by Joe Flint
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and the National Hispanic Media Coalition want the Federal Communications Commission to shut down "Jose Luis Sin Censura," a raunchy talk show that might best be described as a Spanish-language version of Jerry Springer's program.
"We want it off the air," said NHMC President and Chief Executive Alex Nogales, who called the show "pornography" "Jose Luis Sin Censura" is carried by Liberman Broadcasting's Estrella TV.
The show, which airs in the afternoons across the country, including on KRCA-TV in Los Angeles, often turns into a shouting match between young men who often insult each other with anti-gay slurs. Fists fly as well.
"We are put at risk by this content," said Jarrett Barrios, President of GLAAD. "This is far and away the most outrageous and defamatory television show."
"They encourage people to go and beat up the people who are declaring themselves to be gay," Nogales said.
When guys aren't calling each other names, scantily clad women get into the act. One clip that GLAAD and the NHMC sent to the FCC shows a young woman giving what looks to be a tutorial on lap dances to the men in the studio audience.
Although some of the language on the show is bleeped, much of is not. To make things easier for the FCC, the almost 200-page complaint includes a dictionary of the Spanish words that are heard regularly on "Jose Luis Sin Censura" that GLAAD and the NHMC find particularly offensive.
Liberman Broadcasting Chief Operating Officer Winter Horton declined comment on the complaints of GLAAD and the NHMC.
Nogales has expressed concern in the past about the FCC's willingness and ability to enforce indecency regulations when it comes to Spanish programming. In a news release announcing the filing to the commission, Nogales expressed concern about a "pattern of weak FCC enforcement" against Spanish-language broadcasters.
"I think there is a question of whether the FCC is capable of handling complaints about Spanish-language programming," said Jessica Gonzalez, NHMC vice president of policy and legal affairs.
Asked for a response, the FCC forwarded examples of fines it had issued to Spanish-language broadcasters for indecent content in the past, and a spokesman said in an e-mail that the agency reviews all complaints and will take action when appropriate.
-- Joe Flint
ORIGINAL SOURCE
Showing posts with label GLAAD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GLAAD. Show all posts
Monday, February 28, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Studies: Gay Marriage Boosts State Budgets
Recent studies are increasingly supportive of the idea that marriage equality will have not only moral and psychological impacts on the people involved, but could also bring economic prosperity to their states in the long term. Read more here...
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
GLAAD Launches Media Institute for LGBT People of Color, Urges You to Amplify Your Voice
GLAAD wants to make sure that Americans hear from all voices within our diverse community and now here is your chance to speak out!
Today GLAAD announced the launch of a People of Color Media Training Institute as a part of its National People of Color Media Initiative. This Institute, funded by the Arcus Foundation, was created for people of color who are LGBT or LGBT allies, and was designed to train passionate professionals working in national media outlets to speak about issues that impact the lives of LGBT people and their families.
The Institute will consist of a two-day advanced spokesperson training program in New York and Los Angeles. Participants will benefit from training in the areas of framing and messaging for on-camera and radio interviews, led by GLAAD staff, leading journalists and talking heads and key media trainers.
Want to tell your story with Americans on local and national news outlets? Applicants to the Institute can submit an application through GLAAD’s website at http://www.glaad.org/programs/pocmedia. The program will be limited to 25-30 people, who will receive ongoing support, coaching and training from GLAAD staff, including quarterly progress reviews.
“While the visibility of LGBT people and issues continues to grow, far too often the voices, views and faces of people of color are underrepresented, if represented at all, in American news, entertainment and online media,” said GLAAD’s Senior Director of Media Programs Rashad Robinson. “This initiative will help us elevate more voices and continue GLAAD’s ongoing effort to ensure that LGBT issues are represented in a fair, accurate and inclusive way – celebrating the rich diversity of the community and our allies.”
source
Monday, February 7, 2011
Ricky Martin becomes a hero for Latino gays
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| (AP Photo/Charles Sykes) |
NEW YORK—It's been almost a year since Ricky Martin announced to the world he was gay, but among many gay Latinos, a community that has lived in obscurity for fear of harassment or rejection, his message is still making an impact.
"Today I ACCEPT MY HOMOSEXUALITY as a gift that gives me life," Martin wrote last March in an open letter to his fans, after refusing to speak about his sexual orientation for years. "I feel blessed to be who I am!"
