support for gay rights
By Jonathan O'Connell
(April 20, 2018 | The Washington Post) - When Amazon executives recently toured the Dallas-Fort Worth area, one of 20 finalists for a second company headquarters, local officials touted its growing workforce and low taxes as perfectly suited to accommodate 50,000 planned Amazon jobs.
But the local team also brought an unexpected guest: the Rev. Neil G. Cazares-Thomas, pastor of a predominantly gay megachurch in Dallas. He impressed upon the Amazon representatives how inclusive and welcoming the community has been to him, his husband and the 4,000 congregants at his church, according to people familiar with the meeting.
Cape Town’s New Masculinity
by Zane Lelo Meslani
(April 14, 2018 | The New York Times) - To cut themselves free of the gender norms fed to them since birth, young South Africans aren’t using sharp edges but rather soft fabrics and turns of phrase. Their fashion and styling choices, as well as the words they use to describe their own bodies, challenge essentialism and the notion that any of our outward characteristics are fixed.
Does Gay Hollywood Have Room for Queer Kids?
By Jacob Tobia
(March 28, 2018 | The New York Times) - As an undergraduate at Duke University, I was something of a campus unicorn. I was anything but quiet about my sexuality and my gender identity. I’d hold my head high sporting bright red lipstick and a full beard; dance on the bar, unshaven legs exposed by a miniskirt; strut unashamed across cobblestones in four-inch heels. I wasn’t just gay — I was a total queen. And for half of the gay men on campus, I was something of a goddess, an inspiration, a friend.
New film “Martyr” explores where masculinity, homoeroticism, and Islam intersect
By Malcolm Rhodes
(March 14, 2018 | Queerty) - Award season only just ended and people are already talking about which films to watch out for next year.
Martyr is currently making waves at the SXSW film festival, where it has been included in the festival’s official LGBTQ film selections.
The Iceman Cometh Out
By Stephanie Burt
(Feb. 19, 2018 | The New York Times) - Superhero comics address, and empower, straight white nerdy boys. That’s been true of most comics, for most of their history. But is it the genre’s central truth? For some of us, it never was. As Ramzi Fawaz, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has pointed out, superhero comics are the only popular genre in which anomalous bodies are not just tolerated but celebrated: The same thing that makes you look weird means you can save the world.
GLAAD: America Suddenly Isn’t Comfortable With LGBT People
By Samantha Allen
(January 25, 2018 | Daily Beast) - The theory that LGBT acceptance in America will only ever increase over time is a reassuring one. The only problem is that it may not be true.
A new survey commissioned by the LGBT media-advocacy group GLAAD and conducted by The Harris Poll found that fewer non-LGBT adults reported being comfortable with their LGBT peers than in previous years.
Analysis:
US Mainstream News Media Omit a Major Component of the LGBTQ Community and Its History: Advocacy and Practice of Radical Sexuality
By Dr. Dane S. Claussen
(January 6, 2018) - LGBTQ-related events, organizations, personalities, media content and more now seem to be so well integrated into the mainstream media that one could rightly ask what about LGBTQ life are mainstream media not covering? Many Americans know, for example, that MSM means both mainstream media and men who have sex with men.
GLAAD report exposes lack of LGBTQ characters on Spanish-language programming
By Michael Quinones
(Dec. 21, 2017 | People) - A Dec. 15 report from GLAAD titled “Still Invisible” is calling out the Spanish-language television industry for a lack of LGBTQ characters and a lack of quality narratives for the few who do appear on-screen.
LGBTQ stories lit up indie cinema in 2017
By Rebecca Pahle
(Dec. 21, 2017 | Mashable) - 2017’s great year of LGBTQ filmmaking doesn’t start and end with Call Me By Your Name, Luca Guadagnino’s dreamy, sun-dappled tale of summer romance. If laden glances between Oliver and Elio have whetted your appetite for queer stories on the big screen, the last 12 months have had a lot to offer.
Civil Rights groups threaten to sue New York over voting rights violations
(Dec. 18, 2017 | NBC News) - Some LGBTQ advocacy groups are joining tech companies and consumer advocates in criticizing the FCC's repeal of Obama-era net neutrality rules.
The activist leading Lebanon's LGBT rebellion
By Laura Secorun Palet
(Dec. 10, 2017 | Ozy.Com) - He sat blindfolded in a military compound in Lebanon, listening to the sounds of metal gates slamming shut and detainees screaming in pain. The guards had called him in to answer “a few questions.” But when he arrived, they told him they knew he was gay, and he understood they would try to pin any crime they could on him. One officer asked, “Have you ever paid for sex?”
"Religious bigotry is hiding behind arguments for free speech"
By Joshua Wilson
(Dec. 7, 2017 | NewsWeek) - On Tuesday, the US Supreme Court heard Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, a case concerning the ability of a conservative Christian Colorado baker to refuse to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding.
Religious opposition to gay marriage obviously lies at the case’s core, but that is not the way that the baker has presented things. In his words, “I'm just trying to preserve my right as an artist to decide which artistic endeavors I'm going to do and which ones I'm not.”
Let Them Buy Cake
By David Cole
(Dec. 7, 2017 | The New York Review of Books) - When David Mullins and Charlie Craig walked into Masterpiece Cakeshop, a bakery in Denver, Colorado, five years ago, they had no inkling that the encounter would take them to the United States Supreme Court. All they wanted was a wedding cake. But as soon as Jack Phillips, the bakery’s owner, realized that the marriage they were celebrating was their own, he cut off the conversation, explaining that he would not make any cake for a same-sex wedding. They never even discussed what the cake would look like or say, because Phillips made it clear that his policy was absolute. The bakery has turned away several other same-sex couples on the same grounds, including a lesbian couple who wanted to buy cupcakes for a commitment ceremony. Keep reading
LGBTQ characters on U.S. TV at record highs
(Nov. 13, 2017 | Reuters/DiversityInc.) - The number of lesbian, gay and transgender characters on U.S. television shows have reached record highs, and campaign group GLAAD said on Thursday that their stories were more important than ever given moves in the United States to roll back LGBT acceptance.
In it annual report on diversity on the small screen, GLAAD found 329 regular and recurring LGBTQ characters across all broadcast, cable and streaming TV platforms, including the first asexual and non-binary characters.
GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis said TV was a critical place for the portrayal of LGBTQ characters and their lives. Read more
How should High Schools define sexes for transgender athletes?
By Malika Andrews
(Nov. 8, 2017 | The New York Times) - The calls to high school sports officials from athletic directors and administrators began several years ago and have only become more frequent and difficult: How are you handling transgender students who want to play sports? Read more
More stories:
- Australians decisively support same-sex marriage (BBC News | November 14, 2017)
- Germany Must Allow Third Gender Category, Court Rules (The New York Times | November 8, 2017)
Who tells your story? A Netflix Doc has ignited debate over who owns LGBT history
By Jamilah King
(Oct. 10, 2017 | Mother Jones) - On Friday, David France’s award-winning film, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, began streaming on Netflix. It is a stirring piece of art that explores the controversial death of Johnson, a black woman who was an icon of transgender rights in the United States. Her attitude toward the cultural conservatism of the time was captured by her self-chosen middle initial, P, which she said stood for “pay it no mind.” Read more.
