1999

glaad was there. Toklas one of the century’s most that central character Tinky fascinating couples, and Winky is . GLAAD includes the late San Executive Director Francisco City Supervisor Joan M. Garry Harvey Milk among its 20 appears on NBC “Heroes & Icons,” Nightly News and accompanied by a brief CBS This Morning to timeline of community expose the history. underlying Falwell’s When GLAAD learns of absurd remarks. problematic synonyms listed January under “bisexual,”“homosexual” March and “woman” in the Merriam-Webster GLAAD contacts FOX Network Collegiate Thesaurus, it contacts the The 10th Anniversary GLAAD Media executives upon learning of an publisher about revising the entries. Awards season begins in New York, upcoming FOX Files segment looking at Among the worst offenses are the drawing record attendees to the sold- the so-called “Gay Underworld.”While inclusion of such derogatory and/or out ceremony. RuPaul, High Art, Rolling FOX claims it is “fair, accurate and misleading epithets as “faggot,” Stone and 20/20 are among those balanced,” the piece is filled with “pansy” and “fruit” under honored. sensationalistic imagery and language “homosexual.” The publisher removes depicting the , gay, bisexual and all such entries from its website until The Associated Press and other major community as depraved, informed revisions can be made. In the news outlets covering the murder of violent and reckless. GLAAD mobilizes a meantime, GLAAD calls together eight openly gay Billy Jack Gaither in letter-writing campaign against FOX leading linguists and community Alabama report uncritically on his and publishes a point-by-point critical representatives to strategize and killers’ claims of a sexual advance. analysis of the segment. inform a set of policy suggestions for GLAAD releases a set of guidelines for journalists covering the story, GLAAD integrates the San Francisco- Merriam-Webster, resulting in the explaining the importance of analytical based Digital (DQ) into its submission of a position paper to the and in-depth reporting on claims of programs as the DQ Initiative at GLAAD publisher. Random House contacts “gay panic,” which suggest that (DQI). The DQI serves as the home for all GLAAD independently later in the year, unwanted passes give license to kill. of GLAAD’s interactive media-related requesting review and comment on the Following the release of GLAAD’s programs and projects, revised edition of its Random House Webster’s College guidelines, coverage of the murder including its established Dictionary. improves noticeably. work in online policy and advocacy, focusing The Christian Action Network calls for on access, privacy and February the addition of a “Homosexual Content online hate; its Throughout the (HC)” rating to the existing TV ratings outreach to year, GLAAD system. GLAAD highlights the double interactive media continues the standard already employed in rating professionals; and publication of television shows and notes that parents its newly developed GLAADAlert, its may unwittingly use V-Chip technology cybertrainings, bi-weekly (which will be mandated for all new which provide activation tool, televisions beginning in 2000) to cut cyberactivist skills, providing their lesbian, gay, bisexual and including tools needed summary and transgender children off from on- to develop Web sites and analysis of media screen role models who can potentially online campaigns. coverage. With an provide lifelines to isolated youth. GLAAD meets with Time estimated readership of more Computer industry giant Intel releases magazine’s senior editorial staff to than 150,000 community members its Pentium III chip with a technological discuss the absence of lesbian and gay across the country, GLAADAlert provides feature capable of transmitting a user’s coverage in the magazine’s 75th readers with opportunities to get identity across the Internet. Joining anniversary retrospective and 1998 involved by contacting the producers of with other leading online advocacy year-end edition. In 1999, special issues both affirmative and defamatory organizations, GLAAD registers a formal celebrating the “100 Most Influential media images. GLAAD also connects complaint with the Federal Trade People of the Century” are dramatically journalists with issues of concern to Commission (FTC). As a result, the ad improved. In the “Scientists & Thinkers” the lesbian and gay community hoc coalition secures a meeting with issue, Time includes a detailed through GLAADLines, its weekly tipsheet FTC officials to educate them about the biography of gay mathematician Alan for media professionals. potential use of the Pentium III Turing. And in June, Time