"By hiding, he validated millions of closeted gays' that homosexuality is not honorable," Daniel Shoer Roth, a Venezuelan columnist of the Miami Herald who is gay, told The Associated Press recently.
"In the gay community we have always known that Ricky Martin is one of us," he added. "Because he is an idol, Ricky has paved the way so these gays now say, 'If he could do it, so can I.'"
The revelation of the Puerto Rican singer and activist, whose album "Music+Soul+Sex" came out last week, has had positive effects for the Latino gay community and the society in general, according to advocates for the gay, lesbian and transgender community.
"The example of Ricky Martin as citizen of the world, humanitarian, father, intelligent person, is a good example for those who have obvious stereotypes and also for those who don't have prejudice but have ideas that may act as barriers in the lives of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT)," said Jarrett Barrios, president of GLAAD (The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). "Ideas like 'a gay man is good to water my flowers at home but not for business' limit the opportunities for the LGBT community."
Pedro Julio Serrano, communications manager of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, says that "when Ricky made the announcement the tectonic plates moved, it was almost like an earthquake."
"It was one of the most important news in the fight for equality that the Latino LGBT community leads. It touches the hearts and opens the minds of many people," said Serrano, who became a friend of the artist after his announcement.
Ricardo Torres, a Mexican man who was raised in Texas and lives in Chicago, was in the audience when Oprah Winfrey interviewed Martin last year. He thanked Martin, saying that his revelation was good for his own relationship with his mother.
"For the first time my mother asked me personal questions. For almost 20 years she has known that I am gay but she never asked anything ... she told me not to tell anyone else in my family. It was a secret ... a big taboo," Torres, 38, told the AP.
"Everything changed after Ricky came out of the closet," he added. "Like someone in our family came out and by doing so gave us the right to live more openly."
And the audience in general seems to support Martin.
"Me," which came out November 2, was a New York Times best-seller and its Spanish edition, "Yo," reached No. 1 biography in the United States. His single "Lo mejor de mi vida eres tu," released the same week of the book, was at the top of Billboard's Latin Pop Songs chart (English version "The Best Thing About Me Is You" debuted on Oprah and was officially released on February 1.)
"If in Puerto Rico people used to love him, now they love him even more," said Serrano, who recounted that during Martin's first public appearance post-announcement, in April at the Latin Billboard Awards, the singer not only received a standing ovation in the theater but a multitudinous cheer from the people on the streets.
"That says a lot about the welcoming and I think demonstrates the reality of our society," he said. "Even though we still have to fight a lot of homophobia, there is much more acceptance today."
According to statistics published online by The Trevor Project, a help-line for LGBT teenagers who may be contemplating suicide, LGBT youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers; more than one third have attempted taking their own lives and those in highly rejecting families are more than eight times as likely to have attempted suicide than LGBT peers who reported no or low levels of family rejection.
Torres considers that "one of the biggest positive effects (of Ricky's coming out) is that Latino teenagers that are struggling with their sexuality have an example to follow."
"Ricky gives hope to thousands of teens that are recognizing their sexual orientation or their gender identity and this tells them that even when there is homophobia and lack of acceptance, they can get to be whatever they want to be," Serrano concluded. "I believe that with his story he is saving lives, and for me that is crucial, it is wonderful."
source
Sunday, January 30, 2011
GLAAD Demands Action from NBC/Comcast for Transphobic SNL Skit
This Saturday, on an airing of Saturday Night Live, NBC (a subsidiary of Comcast) broadcast a dangerous and blatantly transphobic segment which they called ‘Estro-Maxxx’ - the punchline of which was the lives of countless transgender people across the country.
The piece was a mock commercial for estrogen replacement therapy and featured men with facial hair wearing dresses, meant to represent transgender women. This segment cannot be defended as “just a joke” because there was no “joke” to speak of. The attempted comedy of the skit hinges solely on degrading the lives and experiences of transgender women. Dehumanizing holding people up for ridicule simply on the basis of their identity fuels a dangerous and hurtful climate and puts people in danger, especially given how infrequently the media shines a fair and accurate light on the lives of transgender people.