15 LGBT Arabs who are getting media attention
(Oct. 12, 2017 | Step Feed) - If one thing can be said about LGBT individuals in the Arab world is that they certainly do not have it easy. They face oppression, harassment, society's judgment and a wide array of discriminatory laws.
In many Arab countries, engaging in same-sex relationships can subject one to imprisonment. In more severe cases, they are faced with the death penalty. Read more
Indonesia considers ban on "Destructive" LGBT-related TV content
By Kanupriya Kapoor and Agustinus Beo Da Costa
(Oct. 16, 2017 | Reuters via USNews) - Days after a long-running Indonesian television comedy aired last month, its producers got a letter from the broadcast commission warning that a male character in the show was "dressed and behaving like a woman" and could violate broadcasting standards. Read more
Egypt: Mass Arrests amid LGBT media blackout
(Oct. 6, 2017 | Human Rights Watch) - The Egyptian government has intensified its campaign against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their supporters, arresting dozens of people in less than two weeks, Human Rights Watch said today. A media regulatory body has also banned all “positive” reporting on homosexuality. Read more.
BuzzFeed staffers revolt over Op-Ed calling Roger Stone an LGBTQ 'ally'
By David Uberti
(Oct. 16, 2017 | Splinter News) - Several BuzzFeed staffers openly criticized their site’s decision Friday to publish an op-ed arguing that GOP political operative Roger Stone and President Donald Trump share “a long history as an ally of the LGBT community,” renewing questions on the acceptable range of voices in public debate and how opinion journalists balance provocation and facts in the Trump era.Read more
How two lesbians fought the Nazis with a typewriter
By Fiona Zublin
(Sept. 18, 2017 | Ozy.Com) - The jig was up. On July 25, 1944, two women were stopped by German secret police on a bus. When their home was ransacked, the Nazis found what they were looking for: a suitcase filled with leaflets — a surrealist art project — that had plagued the German army for months. Lucy Schwob and Suzanne Malherbe were sent to prison for their use of war’s most insidious weapon in the least likely place. Read more
LGBT groups denounce 'dangerous' AI that uses your face to guess sexuality
By Sam Levin
(Sept. 8, 2017 | The Guardian) - A Stanford University study showing that artificial intelligence (AI) can accurately guess whether people are gay or straight based on their faces has sparked a swift backlash from LGBT rights activists who fear this kind of technology could be used to harm queer people. Read more
50 most influential LGBTS in media
(Aug. 16, 2017 | Advocate) - Click here to see who are these 50 most influential LGBTs in media.
Fr. James Martin in social media fray over LGBT conversation
By Brian Roewe
(Sept. 7, 2017 | National Catholic Reporter) - Since its publication, Jesuit Fr. James Martin has pledged to continue the conversation his latest book, Building a Bridge, opened about LGBT Catholics and the church. That has meant at times responding to critiques, and at other points, fending off harassment on social media. Read more. Read more
NBC's Out Chairman knows why visibility matters
By Daniel Reynolds
(Sept. 7, 2017 | Advocate) - On July 6 at 8 a.m., Bob Greenblatt read the first script for season two of This Is Us. “It’s spectacular. It’s everything you hoped it would be,” the out chairman of NBC Entertainment raved of the acclaimed drama. Afterward, Greenblatt had a string of meetings with the publicity and marketing departments and the head of Creative Artists Agency, before going to the Mark Taper Forum in downtown Los Angeles to see Heisenberg, a play starring Mary-Louise Parker and Denis Arndt. Read more.
GLAAD honor LGBT media leaders
By Beth Spotswood
(Sept. 11, 2017 | SFGATE) - GLAAD annually holds awards galas in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, each honoring activists working in different media spaces. GLAAD’s President Sarah Kate Ellis explained that Los Angeles’ Media Awards focus on show business and general media while New York’s Media Awards honor contributions in journalism. “San Francisco,” said Ellis, “is all about digital and social media. And you could argue that social media and digital are the front lines of the resistance right now.” Read more
Canada introduces ‘X’ as a third sex category for passport holders
By Niraj Chokshi
(Aug. 25, 2017 | The New York Times) - Starting Thursday, Canadians will have a new way to identify their sex on passports and other government documents: “X” will join the options of male and female. The decision to allow the third category, indicating an “unspecified” sex, is intended to protect the rights of Canadians to identify by the gender of their choice, the country’s immigration department said in announcing the change. Read more.
Transgender Pakistanis win legal victories, but violence goes on
By Mehreen Zahra-Malki
(Aug. 19, 2017 | The New York Times) - Pakistan’s Parliament is poised to pass the nation’s first law recognizing transgender people as equal citizens and laying out penalties for discrimination and violence against them, a surprising victory for activists in a country with deeply conservative social views. Read more
Anti-Trans 'Bathroom Bill' dead as Texas House adjourns
By Trudy Ring
(Aug. 15, 2017 | The Advocate) - The Texas House of Representatives has ended its special session without passing an anti-transgender “bathroom bill.” The Human Rights Campaign tweeted on August 15 that the session is over and the legislation is dead. Click here to continue reading this story.
Advocate: Mormon Church offers surprising endorsement of LGBT-supportive music festival
By Trudy Ring
(Aug. 16, 2017 |Advocate)The Mormon Church has issued a statement of support for the LoveLoud festival, a music event celebrating LGBT people and benefiting LGBT charities — support that squares rather oddly with Mormon doctrine. Click here to continue reading this article.
Indonesia’s LGBT youth bears brunt of hostility towards gay and lesbian community
By Sharon Hambali
(August 16, 2017 | South China Morning Post) - Indonesian social media was flooded with images of the 141 men, many shirtless and faces turned away from the cameras, who were detained in a raid on the men-only Atlantis sauna in Jakarta.
. . .A study by the Asia-Pacific Social Science Review released earlier this year found that, despite appearing to be less heavy-handed compared to other countries in Southeast Asia, attitudes towards diverse sexualities in Indonesia are the most negative.
Read moreOpinion: "My Gay Agenda"
By Jennifer Finney Boylan
(July 24, 2017 | The New York Times) - My wife and I spent the morning riding our bicycles to the beach. It was a beautiful day. Seals dived in the surf, a couple played Kadima with their grandchildren, and Deirdre and I lay in the sun. Read more.
Op-Ed Column: "Voters love Lesbians"
By Frank Bruni
(July 29, 2017 | The New York Times) - Like other minorities, L.G.B.T. people are seriously underrepresented in our country’s political offices.
But I’ve seen a few signs that one consonant in that cluster is especially well positioned to gain ground. Lesbians are on the march. Read more.
Transgender Chinese man wins first-of-its-kind labor discrimination case
By Emily Rauhala
(July 27, 2017 | The Washington Post) - A day after President Trump announced a ban on transgender troops, China's LGBT movement scored a small but significant victory.
A Chinese court on Thursday found that a transgender man was unjustly fired from his job, a first-of-its-kind ruling that activists called a step forward in the fight for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. Read more.
New pride flag divides Philly's gay community
(June 16, 2017 | New York Post) - A flag meant to bring the gay community together has ended up ripping it apart.
Last week, the city of Philadelphia revealed a revamped version of the gay pride flag, a collaboration between the city’s Office of LGBT Affairs and Philadelphia design firm Tierney. The revised flag has a black and brown stripe added on top of the traditional rainbow flag . . . Click here to read rest of the story.
