2003 Accomplishments 5.Qx4

Media Trainings Bishop Gene Robin MSNBC Michael Savage Take Action! HIV/AIDS Bug Chasers Rolling Stone stina Aguilera GLAAD Media Awards USA Today Families Matter Boy Meet ESPN Queer Eye Angels in America osie O’Donnell Jerry Thacker Gallup Massachusetts Canada Marriage Eq ames Dobson Anti-Gay Industry Kent in2 Scalia 003Lawrence v. Texas Santorum Hate Crimes Sakia Gunn Bella Evang ational Black Justice Coalition Brides Opinión Bishop Gene Robinson Integ Media Trainings Sabado Gigante AP Announcing Equality New York Time HBO Harvey Milk School “Fag Song” Bravo Write Now! glaad was there. Massachusetts Canada Marriage E New Year’s Hate Crime In Cincinnati – january After media outlets in Cincinnati downplay coverage of the hate-motivated New Year’s ‘Rolling Stone’ Chases Bugs – GLAAD MSNBC’SANTI-GAY SAVAGE calls on Rolling Stone to publicly correct Eve murder of Gregory Beauchamp (who GLAAD FOCUS gross errors of fact and attribution in an was shot to death by a man yelling homo- In February 2003, MSNBC announced it article about “bug chasers,” men who phobic slurs), Associate Regional Media would launch a show featuring viru- actively seek HIV infection. When the anti- Director Michael Young works with local lently homophobic radio host Michael gay Traditional Values Coalition exploits reporters to examine the unique nature of Savage. MSNBC’s Savage Nation pre- the article’s inaccuracies to claim bug- hate-motivated violence. The resulting sented GLAAD an opportunity to focus chasing is an “epidemic,” GLAAD partners media coverage and community activism national attention on cable news’ grow- with HIV/AIDS experts to urge media to leads the city council to introduce and pass ing embrace of right-wing homophobes debunk the TVC’s fabrications and publish a hate crimes law the following month. and debunk the right’s empty claims of accurate information about the context, liberal media bias. scope and impact of this complex issue. february In addition to a high-profile media visi- Exposing Thacker’s Homophobia – Protesting the ‘Fag Song’ – GLAAD calls bility campaign (including coverage in The New York Times, the Washington When anti-gay activist Jerry Thacker is the New York community to action after Post and USA Today), GLAAD launched named to the Presidential Advisory an incident where Power 105.1 D.J.s start an advertiser education initiative and Committee on HIV and AIDS, GLAAD ranking celebrities as “bad boys, middle virtual protest at GLAAD.org — includ- exposes attempts by Thacker supporters boys or fag boys” and burst into a sponta- ing more than 10,000 e-mails sent to to systematically delete evidence of his neous, defamatory ‘fag song’ on the MSNBC and its sponsors. As a result, homophobic rhetoric from the Internet station’s highly rated morning show. Procter & Gamble and General Mills and pitches the story to national media. Thousands of activists listen to the offen- joined more than two dozen companies Following intense media scrutiny of his sive clip — the first-ever use of multimedia in refusing to support Savage Nation — anti-gay rhetoric, Thacker quickly with- audio at GLAAD.org — and deluge the sta- forcing MSNBC to fill ad time with PSAs. draws from consideration. tion with protest e-mails. Within days, station executives apologize and assure GLAAD’s work culminated in MSNBC’s GLAAD that the DJs will no longer be cancellation of Savage Nation on July 7 allowed to use such defamatory language. after Savage referred to a caller as a “sodomite,” saying “You should only get GLAADLAWRENCE FOCUS V. TEXAS Pilot Lighting – GLAAD meets with TV AIDS and die, you pig!” — exactly the producers and executives throughout kind of defamation GLAAD had warned After the U.S. Supreme Court early 2003, offering suggestions on con- MSNBC about. Savage Nation’s demise announced in December 2002 that it tent and terminology for dozens of TV put networks on notice that extending would hear Lawrence v. Texas, Lambda pilots and providing resources for more the reach of homophobes like Michael Legal’s challenge to Texas’ sodomy law, inclusive characters and stories. Among Savage will not go unchallenged. GLAAD teamed with Lambda to coordi- the shows GLAAD consults on: ABC’s It’s nate media outreach and strategy around a case that focused unprece- All Relative, Fox’s A Minute With Stan dented national attention on gay and Hooper, CBS’ Two and a Half Men, and and raise more than $2.4 million for lesbian civil liberties. Fox’s 2004 drama Wonderfalls. GLAAD’s work. Winners and honorees include Six Feet Under, The Laramie Knowing the high stakes involved, march Project, Teen People, USA Today, Rosie GLAAD’s Communications Team — led O’Donnell, Diane Sawyer, Christina by Director of Communications John Exposing ‘Don’t Ask’ Insanity – GLAAD Aguilera, Eric McCormack, Stockard Sonego — developed a multi-faceted works with Servicemembers Legal Channing, Todd Haynes and B.D. Wong. media outreach and education cam- Defense Network (SLDN) to focus media paign, including: ongoing outreach to attention on the U.S. military’s dismissal Santorum’s Slander – After Sen. Rick key political and legal writers, opinion of highly qualified Arabic linguists simply Santorum (R.