makes Rev. Jerry Falwell’s monthly newsletter technology for invasion of online mention of several lesbian athletes, publishes a critique of the popular privacy and access. names Gertrude Stein and Alice B. children’s show Teletubbies, claiming April person labeled as “a freak of nature,” Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Greensboro, GLAAD contacts KIA, saying:“Labeling N.C.; Kalamazoo, Mich.; Los Angeles; Whoopi Goldberg, Melissa Etheridge & someone a ‘freak’ passes judgment; it Louisville, Ky.; Nashville; Philadelphia; Julie Cypher, Will & Grace and Gods and perpetuates ; and in this Richmond, Va.; San Francisco; Monsters are among the honorees at the case, it stigmatizes an entire group of Washington, D.C.; Willmer, Minn.; and Los Angeles Media people.” KIA agrees and pulls the ad. many more. Awards ceremony, which draws In cooperation with the Gay, Lesbian August nearly 2,000 and Straight Education Network attendees. (GLSEN), GLAAD mobilizes community In response to increasingly virulent support for the film It’s Elementary: anti-gay rhetoric used by radio talk- GLAAD launches Talking About Gay Issues in School as it show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger, a campaign begins airing on public television. GLAAD launches a public education underwritten by GLAAD also contacts outlets airing campaign, generating thousands of ABSOLUT and Suffer the Children, an inflammatory, letters critical of her divisive, Entertainment Weekly anti-gay American Family Association inflammatory rhetoric; her exclusive calling for community members to vote film released to counter It’s Elementary. use of anti-gay sources such as the for the 20 Best Lesbian and Gay Films of The film’s Academy Award-winning Family Research Council; and her lack of the Century. Nearly 6,000 ballots are director Debra Chasnoff describes respect for differing points of view. received by December. The list of winners GLAAD’s assistance as “integral to [the] GLAAD also meets with Paramount is to be printed in special editions success” of the film’s broadcast. Television executives to discuss the of Entertainment Weekly and format and content of Schlessinger’s posted online in February July forthcoming television program. 2000. GLAAD staff travel to GLAAD releases its annual Fall TV May Seattle for Unity ’99, Scoreboard, tallying lesbian, gay, the joint conference bisexual and transgender Larry King, author of the national representations on primetime Armistead Maupin, Black, Hispanic, television. GLAAD calls for more Lesbigay Radio and Asian-American and substantive lesbian and gay characters Dockers Khakis are Native American – especially those of color . among those journalist honored at the associations, and one At its San Francisco Salute to Interactive Washington, DC, Media of the largest-ever Media event, GLAAD lays the Awards ceremony.The gatherings of U.S. groundwork for bringing its Media 10th Annual GLAAD Media journalists, with more than Awards to San Francisco in 2000. The Awards are covered by more than 6,000 attendees. Over the course event honors PlanetOut CEO Megan 150 local, national and international of the year, GLAAD is represented on Smith and GeoCities founder David media outlets and raise more corporate panels and in workshops at conferences Bohnett. Other 1999 event highlights support than any other lesbian and gay including those of the American Society include the second annual Kansas City community event to date. of Training and Development; the GLAADTidings – still the only national National Latino/a Lesbian and Gay lesbian and gay organizational event A coalition of conservative religious Organization (LLEGO); the Society for held in Kansas City – and the inaugural political groups places a television Human Relations Management; and Atlanta GLAADTidings. advertisement on a Washington, DC, the Universal Fellowship of television station, promoting We-Blocker.com, manufacturer of a Metropolitan Community Churches; the “conversion” for and . popular Internet filtering program, Forward Motion conference on female- Appealing to the principle of truth in sends notices to numerous community to-male transgender issues; the advertising, GLAAD organizes a coalition organizations and companies, notifying Pa’Fuera, Pa’Lante conference on of national community groups to them that their websites have been Latino/a issues; and a Religion express concern about the scientifically blocked. GLAAD contacts Roundtable jointly convened by the bankrupt campaign. And when Orlando the company, which National Gay and Lesbian Task cable network Time Warner calls the blockings a Force’s Policy Institute and Communications (TWC) accepts another “mistake.” GLAAD Equal Partners in Faith. of the “ex-gay” ads, GLAAD calls the uses the network to discuss the ad’s deceptive Throughout the course of opportunity to and misleading claims. After hearing the year, GLAAD offers more highlight the objections from both GLAAD and than 125 of its media imperfections network stations, TWC drops the ad. trainings across the in Internet country, providing local filters, which it June activists with the tools had needed to work effectively documented in When car manufacturer KIA airs a with the media. Training cities its 1997 report nationwide ad featuring a transgender include Atlanta; ; Access Denied. September GLAAD travels to Lynchburg, Va., to of NBC’s Will & Grace speaking against assist the Rev. Dr. Mel White and California’s Proposition 22. It is the first Turner Network Television’s (TNT) World members of his ecumenical interfaith time the entire cast of any television Championship Wrestling (WCW) group, Soulforce, in dealing with the series has made a political-appeal ad. features two exaggerated gay media at their meeting with Rev. Jerry The No On Knight Campaign (against characters – Lenny and Lodi – who are Falwell and his supporters. Prop. 22) receives valuable statewide greeted by audience chants of “faggot” media exposure which alerts voters to each time they appear on-screen. November the anti-gay initiative on the March GLAAD contacts Turner and WCW 2000 ballot. executives to discuss the At the 12th annual National Gay and representations. TNT and WCW pull the Lesbian Task Force Creating Change GLAAD honors Wells Fargo Bank and characters from the show. conference, GLAAD hosts a cybercafe Grub Street Productions (producers of and a series of trainings. In addition to Frasier and Wings) at the Los Angeles GLAAD holds the inaugural meeting of its signature MediaEssentials,GLAAD Fairness Awards, bringing GLAAD’s 1999 its National Research Advisory Board also unveils MediaStrategies,an events to a successful close. (NRAB), marking the launch of its advanced training which gives those Research & Analysis program. Funded already familiar with basic principles of by a grant from the Gill Foundation, the media relations the tools needed to program’s mission is “to study and create sophisticated publicity 1-800-gay-media articulate cultural and media-specific campaigns and maintain a high-profile trends, issues and controversies to media presence. inform the work of GLAAD and other www.glaad.org organizations.” The 25-member Prompted by community concerns board is comprised of leading about double standards in the scholars from universities enforcement of its Terms The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against including Georgetown, of Service policy, Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to Harvard, NYU, the America Online (AOL) promoting and ensuring fair, accurate University of calls for a meeting and inclusive representation of individuals Pennsylvania and with and events in all media as a means of Yale. representatives eliminating homophobia and from GLAAD and a discrimination based on gender GLAAD secures a number of other identity and . meeting between community community organizations. leaders and the Washington Post’s December section editors to discuss the Post’s GLAAD releases Access coverage of lesbian and Denied Version 2.0, the gay issues. GLAAD and follow-up to its representatives from the Gay & Lesbian groundbreaking 1997 report, Victory Fund, the National Gay and which examined the Lesbian Task Force, and Parents, Friends impact of Internet and Families of Lesbians And Gays filtering software (IFS) (PFLAG), offer resources, contacts and on members of the ideas to the Post’s editors. lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender October community. The new report focuses GLAAD’s Fourth Annual Fairness on continuing and Awards ceremony in New York honors new threats to Entertainment Weekly and MTV for their online access and “active, front-line positions in the battle privacy, with a new for fair and accurate representation of emphasis on the use lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and of filtering software transgender people.” in public settings and GLAAD travels to Laramie, Wyo., for the its impact on the third time this year to provide increasing “digital divide” assistance to local students and cited by the U.S. Department community members in dealing with of Commerce. the media attention surrounding the GLAAD’s Hollywood access opens the trial of Aaron McKinney, later convicted door for a political television in the murder of Matthew Shepard. advertisement which features the cast