A Bangladeshi telecomm company's "viral" Facebook video on equal rights for transgender people
Source: Robi Axiata Limited (June 16, 2017)
Texas House passes a bill to restrict bathroom access for transgender students
(May 23, 2017 | Reuters) - The Texas House of Representatives gave formal approval on Monday (May 22nd) to a bill that would restrict bathroom access for transgender students in public schools, a measure that critics say promotes discrimination against such children. Continue to read this story.
LGBTQ candidates make politics fierce in award-winning documentary
"Out Run" is now available for educators
(April 19, 2017 | Walking Iris Media) - OUT RUN is a compelling new documentary that triggers dynamic discussions in the classroom about how to politically organize for equality on a national and international level. The film sheds new light on issues of critical importance such as: political engagement in global human rights movements, LGBTQ lives in Asia and the Global South, and personal stories of underrepresented communities fighting to defeat cultural, religious, and familial misunderstandings. Click here for more information.
After coming out as gay, a Russian violinist's new reality
By Anastasia Tsioulcas
(April 17, 2017 | NPR Music) - A 23-year-old, Russian-born violinist named Artem Kolesov is capturing international attention after posting a YouTube video in which he comes out as gay. Read more
‘American Bandstand’ kept secret that teen stars were gay
By Jerry Oppenheimer
(March 12, 2017 | New York Post) - When cute young teenagers Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi slow danced together on “American Bandstand” back in the late ’50s and early ’60s, kids across the country swooned.
They wrote thousands of letters. They joined Arlene’s and Kenny’s fan clubs. The big teenybopper magazines of the era — Sixteen and Teen — plastered “Bandstand” dancers on their covers and wrote glowing, gossipy stories about their lives in Philadelphia, where Dick Clark produced the show. Read more
TV shows that broke ground with gay and transgender characters
By Kathryn Shattuck
(Feb. 16, 2017 | The New York Times) - Last year was a remarkable time when it came to the representation of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer regular characters on television, according to the latest Glaad report monitoring diversity on the small screen. But that milestone, along with more accurate story lines and fewer stereotypes, has been a long time coming — a turbulent 45-year trajectory from television movies to single episodes involving secondary players to fully fleshed-out characters central to a show’s story line. Read more
Trump rescinds rules on bathrooms for transgender students
By Jeremy Peters, Jo Becker and Julie Davis
(Feb. 22, 2017 | The New York Times) - President Trump on Wednesday rescinded protections for transgender students that had allowed them to use bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity, overruling his own education secretary and placing his administration firmly in the middle of the culture wars that many Republicans have tried to leave behind. Read more
Kellogg’s new corn flakes campaign includes a gay couple
By Curtis Wong
(Jan. 25, 2017 | The Huffington Post) - A real-life British gay couple describe the unusual way they enjoy Kellogg’s Corn Flakes in a quirky new campaign.
Chris Hall and Mark Hearfield, who hail from Bury, England, are among the eight families featured in Kellogg’s “My Perfect Bowl” effort, which highlights the “weird ways” that people eat the signature cereal. In the clip above, Hall, 42, says he likes his cereal with “piping hot” milk and honey. Hearfield, 59, prefers a more straightforward, “room temperature” preparation. Read more.
Walmart settles discrimination suit over benefits for same-sex spouses
By Noam Scheiber
(Dec. 2, 2016 | The New York Times) - Walmart announced on Friday that it had settled a lawsuit that accused the company of discriminating against gay and lesbian employees when it denied health insurance benefits to same-sex spouses.
Under the deal, Walmart will set aside $7.5 million, mostly to compensate employees affected by the denial of spousal benefits during the three years before Jan. 1, 2014, when the company changed its policy. More than 1,000 people may be eligible. Read more.
Life in the heart of New York’s L.G.B.T. Latino community
By Jake Naughton
(Oct. 13, 2016 | The New York Times) - Roosevelt Avenue, in Jackson Heights, Queens, reminds my boyfriend of El Salvador, where he grew up. It reminds our friend Danny of where he grew up, in Mexico. And others of Colombia or Guatemala. That’s fitting, because it’s one of the vibrant centers of Latino culture in New York. A walk down La Roosevelt, as some call it, means taco trucks on every block, norteño and bachata music wailing from the pollo asado joints and barber shops that never close, and Spanish everywhere. Read more
The remarriage of Edie Windsor, a gay marriage pioneer
By Jacob Bernstein
(Sept. 30, 2016 | The New York Times) - Edie Windsor, the veteran L.G.B.T. activist who emerged as arguably the most famous figure in the marriage equality movement, has gotten married again.
On Monday, she and her new partner, Judith Kasen, a vice president at Wells Fargo Advisors, were wed at City Hall in New York. Read more
Donald Trump pledges to sign anti-LGBTQ ‘First Amendment Defense Act’
By Jeff Taylor
(Sept. 26, 2016 | LGBTQnation.Com) - Donald Trump has been courting the LGBTQ vote throughout this presidential election, claiming he would be the better choice for the community than opponent Hillary Clinton and promising to protect us from terrorism in his Republican National Convention speech.
That argument gets harder to believe by the week, as he gives speeches at anti-LGBTQ events, sticks up for homophobic and transphobic legislation and surrounds himself with bigoted politicians and advisers. Now we have a new offense to add to the list. Read more
Video games allow characters more varied sexual identities
By Laura Parker
(Aug. 31, 2016 | The New York Times) - In the popular simulation game The Sims, players have long been able to create male and female characters — but only up to a point. That changed this year.
In May, Electronic Arts, the publisher of The Sims, released a patch for the game that removed all gender barriers, freeing players to create virtual characters with any physical attribute. Read more
New York’s highest Court expands definition of parenthood
(Aug. 30, 2016 | The New York Times) - Expanding the definition of what it means to be a parent, especially for same-sex couples, the New York State Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday that a caretaker who is not related to, or the adoptive guardian of, a child could still be permitted to ask for custody and visitation rights. Read more
Economist: Gay rights in Indonesia under pressure
(Aug. 13, 2016 | The Economist) - For a Muslim-majority country, Indonesia has often been regarded as relatively tolerant on gay issues, as long as gay people were discreet. Homosexuality has never been criminalised and sexual minorities have mostly been left alone. But in recent years, as LGBT groups have become more vocal in pursuit of equal rights, religious conservatives have reacted angrily and started to push back. A report this week by Human Rights Watch (HRW), a pressure group based in New York, says LGBT rights have come under “unprecedented” attack this year. Read more
When everyone can be ‘Queer,’ is anyone?
By Jenna Wortham
(July 12, 2016 | The New York Times) - Earlier this year, Vice published an essay that posed the question “Can Straight People Be Queer?” The article includes an image from Jaden Smith’s Facebook page of the musician looking petulant in a skirt, alongside the caption “My mood when they try to hate.” Read more
U.N. panel moves to curb bias against LGBT people
By Nick Cumming-Bruce
(June 30, 2016 | The New York Times) - The United Nations’ main human rights body on Thursday adopted measures to strengthen protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, despite fierce resistance from Muslim and African countries. Read more
After Orlando, Gay rights moves off diplomatic back burner
By Somini Sengupta
(June 14, 2016 | The New York Times) - For years, diplomats were more comfortable talking about nuclear warheads than sexual orientation.