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation calls upon Comcast and NBC to apologize and remove the segment from Hulu and all future airings of the show.
source
Saturday, January 22, 2011
GLAAD Media Award Winner ‘Prayers for Bobby’ to Re-Air on Lifetime this Saturday
The 2009 Lifetime TV movie ‘Prayers for Bobby,’ starring Sigourney Weaver, tells the poignant true story of Mary Griffith’s rejection of her son’s coming out as gay, and her decision to join the fight for LGBT equality after his suicide. ‘Prayers for Bobby’ went on to win for Outstanding Television Movie or Mini-Series at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards, and garnered numerous other nominations and awards, including two Primetime Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination.
On December 14, 2010, ‘Prayers for Bobby’ was released on DVD by A&E Home Entertainment. Its bonus features include Sigourney Weaver’s acceptance speech at the GLAAD Media Awards which you can see below.
This weekend, viewers will also get a second chance to see this powerful film on the Lifetime Movie Network. ‘Prayers for Bobby’ will re-air on Lifetime on Saturday, January 22 at 4 PM.
(To buy your copy of ‘Prayers for Bobby’, click here.)
GLAAD spoke to Executive Producer Daniel Sladek, who will appear on a cineGLAAD panel this year at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, and Mary Griffith to discuss Prayers for Bobby and its impact:
GLAAD: What has been the Griffith family’s experience throughout the making and release of Prayers for Bobby?
Bobby’s mother, Mary Griffith: This experience has been truly inspirational… from the beginning to the end. I never realized so many people could find comfort and peace of mind from watching ‘Prayers for Bobby.’ I’m glad we all stayed true to the course we started out on, thanks to my producers Daniel Sladek, Chris Taaffe and David Permut and the entire team that made ‘Prayers for Bobby’ possible.
GLAAD: How did you decide to produce this film?
Daniel Sladek: My partner Chris Taaffe picked up a copy of the then just-published book Prayers for Bobby by author Leroy Aarons (founding president of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association) at A Different Light Bookstore in West Hollywood. We were both deeply moved by Mary Griffith’s story and pursued the rights. Lucky for us, Mary and Leroy said yes. We then teamed with producer David Permut and began a decade plus journey to get Prayers to the screen.
GLAAD: What was Sigourney Weaver’s reaction when she read the script and her involvement throughout
DS: Sigourney was profoundly moved by Mary’s story and immediately jumped onboard. Ultimately, Sigourney is the reason PFB got made. Her enthusiasm and dedication to not only the movie but also the fight for equality left us in awe. We could not have asked for a better actress and activist than Sigourney to represent “Prayers.”
GLAAD: What kind of reactions or feedback have you received from viewers?
DS: Stunning reactions. Thousands of emails have arrived at www.prayersforbobby.com with people sharing their own stories after viewing the film. We’re thrilled the DVD is finally available so that people can pass it along to their friends and family.
GLAAD: What would you hope for viewers to learn from this film?
DS: Mary Griffith will be the first to tell you that it was her own fear and ignorance that lead her to believe she could “cure” Bobby, which ultimately lead to Bobby killing himself. My hope is that the film leaves viewers with the message that gay kids are perfect just the way God made them.
GLAAD: What has been the Griffith family’s experience throughout the making and release of Prayers for Bobby?
DS: The Griffith family are such special people. They put their trust in us to make a very personal film about a time in their lives that as you can imagine, is incredibly painful for them. We could not have asked for a kinder, loving family than the Griffiths. Bobby would be incredibly proud of them.
GLAAD: How do you hope the DVD release and re-airing of Prayers for Bobby will contribute to the current dialogue on LGBT rights?
DS: Although the Griffith’s story takes place in the early 1980’s, society is still dealing with the same issues of ignorance and fear. Gay teen suicide has been in the news a lot lately but the story of gay teens killing themselves is nothing new. Our hope was that Prayers for Bobby would help to open hearts and minds. Our goal was always that this DVD would be passed along when people who are gay or their family members were having trouble with the coming out process.
GLAAD: What special features can we expect from the DVD?
DS: Interviews with the executive producers, Sigourney Weaver and other cast members. Meet the real Mary Griffith. New PSA’s from Sigourney (for PFLAG) and Daniel Radcliffe (for The Trevor Project). Also a “Road to the GLAAD Awards” presentation.
GLAAD: What was your reaction to receiving the GLAAD Media Award last year?