–Pa.) compares same-sex columnists, editorial page editors and for being gay. As part of its work to high- relationships to incest, bigamy and adul- television booking producers; develop- light wartime issues facing closeted gay tery — and likens homosexuality to ment of a detailed Lawrence resource and lesbian soldiers and their families, bestiality and pedophilia — in an kit at GLAAD.org (accessed more than GLAAD also works with SLDN to create a Associated Press interview, GLAAD push- 10,000 times); and a USA Today op-ed “Gay Military Personnel, Don’t Ask Don’t es for media coverage of Santorum’s by Executive Director Joan M. Garry Tell, and Wartime Deployment” media homophobia, challenging journalists to examining the transformation in cultur- resource kit at GLAAD.org. examine the implications of such rhetoric. al attitudes and media visibility since GLAAD also works closely with local and the court’s 1986 Bowers v. Hardwick New GLAAD.org Launches – As part of its national LGBT groups to develop media decision upholding sodomy laws. $1.1 million Digital Initiative, GLAAD offi- strategy in response to Santorum’s attack. When the Supreme Court struck cially launches the new GLAAD.org. Under Seeing in Color – Under People of Color down sodomy laws on June 26, the daily direction of Digital Content Media Director Mónica Taher’s leader- declaring that gay and lesbian Manager Matt Lum, the new GLAAD.org Americans are “entitled to respect for features message boards, polls, an innova- ship, GLAAD launches a major initiative their private lives,” the landmark tive Take Action center, audio and video to expand visibility of and support for decision set off a firestorm of media multimedia libraries, chats, weekly Stories LGBT communities of color. GLAAD’s ini- coverage that quickly transformed to Watch, and much more. tial focus on Spanish-language media into a discussion of marriage rights, results in the removal of a stereotypical setting the stage for GLAAD to play a april gay character from Univision’s Sabado critical role in shaping the cultural Gigante followed by the show’s first-ever and media discussion that would Stars Power the GLAAD Media Awards – discussion of LGBT issues; extensive cov- dominate the latter half of 2003. The 14th Annual GLAAD Media Awards erage of Lawrence v. Texas and marriage honor 2002’s outstanding media images issues on Univision, CNN en Español and across major Spanish-language newspa- pers; an article in People en Español on july august Buenos Aires’ first civil union ceremony; Taking on the Anti-Gay Industry – As Consecrating Bishop Robinson – and GLAAD op-eds in La Opinión (Los same-sex civil marriage takes center-stage Cathy Renna and Central Regional Media Angeles) and El Nuevo Herald (Miami). in the national dialogue, GLAAD spokes- Manager Tim Rusch provide resources to people debate anti-gay industry groups local and national media covering the may (including the Family Research Council, Episcopal General Convention and its the Traditional Values Coalition and confirmation of the Rev. Canon V. Gene Telling Sakia’s Story – Sakia Gunn, a Concerned Women for America) through- Robinson as the church’s first-ever open- 15-year old African-American lesbian, is out July and August on CNN, Fox News ly gay bishop. Rusch works closely with fatally stabbed May 11 while waiting with Channel and MSNBC. groups such as Integrity and Claiming friends for a bus in Newark, N.J., after hav- the Blessing to provide media with LGBT- ing refused a man’s sexual advances by Here Come the ‘Brides’ – GLAAD’s Cathy affirming voices directly from the telling him she was gay. GLAAD’s News Renna provides resources and back- Convention floor, and GLAAD continues and Regional Media teams offer support ground to Brides magazine for a feature to work with media throughout 2003 as to the family and work with The New York article on same-sex weddings — the first they cover the events leading up to Times and CNN to focus media attention such piece ever published in a major Robinson’s consecration. on Sakia’s story and the need for safe bridal publication. After The New York spaces for Newark’s LGBT youth. Times reports on the Brides feature, Announcing Equality Anniversary – Renna discusses the article on CNN and Launched in August 2002, GLAAD’s ‘Essentials’ Training – GLAAD’s Regional MSNBC. Announcing Equality Project aimed to Media team leads MediaEssentials train- double in one year the number of news- ings at the National Coalition of Brandon Teena Revisited – Northwestern papers that accepted same-sex wedding Anti-Violence Programs conference.

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