Sexual orientation was one of those subjects burdened with too many cultural sensitivities. American officials, even if they wanted to advance it on the diplomatic agenda, were wary of offending their allies, not least in the Islamic world. Read more
The attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., moved the needle. Read more
Gay Mullah flees Iran over secret same-sex weddings
(June 8, 2016 | BBC) - In Iran, homosexuality is banned and punishable by execution under its strict code of sharia, or Islamic law.
In a country dominated by the religious class, being gay is taboo, and especially among the establishment. One Iranian gay cleric, who conducted gay weddings in secret, was forced to flee the country, and has been threatened with death. Visit BBC website to watch the video version of this story.
House approves LGBT anti-discrimination measure
By Kelsey Snell
(May 25, 2016 | The Washington Post) - The House voted late Wednesday night to approve a measure to bar the government from paying federal contractors that discriminate based on gender identity or sexual orientation.
Members erupted into cheers Wednesday night after the measure, sponsored by Rep. Sean Maloney (D-N.Y.), was approved 223-195. Read more
Related Story:
- Paul Ryan is in another fight he doesn’t want — this time over LGBT rights (The Washington Post | May 26, 2016)
Roy Moore, Alabama Judge, suspended over gay marriage stance
By Campbell Robertson
(May 6, 2016 | The New York Times) - An Alabama judicial oversight body on Friday filed a formal complaint against Roy S. Moore, the chief justice of the state’s Supreme Court, charging that he had “flagrantly disregarded and abused his authority” in ordering the state’s probate judges to refuse applications for marriage licenses by same-sex couples. Read more
Dozens testify in support of monument to gay rights near Stonewall Inn
By Noah Remnick
(May 9, 2016 | The New York Times) - Every day as Gil Horowitz, 80, passes by the Stonewall Inn near his home in the West Village, he is transported back to the early morning hours of June 28, 1969. He was in his early 30s then, a bisexual man still living largely in the shadows, when, he said, he was arrested by a police officer as part of a protest outside the bar and taken to the Sixth Precinct station house. Overnight in jail, he said, he witnessed dozens of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people chained to radiators and beaten with nightsticks. Read more
Walking in the shoes of LGBTQ student
(May 2, 2016 | Bellingham Public School) - I wanted to share my recent Walking in the Shoes experience and the time I spent with Tristan, a junior at Squalicum High School. This school year (2015-16), I am focusing on spending time with students with unique circumstances. I’m a little behind schedule! I had a great time last year shadowing staff, and I’m thrilled to be able to focus again on our students. Read more
Before the stonewall uprising, there was the ‘sip-in’
By Jim Farber(April 20, 2016 | The New York Times) - On a bright, warm day 50 years ago this week, three young men went out to have a drink that they hoped would make history.
The men, members of the early gay rights group the Mattachine Society, aimed to challenge bars that refused service to gay people, a common practice at the time, though one unsupported by any specific law. Such refusals fell under a vague regulation that banned taverns from serving patrons deemed “disorderly.” Read more
For the first time, LGBT community joins celebration of Sikh festival and takes part in Baisakhi parade in canada
(April 24, 2016 | Galaxymag.Com) - The LGBT Community in Vancouver, Canada, created history when it took part in the Baisakhi Parade taken out by the Sikh Community in Canada as part of the celebration of Sikh festival Baisakhi. Thousands marched in the parade, including Canada’s Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan. Read more
Bruce Springsteen cancels North Carolina concert over "anti-LGBT" 'bathroom law'
By Tom Kludt
(April 8, 2016 | CNN Money) - Bruce Springsteen is the latest to shun North Carolina over its so-called "bathroom law."
The legendary musician announced Friday that his upcoming show in Greensboro, North Carolina, has been canceled in "solidarity" with those protesting the measure. Read more
Related Stories/Posts
- Click here to read Bruce Springsteen's post on his Facebook page
- - U.S. transgender community fights against 'Bathroom Bills' (The New York Times | March 30, 2016)
Two GOP Governors, two different calculations on LGBT rights
(March 30, 2016 | Associated Press) - Two Republican governors. Two proposals at the heart of LGBT rights. One rejection. One new law.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said he has prevented discrimination and protected the economy by vetoing a measure that would have allowed certain individuals, businesses and faith organizations to deny services to others based on "sincerely held religious beliefs." Read more
Senate passes 'religious freedom' bill: Its implication on same-sex marriage
By Kate Royals
(March 31, 2016 | The Clarion-Ledger) - The Senate passed the “Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act” late Wednesday on a 32-17 vote.
House Bill 1523 would allow clerks to deny same-sex marriage licenses to gay couples because of their religious beliefs and not face any repercussions. It would also allow private businesses and faith-based organizations to refuse services based on those same beliefs without retribution. Read more
Anti-gay laws bring backlash in Mississippi and North Carolina
By Jonathan Katz and Erik Eckholm
(April 5, 2016 | The New York Times) - The divide between social conservatives and diversity-minded corporations widened Tuesday with developments in Mississippi and North Carolina related to the rights of gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender people in both states.
Mississippi’s governor signed far-reaching legislation allowing individuals and institutions with religious objections to deny services to gay couples, and the online-payment company PayPal announced it was canceling a $3.6 million investment in North Carolina. Read more
Gay Imam helps young Muslims balance religion, sexuality
(Feb. 11, 2016 | The New York Times) - Growing up in Algeria, Shaira had almost everything a young man could wish for. But he also had a big secret.
In a land where homosexuality is still a crime and a sin, he was forced to live a secret life, hiding that he was gay from everyone — even his closest family. Read more
Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool will be the first queer superhero film
By Joe Morgan
(Nov. 5, 2015 | Gay Star News) - With Ryan Reynolds starring in the upcoming film of the character, both the actor and film’s director Tim Miller have revealed that the superhero’s sexuality will be definitely still fluid. Read more
"I now pronounce you husband and husband"
By Henry Alfrod
(Feb. 12, 2016 | The New York Times) - What’s in a name? The answer is increasingly subjective.
“I never got used to saying ‘husband,’” said Tony Valenzuela, the executive director of the Lambda Literary Foundation, who married his husband in California in 2008. Read more
Italians rally for gay civil unions ahead of battle in parliament
By Hanna Rantala
(Jan. 24, 2016 | Reuters) - Thousands of Italians took to the streets on Saturday in support of gay civil unions as the battle over legal recognition for homosexual couples heats up ahead of a bill to be debated in parliament.
"Wake up Italy, it's time to be civilized," was the slogan chosen for rallies in almost 100 towns and cities in the only major country in the West not to give same-sex couples any legal recognition or protection on issues from pensions to parenthood.
Read more
Why ‘self-identifying’ is different from coming out
By Wesley Morris
(Jan. 3, 2016 | The New York Times) - By necessity, the folks officiating your sports are a relatively anonymous lot. You come to watch a game. They enforce its rules, and given the hell that keyed-up spectators can give an official, the maintenance of a kind of privacy makes sense. Anonymity does have its exceptions. Some are happy. Ed Hochuli, for instance, is known for both the work he does as an N.F.L. referee and the work he does on his body (he’s ripped). Some exceptions are less happy. The Bill Kennedy situation is one of these. Read more
While Alabama Chief Justice "tries to ban same-sex marriage in his state," Chinese Court takes "historic step"
The Huffington Post reporter Daniel Marans reports, "the Chief Justice of Alabama’s Supreme Court issued an administrative order on Wednesday barring state judges from issuing same-sex marriage licenses, in contravention of the broadly accepted meaning of a June 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling." Read more
On another part of the world, we have a new development. According to a Reuters report, "A Chinese Court has agreed to hear a case that could grant a same-sex couple the right to marry."