DS: Winning the 2010 GLAAD Award was the culmination of our Prayers for Bobby experience. It followed our 2009 Emmy Award nomination and our 2010 Producers Guild nomination for the film. Accepting the award standing alongside Sigourney Weaver, all of us having shared in such a profound experience, was a memory that I will treasure.
source
Monday, January 10, 2011
Get Involved in MTV’s “A Thin Line” Campaign Against Cyber Abuse
by Angela Dallara, GLAAD's National News/Transgender Advocacy Fellow
GLAAD is proud to support a new initiative by MTV called “A Thin Line,” which aims to prevent digital abuse and harassment. The campaign is geared towards young people and includes contributions from celebrities such as Michelle Trachtenberg, Asher Roth, and the Jersey Shore’s Vinny Guadagnino, in order to motivate MTV viewers to get involved.
The online series includes information on common forms of abuse on digital platforms, such as “sexting,” spying, and nonstop communication, as well as suggestions on how to help yourself and others who are victims of cyber abuse. An interactive quiz helps users consider their methods of responding to difficult situations regarding online privacy, and a “Draw Your Line” feature allows them to share what they are doing to stop Internet and cell phone harassment, connecting them to other users’ actions across the nation. It urges youth not to use technology as a means for negative interactions, referring to “the line” as the distinction between digital use and abuse.
Since the success of its initial launch, “A Thin Line” is continuing to expand its mission and has two new opportunities for young people to play a role in the movement against digital abuse. First, creators are developing a Youth Street Team to consist of a select group of youth advisors who ensure that all of the voices of MTV’s audience are represented throughout the campaign. They are seeking people with unique skills and interests to raise awareness about the issue of cyber bullying, to offer input to the “Thin Line” team, and to engage with the community by driving new conversations through social media. Applications are being accepted now.
Furthermore, developers are looking for young people to share their personal stories of cyber abuse. MTV is welcoming both victims of digital hate, who have been bullied, teased or discriminated against through texting or the Internet, and those who act as these “digital haters.” The youth will be featured in an upcoming episode of the network’s popular documentary series “True Life,” and MTV is hosting casting calls now.
MTV has consistently been one of the most inclusive networks for the LGBT community, receiving the highest rating from GLAAD’s Network Responsibility Index in 2009-2010. This campaign is an important way to offer support to everyone, both straight and LGBT, who has been affected by cyber bullying, digital dating abuse, digital discrimination, and other forms of technological harm. GLAAD encourages all of its followers to participate in “A Thin Line” and to share its resources with others.
source
GLAAD is proud to support a new initiative by MTV called “A Thin Line,” which aims to prevent digital abuse and harassment. The campaign is geared towards young people and includes contributions from celebrities such as Michelle Trachtenberg, Asher Roth, and the Jersey Shore’s Vinny Guadagnino, in order to motivate MTV viewers to get involved.
The online series includes information on common forms of abuse on digital platforms, such as “sexting,” spying, and nonstop communication, as well as suggestions on how to help yourself and others who are victims of cyber abuse. An interactive quiz helps users consider their methods of responding to difficult situations regarding online privacy, and a “Draw Your Line” feature allows them to share what they are doing to stop Internet and cell phone harassment, connecting them to other users’ actions across the nation. It urges youth not to use technology as a means for negative interactions, referring to “the line” as the distinction between digital use and abuse.
Since the success of its initial launch, “A Thin Line” is continuing to expand its mission and has two new opportunities for young people to play a role in the movement against digital abuse. First, creators are developing a Youth Street Team to consist of a select group of youth advisors who ensure that all of the voices of MTV’s audience are represented throughout the campaign. They are seeking people with unique skills and interests to raise awareness about the issue of cyber bullying, to offer input to the “Thin Line” team, and to engage with the community by driving new conversations through social media. Applications are being accepted now.
Furthermore, developers are looking for young people to share their personal stories of cyber abuse. MTV is welcoming both victims of digital hate, who have been bullied, teased or discriminated against through texting or the Internet, and those who act as these “digital haters.” The youth will be featured in an upcoming episode of the network’s popular documentary series “True Life,” and MTV is hosting casting calls now.
MTV has consistently been one of the most inclusive networks for the LGBT community, receiving the highest rating from GLAAD’s Network Responsibility Index in 2009-2010. This campaign is an important way to offer support to everyone, both straight and LGBT, who has been affected by cyber bullying, digital dating abuse, digital discrimination, and other forms of technological harm. GLAAD encourages all of its followers to participate in “A Thin Line” and to share its resources with others.
source
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Apple Rejects Homophobic iPhone App for the Second Time
by Angela Dallara, GLAAD's National News/Transgender Advocacy Fellow
Apple has upheld its decision to reject an anti-LGBT, anti-choice iPhone App despite protests from Christian organizations and a revision of the original application by its creators.