Media must ensure it reflects the full diversity of trans people
By Helen Belcher
(Dec. 14, 2015 | The Huffington Post) - For many years before 2011, British broadcasters covered trans people as if they were earnest (and often slightly sad) scientific experiments or, more often, as targets of comedy. The British press was usually harsher, with trans as deviant, trans as undeserving or trans as comedy being the three main themes. Trans people were regularly outed "in the public interest" even if they were only lorry drivers or police officers. Trans people had learnt to distrust the media. Read more
"Unfreedom" has been banned in India
(Oct. 26, 2015 | GayLaxy Magazine) - Earlier this year, the Indian Censor Board had banned the movie Unfreedom. IMDB describes the storyline as : “Shifting between New York and New Delhi, the film juxtaposes two powerful and unflinching stories about religious fundamentalism and intolerance, one of which follows a Muslim terrorist attempting to silence a liberal Muslim scholar, while the other is about a young woman who defies her devout father and escapes an arranged marriage because she is secretly embroiled in a taboo lesbian romance. In this searing portrait of the polarized world we live in, all four characters go to their absolute limit-and beyond-in their struggle to defend their deeply-held and conflicting viewpoints on freedom, faith, family and love."
The Indian censor board found the lesbian love and sex scenes too hot for the Indian audience, and was concerned about the “unnatural passions” that the movie might ignite. Read more
Gay marriage is legal but not on tribal lands
By Felicia Fonseca
(Nov. 27, 2015 | Yahoo! News via Associated Press) - Cleo Pablo married her longtime partner when gay weddings became legal in Arizona and looked forward to the day when her wife and their children could move into her home in the small Native American community outside Phoenix where she grew up. Read more
Obama’s quiet transgender revolution
By Juliet Eilperin
(Dec. 1, 2015 | The Washington Post) - Years before the White House was lit in rainbow colors celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision legalizing same-sex marriage, President Obama used a routine bureaucratic tool that ended up significantly changing the government’s understanding of gender and how it can be changed. Read more
Related Article:
- David Cameron says it is a ‘personal priority’ to make gay sex legal worldwide (Gay Star News | Nov. 26, 2015)
Straight actor Bruno Gagliasso kisses another man to protest toxic 'machismo'
(Nov. 28, 2015 | Gay Star News) - Brazilian social media is on fire today after two of the country’s most famous (straight) actors shared a kiss on TV. Bruno Gagliasso shared this picture on Instagram of him kissing fellow actor João Vicente de Castro at the GQ Men of the Year Awards 2015 at Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro on Thursday. Read more
Salt Lake City elects first openly gay mayor amid setbacks
By Michelle Price
(Nov. 17, 2015 | Yahoo! News via AP) - Former Utah lawmaker Jackie Biskupski on Tuesday became the first openly gay mayor of Salt Lake City, the capital of the conservative state where the Mormon church and a small town judge delivered setbacks last week to the LGBT community. Read more
Marvel’s Iceman cometh out
(Nov. 5, 2015 | The New York Times) - “If I knew then, what I know now” is a familiar, wistful refrain. What would we tell our younger selves if we could? In “Uncanny X-Men” No. 600, which was published Wednesday by Marvel Entertainment, readers get to see the mutant hero Iceman have a conversation with his past self thanks to time travel (because, you know, comics). But it is the younger Iceman that forces the older to acknowledge a truth: He, Bobby Drake, is gay. Read more
Are Americans lying to pollsters about same-sex marriage?
(Nov. 9, 2015 | The Atlantic) - Conservatives have lost the war against same-sex marriage on the two most important fronts: American law and American public opinion. Between 2003 and the 2015 Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage, it had become law in all but 15 states. During the same period, American public opinion shifted swiftly from solid opposition of gay marriage to swelling support. Read more
Union for reform Judaism adopts transgender rights policy
By Richard Perez-Pena
(Nov. 5, 2015 | The New York Times) - The largest Jewish group in North America adopted a broad transgender rights policy on Thursday, not only stating its own commitment to equality, but also urging synagogues and other Jewish groups to be advocates for transgender rights and to take steps like training their staffs on accommodating transgender people. Read more
This man identifies as 'Graysexual.' Here's what that means.
By Noah Michelson
(Sept. 8, 2015 | The Huffington Post) - You know what "gay" and "lesbian" and "bisexual" mean. You might even know what "asexual" and "pansexual" mean. But have you ever heard of someone identifying as "graysexual?" Read more
Same-gender couples seeking marriage licenses meet resistance
(July 13, 2015 | DiversityInc.) - In a historic decision on June 26 the Supreme Court made same-gender marriage legal nationwide. However, on July 6 a judge refused to issue a marriage license to two women in Toledo, Ohio; and in Grandbury, Texas, a federal lawsuit had to be filed in order for a same-gender couple to make their marriage legal. Read more
Transgender military service: Pentagon announces moratorium on discharges
By Sheryl Estrada
(July 14, 2015 | DiversityInc.) - The Department of Defense (DOD) announced on Monday a moratorium on discharges of transgender service members in conjunction with a new six-month study to dissect its transgender policy. “Today’s announcement is welcome news, not just for the 15,500 transgender personnel serving currently, but for all Americans,” Palm Center director Aaron Belkin said in a statement. Read more
A documentary film "Daddy & Papa"
DADDY & PAPA TRAILER from Johnny Symons on Vimeo.
When the number of non-traditional families increases exponentially, films like Daddy & Papa, a remarkable and honest portrayal of the daily lives and challenges of LGBT families, bring essential dialogue into our communities and classrooms. Read more about this film.
Makeup workshops create safe environment for trans community
By Morgan Sullivan
(Sept. 17, 2015 | North Texas Daily) - For transgender individuals, an overload of gender expectations proves to be one of the hardest parts about transition. In a society where all women are expected to look the same, transfeminine individuals often struggle with the process of redefining themselves in order to comply with strict social standards.
“Makeup is one of the easiest ways to come across as feminine,” theater sophomore and the UNT Pride Alliance’s graphic designer Christina Bridges said. Read more
Obama names first openly-gay civilian to lead Army
By Moses Frenck
President Barack Obama on Friday announced he is nominating Eric Fanning to be the next Secretary of the Army, which, if confirmed by the Senate, will make Fanning the first openly gay person to serve in the Army’s highest civilian role. Read more
Media sheds light on transgender community, but more is needed
By Molly Snyder
(May 2, 2015 | OnMilwaukee.Com) - The recent death of Ohio transgender teen Leelah Alcorn – who took her own life because her parents refused to support her as a female – and Bruce Jenner's interview with Diane Sawyer on Friday during which he spoke openly about transitioning into a woman brought more light to those whose self-identity does not conform to conventional notions of male or female gender. Read more
41% of #LGB adults do not have any religious affiliation
By Caryle Murphy
(May 26, 2015 | Pew Research Center) - Although many lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adults feel that most major faiths are unwelcoming to their community, a majority of LGB adults are religiously affiliated, according to a new Pew Research Center study. But they are much less likely to be Christian than the general public and are more drawn to smaller, non-Christian denominations.
About 5% of the 2014 Religious Landscape Study’s 35,000-plus respondents identified themselves as members of the LGB population. Of that group, 59% said they are religiously affiliated. But only 48% of them reported belonging to a Christian faith group, compared with 71% of the general public. Read more
Bruce Jenner came out as transgender woman in a televised interview
By J. Brown Lowder
(April 30, 2015 | Slate) - Bruce Jenner’s televised coming out as a transgender woman on April 24 was one of the most surprising non-surprises in recent memory. The Diane Sawyer 20/20 special had been teased for months (Jenner’s “revelation” all but promised), and his gender identity had been the subject of speculation—oftentimes prurient and transphobic—in the tabloids and mainstream media for much longer. Read more
GLAAD honors supporters of LGBT community in media
(March 23, 2015 | Associated Press via Press Herald) - Actress Kerry Washington, director Roland Emmerich, the film “The Imitation Game” and television shows “Transparent” and “How to Get Away With Murder” have received stamps of approval from GLAAD. Read more
Tiffany & Co. features first same-sex couple in engagement campaign
By Victoria Dawson Hoff
(Jan. 9, 2015 | Elle.Com) - It's almost a cliché at this point—that a little girl dreams of opening a Tiffany blue box from her beau when he finally pops the question. But what about the boys who dream of being proposed to by their beaus? Read More
More stories on same-sex marriage:
Supreme Court will hear four cases challenging same-sex marriage bans (BuzzFeed | Jan. 16, 2015)
Pope Francis criticizes gay marriage, backs ban on contraception (Crux | Jan. 16, 2015)
David Cameron: Same-sex marriage was one of my proudest achievements in 2014 (PinkNews | Jan. 10, 2015)
Documentary highlights LGBT issues in east valley
By Tatiana Sanchez
(Jan. 9, 2015 | The Desert Sun) - The slaying of a gay man in Mecca has become the basis of a short documentary and a platform to discuss LGBT issues in the eastern Coachella Valley, where strong cultural and religious traditions have made acceptance of this community slow to take root. Read more
A first! NFL credentials gay media outlet for the Super Bowl
By Outsports
(Jan. 26, 2015 | Outsports.Com) - The NFL has credentialed a gay publication for the Super Bowl for the first time. With Outsports headed to Phoenix this week for Super Bowl XLIX, we requested a credential late last year and the NFL granted the request with a press box credential. Cyd Zeigler will represent Outsports in Phoenix Wednesday to Monday, connecting with folks in the sports media and various players, coaches and front office executives. Read more
LGBT images are "less invisible" in Latino media in 2014
By Monica Trasandes
(Jan. 5, 2015 | HuffPost Latino Voices) - At GLAAD we're often asked how LGBT equality is doing in Latino USA and in Spanish-speaking countries. The answer isn't simple, not a thumbs up or thumbs down. It's instead complex, just like the world in which we live. We've seen many setbacks and there's a lot of work to do, but we've also seen some hard-fought wins. And more inclusion. Here's our top ten list of moments that mattered in Spanish-Language and Latino media in 2014. Read more
OUTmusic awards 2015 preview: Celebrating 25 years of LGBT artists
By Mike Ciriaco
(Jan. 9, 2015 | Frontiers Media) - Music and gay culture have always enjoyed a symbiotic relationship. In Greek mythology, this concept was personified by the golden god Apollo, who not only served as the Olympian patron of music but who indulged in a dalliance with a tasty little twink named Hyacinth. More contemporarily, the intersection of music and gays is epitomized by the OUTmusic Awards, which will rock out New York’s Town Hall Theater later this month. Read more
8 reasons why the 2015 Golden Globes are the gayest ever
By Jase Peeples and Michelle Garcia
(Jan. 9, 2015 | Advocate) - If you're like us, you look forward to awards season. And the Golden Globes are sort of like the All-Star Game during baseball season. It's not the World Series, but it's a significant event, and it's fun to watch. Read more
Google+ offers infinite gender options
By Eliana Dockterman
(Dec. 11, 2014 | Time) - Google+ has joined Facebook in offering an expanded array of gender options for users’ profiles. The two social media sites used to only offer three options—”male,” “female” and “other”—but now both are expanding their drop down menu to accommodate an increasing array of identities. Read more
'I Am Santa Claus' documentary slammed on social media for featuring gay man who plays St. Nicholas
By Curtis Wong
(Dec. 2, 2014 | The Huffington Post) - It seems not everybody is merry and bright over the release of a new documentary, "I Am Santa Claus," which focuses on the personal lives of men who portray St. Nicholas at shopping malls during the month of December. Read more
Second transphobic ad hits press as Minn. debates student athlete policy
By Dawn Ennis
(Dec. 1, 2014 | Advocate.com) - The discussion about how to best protect transgender student athletes in Minnesota’s high schools is set to resume this week, and despite two months of cooling-off time, one side in the debate is roaring back, full speed ahead and guns blazing. Read more
Study: National trends in public opinion on LGBT rights in the United States
(Nov. 27, 2014 | LGBT News) - Public support for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ( LGBT ) people in the United States has increased significantly over the last three decades, according to a new study released by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. Read more
Op-ed: When trans men's visibility comes at the cost of self-esteem
By Mitch Kellaway
(Dec. 2, 2014 | Advocate.com) - Catchy headlines can thoughtlessly reproduce some of the most harmful messages that we, as trans men, receive from cisgender (non-trans) society. Take, for the most recent example, Gay Star News' splashy list, "11 Insanely Hot Men You Will Not Believe Are Trans," a follow-up to the much-discussed 2012 list from Oddee, "10 Handsome Men (Who Were Born Female)." Read more
GLAAD media study: 'We've made incredible gains over the past decade'
(Nov. 12, 2014 | The Frame) - This fall’s new batch of TV shows saw an increase in recurring or regular characters who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. But as the quantity of these characters increased, has the quality of how they are depicted improved as well? Read more
Related Story:
Paley Center gala celebrates LGBT progress in media
The Smithsonian's Queer Collection
By Stephanie Fairyington
(Nov. 12, 2014 | Advocate.Com) - Over the summer, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, in Washington, D.C., announced the expansion of its LGBT collection. “As cultural sensitivities and politics have changed,” curator Katherine Ott says, “now seemed like an opportune time to more aggressively, directly, and openly collect LGBT materials.” Read more
Kellogg gets criticism, support for gay pride ad
By Frank Utsil
(Nov. 12, 2014 | Batte Creek Enquirer) - Conservative groups are taking to social media to criticize a Kellogg ad featuring Frosted Flakes character Tony the Tiger that says, "Wear your stripes with pride," and sponsorship of a gay pride march in Atlanta. Read More
'Drag Race' girls star in first Starbucks LGBT commercial
By James Nichols
(Oct. 30, 2014 | The Washington Post) - Well here's one place we certainly didn't think we'd see the "RuPaul's Drag Race Girls" pop up. Starbucks released what is reportedly its very first lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)-themed commercial this week starring the top two contestants from "Drag Race" season six: Adore Delano and Bianca Del Rio. The commercial is cheeky, fun and a little bit silly, but it's nice to see these two gaining some more mainstream traction. Read more
More gay and transgender characters are on TV, report shows
By Jeremy Egner
(Oct. 27, 2015 | The New York Times) - Cable and streaming services are far outpacing broadcasters when it comes to including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender characters in their shows. Read more
Identity-free identity politics
By Tim Murphy
(Oct. 22, 2015 | The CUT) - “Currently, I say that I am agender. I’m removing myself from the social construct of gender,” says Mars Marson, a 21-year-old NYU film major with a thatch of short black hair.