The “Manhattan Declaration” application “reaffirms the moral teachings of our Christian faith on the sanctity of human life, marriage and sexual morality, and religious freedom and the rights of conscience,” quotes the Christian Post. The Declaration is a 4,700-word statement signed by many Christian religious leaders and citizens that claims to speak “in defense of the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty. It issues a clarion call to Christians to adhere firmly to their convictions in these three areas.” It calls relationships among LGBT people “immoral sexual partnerships,” and says marriage “is not a civil right” for them, among sending other anti-LGBT messages. The declaration was written in late September 2009, and the application was created this year.
Apple initially approved the application in October, but rejected it in November in response to an outcry from the LGBT community and its allies as well as petitions with almost 8,000 signatures, calling it offensive. The edited version removed a poll which asked users their opinions regarding LGBT relationships and abortion and awarded them points for “correct” answers (which opposed equality for LGBT people). The revised version was submitted along with its own petition.
Apple rejected the second submission on the same grounds as the first, noting that the app is likely “to expose a group to harm” and “to be objectionable and potentially harmful to others.” The Manhattan Declaration website posted a statement on December 23 announcing Apple’s rejection of the app, and the makers of the content plan to take the issue to the Apple’s App Review Board after the holidays. Media coverage of this second rejection does not seem to have been picked up by many conservative outlets as of yet.
GLAAD has been at the forefront of this story since its beginning, and has consistently urged Apple to stand firm against anti-LGBT activists. We presented a Call to Action for readers to speak out against bigotry and to encourage the company to stand strong against intolerance. “This application fuels a climate in which gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people are put in harm’s way. Apple did the right thing in recognizing that this application violates the company’s guidelines,” we commented at the time. We provided significant publicity to this cause, and our petition on Change.org garnered over 4,000 signatures.
GLAAD thanks every supporter who signed our petition and took action after learning about this issue. Apple stood by its decision after you told them to stay strong, and we applaud this huge success.
source
Apple has upheld its decision to reject an anti-LGBT, anti-choice iPhone App despite protests from Christian organizations and a revision of the original application by its creators.
The “Manhattan Declaration” application “reaffirms the moral teachings of our Christian faith on the sanctity of human life, marriage and sexual morality, and religious freedom and the rights of conscience,” quotes the Christian Post. The Declaration is a 4,700-word statement signed by many Christian religious leaders and citizens that claims to speak “in defense of the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty. It issues a clarion call to Christians to adhere firmly to their convictions in these three areas.” It calls relationships among LGBT people “immoral sexual partnerships,” and says marriage “is not a civil right” for them, among sending other anti-LGBT messages. The declaration was written in late September 2009, and the application was created this year.
Apple initially approved the application in October, but rejected it in November in response to an outcry from the LGBT community and its allies as well as petitions with almost 8,000 signatures, calling it offensive. The edited version removed a poll which asked users their opinions regarding LGBT relationships and abortion and awarded them points for “correct” answers (which opposed equality for LGBT people). The revised version was submitted along with its own petition.
Apple rejected the second submission on the same grounds as the first, noting that the app is likely “to expose a group to harm” and “to be objectionable and potentially harmful to others.” The Manhattan Declaration website posted a statement on December 23 announcing Apple’s rejection of the app, and the makers of the content plan to take the issue to the Apple’s App Review Board after the holidays. Media coverage of this second rejection does not seem to have been picked up by many conservative outlets as of yet.
GLAAD has been at the forefront of this story since its beginning, and has consistently urged Apple to stand firm against anti-LGBT activists. We presented a Call to Action for readers to speak out against bigotry and to encourage the company to stand strong against intolerance. “This application fuels a climate in which gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people are put in harm’s way. Apple did the right thing in recognizing that this application violates the company’s guidelines,” we commented at the time. We provided significant publicity to this cause, and our petition on Change.org garnered over 4,000 signatures.
GLAAD thanks every supporter who signed our petition and took action after learning about this issue. Apple stood by its decision after you told them to stay strong, and we applaud this huge success.
source
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