Marson is talking to me amid a roomful of Queer Union students at the school’s LGBTQ student center, where a front-desk bin offers free buttons that let visitors proclaim their preferred pronoun. Of the seven students gathered at the Queer Union, five prefer the singular they, meant to denote the kind of post-gender self-identification Marson describes. Read more
Cuomo planning discrimination protections for transgender New Yorkers
By Jesse McKinley
(Oct. 22, 2015 | The New York Times) - Taking action on a political issue that has long been stalled in Albany, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Thursday announced executive action intended to protect transgender people from discrimination in housing, employment and other areas. Read more
Round-up: State of gay rights in other countries
- Law punishing gay sex with caning takes effect in Indonesia (The New York Times | Oct. 23, 2015)
- Gay couples celebrate civil unions for first time in Chile (The New York Times | Oct. 22, 2015)
- Russian Communists call for 15 days in jail for coming out as gay (Yahoo! News, Oct. 26, 2015)
Six LGBT ads that challenged traditional adland thinking
(Aug. 13, 2015 | The Guardian) - Advertising reflects society. More often than not, it presents an image built on traditional views of sexuality, gender identity and gender roles. However, in recent years, brands have been presenting a more diverse world view. Read more
GLAAD says LGBT well-represented on TV; Next step is diversity
By Whitney Friedlander
(September 3, 2015 | Variety) - LGBT-focused media advocacy organization GLAAD had some positive news to report when it released its Network Responsibility Index on Thursday: Two channels received the top score of excellent from the annual report that charts the quantity, quality, and diversity of LGBT representation on television. Read more
Related Article
- John Oliver tackles LGBT discrimination
Jenner to DeGeneres: ‘I’m a Traditionalist’
By Sheryl Estrada
(Sept. 10, 2015 | DiversityInc.) - Caitlyn Jenner hardly supports same-gender marriage.Jenner publicly came out as transgender in an interview with journalist Diane Sawyer in April. However, during the season premiere of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which aired on Tuesday, she expressed lukewarm feelings toward marriage equity. Read more
Ellen Degeneres and Gap launch inclusive clothing line for girls
By Caroline Bologna
(Sept. 2, 2015 | The Huffington Post) - Ellen Degeneres just reached a new level of awesome. The comedian and talk show host teamed up with Gap to launch GapKids x ED, which is described on the company's site as "a collaboration dedicated to supporting girls just as they are, whether they skateboard or dance, wear dresses or jeans, build forts or paint rainbows, or everything in between. We encourage girls everywhere to take pride in what makes them unique." Read more
UK ad industry gets its first LGBT leadership group
(Sept. 3, 2015 | The Guardian) - The UK advertising industry is to get its first lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender leadership group, PrideAM, whose founders include the chair of Stonewall. Read more
Once a pariah, now a judge: The early transgender journey of Phyllis Frye
By Deborah Sontag
(Aug. 29, 2015 | The New York Times ) - Nearly four decades before Caitlyn Jenner introduced herself to the world, Phyllis Randolph Frye came out as a transgender woman in a far less glamorous way. No Diane Sawyer, no Vanity Fair. Read more
Lesbian couples are featured in TV commercials of Wells Fargo and Chobani
Related stories
- ‘Steamy’ ‘Stunning’ and ‘Sexy’: Media Praise Chobani Yogurt Commercial Showing Lesbians Naked in Bed Together (June 16, 2015 | NewsBusters)
- Gay-friendly Wells Fargo ad sparks conservative protest (June 17, 2015 | Philly Voice)
LGBT rights issues got more exposure because of social media
By Kerri-Anne Mesner
(June 10, 2015 | The Bulletin) - A gay rights advocate says people are happier to support Marriage Equality over the internet than in person. Kris May, a former Rockhampton resident now living in Mackay, says social media has given the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) community much more exposure than pre-social media days. Read more
U.S. presidential candidates's outreach among LGBT community
Frontiers Media reports that Hillary Clinton campaign launch includes LGBT rights while, according to a BuzzFeed report, Republicans have used Caitlyn Jenner’s image for outreach at Los Angeles' LGBT Pride.
Gay in Putin's Moscow: Why the city is pinker than you think
(June 13, 2015 | The Guardian) - “Moscow is like a small European city in the mid-90s,” says Anton Krasovsky. “Everybody knows everybody. Everybody knows who’s gay, even if nobody’s out.”
Well, not nobody. In 2013, when the Duma was debating a new law outlawing “gay propaganda”, Krasovsky was a beloved Russian TV personality, working for a news channel he’d co-founded called Kontr TV. At the end of a wide-ranging discussion on the proposed legislation, Krasovsky said, on air: “I’m gay. And I’m just as much a human being as President Putin, or Prime Minister Medvedev, or the members of the Duma.” Read more
LGBT Press spending up in 2014
By Erik Sass
(May 19, 2015 | Media Post ) - While mainstream consumer magazines and newspapers suffered another round of print ad declines last year, LGBT media continued to defy the trend with increased spending, led by local media. Read more
‘Entertainment Weekly’ shows pride with LGBT issue
By Dominic Preston
(June 16, 2015 | Frontiers Media) - Entertainment Weekly is the latest mainstream company to get involved with Pride month, celebrating with a special LGBT issue on newsstands right now.
Laverne Cox graces the front cover dressed as Lady Liberty herself for an in-depth interview about her career, Caitlyn Jenner and the pressure of being the world’s most famous transgender actor. “My beauty is not about how I look,” Cox explains. “My beauty is about my heart and soul.” Read more
Global discrimination against LGBT persons: 2015 United Nations report
(June 8, 2015 | Journalist's Resource) - On February 23, 2015, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced that career diplomat Randy Berry would be the first-ever Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBT Persons. Berry’s mission is to “advance efforts underway to move toward a world free from violence and discrimination against LGBT persons.” While Berry plans to travel to countries such as Uganda, where homosexuality is a criminal offense, his primary focus is to target the large number of states with moderate views hoping to expedite the already rapid progress some regions are making. Read more
One new opportunity for LGBT media makers
By Briana Rodriguez
(March 13, 2015 | Backstage) - Shahid Manning is the founder of the not-for-profit Millennia Scope Entertainment Foundation, aiming to dispel homophobia by giving LGBT filmmakers a leg up in the entertainment industry. Read more
LGBTQ media confab looks ahead to post-marriage reporting
by Gretchen Rachel Hammond
(March 25, 2015 | Windy City Media Group) - LGBTQ media professionals gathered in Philadelphia on March 13-14, as they looked forward to the issues that will take center stage post-marriage-equality and inward to their reporting of them. Read more
Kevin Naff: Shame on Wash Post for defending Schock, attacking LGBT media
By Kevin Naff
(March 20, 2015 | Washington Blade) - The Washington Post’s Steven Petrow should stick to polite and safe-for-suburban-sensibilities columns about which side of the aisle to sit at a gay wedding and leave the politics of outing to those who know something about it.
For years, readers have endured the Post’s irresponsible, inaccurate and sometimes downright homophobic coverage — from straight-washing our obituaries to ignoring our contributions to the military to carefully excising any mention of sexuality or significant others from news and feature stories. Read more
See how far a onetime enemy of gay equality has evolved
By Neil Broverman
(Feb. 26, 2015 | Advocate.Com) - Mike Bowers set the gay rights movement back 17 years. Bowers, Georgia's former attorney general, successfully argued to the Supreme Court in 1986 that bans on consensual gay sex are constitutional. His narrowly won case — a 5-4 decision — not only repudiated private same-sex relations, it helped usher in other antigay measures, like laws banning adoption by same-sex couples and policies allowing employees to be fired for being LGBT. Read more
Michigan may allow adoption agencies to refuse service to gay couples
By Kate Abbey-Lambertz
(March 18, 2015 | The Huffington Post) - Legislation that would allow Michigan adoption agencies to refuse service to same-sex couples for religious reasons -- while still receiving public funds -- will head to the Michigan Senate. Read more
Half of young people believe gender isn’t limited to male and female
By Jorge Rivas
(Feb. 3, 2015 | Fuson.Net) - Half of all Millennials believe that gender exists on a spectrum, and shouldn’t be limited to the categories of male and female, according to Fusion’s Massive Millennial Poll, which surveyed 1,000 people aged 18-34 about everything from politics to dating to race issues. Read more
Why does Facebook censor gay images?
By Christopher Harrity
(Jan. 30, 2015 | Advocate.Com) - Michael Stokes is a well known photographer with a thriving business. His beautifully staged images of physically fit men are familiar to many. He's also a photo collector and historian who recently produced a book with Taschen on WW2 photos of soldiers at ease and quite naked. Read more
LGBT love and anxiety: The ambiguity and politics of the world press photo of the year
(Feb. 13, 2015 | BagNewsNotes.Com) - You can talk about a photo in terms of what you believe it generally reflects or you can be more rigorous and address its content and nuances in a more specific way. In this case – and to the credit of the World Press Photo of the Year – a more careful reading of the picture reveals Mad Nissen’s photograph, “Jon and Alex,” as that much more powerful a choice. Read more
Dot[.]LGBT domain is officially launched
By Brian Fagioli
(Feb. 10, 2015 | BetaNews.Com) - One of the proudest things of my lifetime, is witnessing the growing acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the United States. While hatred and discrimination still exist, it is far less nowadays. Heck, the number of states that allow gay marriage is increasing all of the time, while more and more people are being open-minded about gender. Today, a monumental thing is happening on the Internet -- the .LGBT domain launches to the public. Read more
LGBT Ugandans Launch Magazine to Share 'Our Voices, Our Stories, Our Lives'
By Dawn Ennis
(Feb. 11, 2015 | Advocate.Com) - The writers, activists, and poets behind Bombastic, a new magazine published by and for LGBTI Ugandans, are bringing real stories, commentaries, and poems by gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people in Uganda to its people. Read more
This Philippine clothing brand’s pro-LGBT ad is being helped out by a hashtag
By Matt Ortile
(Feb. 15, 2015 | BuzzFeed) - The billboards feature Filipina actress and icon Gloria Romero with her grandson, Chris Gutierrez, and Bench model Solenn Heussaff with her fiancé, Nico Bolzico. Read more
"Little" media coverage of the murders of 4 "unarmed" Black transgender women
By Julissa Catalan
(Feb. 10, 2015 | DiversityInc.) - While the media has been focusing on the killings of unarmed Black men—particularly Eric Garner and Michael Brown—there has been little coverage of the murders of four unarmed Black transgender women. Read more
Google apologizes, fixes anti-gay slurs in translator
By Julissa Catalan
(Feb. 4, 2015 | DiversityInc.) - Google has released a formal apology following backlash for a glitch in its Translator tool, which converted the word “gay” into homophobic slurs when translating from English to French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Read more
Alabama becomes 37th state to legalize same-gender marriage
By Julissa Catalan
(Feb. 10, 2015 | DiversityInc.) - On Monday, Alabama began issuing marriage licenses to same-gender couples after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request to stay a federal judge’s ruling striking down the state’s same-gender-marriage ban. Read more
Segal: Hollywood lags behind on LGBT issues
(Jan. 23, 2015 | Source: Philly.Com) - Hollywood’s award season is upon us! This week we saw the Golden Globes and the release of the nominations for the Academy Awards, aka the Oscars. At both, several LGBT people were recognized — and that’s important, since a major part of the fight for equality is about visibility and being treated equally in all areas. Read more
How the media gives anti-LGTBs a platform they don't deserve
By Steve Williams
(Jan. 2, 2015 | Care2.Com) - Doctor Who has a big “gay agenda!” That’s the cry of a handful of complaints made to the BBC this past year. Rather than the complaints themselves being worrying, though, it’s the media’s treatment of them that ‘s really the big problem here. Ever since the science fiction show was revived in 2005, Doctor Who has prompted accusations of having a “homosexual agenda” because of its inclusive attitude to depicting characters of various sexual orientations. From omnisexual Jack Harkness to female (and cross-species) couple Madame Vastra and Jenny Flint, the series hasn’t been shy about same-sex kisses or relationships.
Read more
Cartoon Network allegedly censors first on-screen gay kiss
By James Nichols (Oct. 28, 2014 | The Huffington Post) - Did Cartoon Network just censor their first representation of a same-sex kiss on air? During a recent episode of "Clarence," the network featured an (extremely) brief gay kiss between two characters -- on either cheek. According to Queerty, not only is this the first same-sex kiss on Cartoon Network, but the characters serve no relevant plot purpose and seem to be on the receiving end of a tired joke. Read more
Fox News is trying to kill Houston's equal rights ordinance
By Carlos Maza
(Oct. 6, 2014 | The Huffington Post Blog ) - Fox News helped turn a bogus story about subpoenas sent to a handful of Houston pastors into a national rallying cry for religious liberty. Now the network is helping promote an event that will pit some of the country's most extreme anti-LGBT voices against the city's nondiscrimination ordinance. Read more
Kyrgyzstan's anti-gay bill: Just following in Russia's footsteps?
By Cai Wilkinson
(Oct. 7, 2014 | EurasiaNet) - In early 2013, shortly after the Russian Duma approved a bill outlawing what Russian officials described as "homosexual propaganda," I spent several weeks in Bishkek interviewing local LGBT and human rights activists. The aim was to discern how Kyrgyzstan had emerged as a bright spot for LGBT activism in a region well-known for intolerance of homosexuality and gender variance. Read more
Why LGBT communities and our allies should care about Net Neutrality
By Mary Gray
(Nov. 12, 2014 | The Huffington Post) - It's easy to forget the larger, community benefits of an Open Internet that doesn't discriminate based on the content flowing through the fiber (or however it gets to you). But let's get specific. How does this open network nurture and support underserved and marginalized LGBT communities and why does something like Net Neutrality matter to our future? Read More