GLAAD participated in the 8th Annual Blogging for LGBT Families Day and secured participation from many including Wade Davis, Cynthia Catania and Jennifer Tyrrell. The stories on the GLAAD blog included a transgender man who wrote about coming out to his mother in three different ways and how her reactions grew and shifted each time, an ally brother who encouraged his gay brother to follow his dreams and to never let his sexual orientation hold him back and a gay pastor who envisions a world for his granddaughter where no one will be shocked or horrified that she has two granddaddies.
GLAAD helped Marcel Neergaard, an 11-year-old gay child with media after he started a petition on MoveOn.org calling for StudentsFirst to rescind the honor of "Reformer of the Year"given to Tennessee State Representative John Ragan, who was the co-sponsor of Tennessee's infamous "Don't Say Gay" bill, by the organization. The petition gained more than 53,000 signatures within days. StudentsFirst issued a statement denouncing the actions of Tennessee Rep. John Ragan for his co-sponsorship of the state's notorious "Don't Say Gay" bill, which stated that teachers should not be able to talk about any type of sexuality that isn't, "related to natural human reproduction" as well as expressed support for anti-bullying legislation federally and in states.
GLAAD reached out to several local media outlets in Rochester, New York to correct news coverage of the alleged murder of a transgender woman, Fatima Woods. The victim had initially been identified with an incorrect name and pronouns. GLAAD has created a guide to help journalists report respectfully and accurately on stories involving transgender victims of crime.
GLAAD spoke with people on the ground in Istanbul to understand how LGBT groups have become involved, and been accepted in, the movement to save Gezi Park. There have been no reported examples of homophobia within the protests. Earlier this week LGBT groups were applauded in the park. This could be a sign of a huge shift in Turkish culture towards acceptance of the LGBT community.
GLAAD asked constituents to join us at a screening of God Loves Uganda at the United Nations. God Loves Uganda, a documentary directed by Roger Ross Williams follows American and Ugandan religious leaders that are fighting "sexual immorality" and missionaries that are trying to convince Ugandans to oppose LGBT people. The Unitarian Universalist Association will host a panel and reception around a special screening of God Loves Uganda.
As part of GLAAD's work with a coalition of LGBT organizations working in solidarity with the immigration movement for immigration reform, we elevate the voices of LGBT immigrants directly affected by our nation’s current, unjust policies. This week, GLAAD's Spanish-language Media team worked closely with Jorge Gutierrez, an openly LGBTQ and undocumented advocate with the Queer Undocumented Immigrant Project (QUIP), and placed his very moving op-ed placed on Advocate.com. In the op-ed, which ran in English and Spanish, Gutierrez shared how supportive his mother has been with him as her openly LGBTQ son, and called for immigration reform to include people like his mother, and other straight and LGBT undocumented immigrants, who are being left out of a pathway to citizenship because of possible work and income requirements in proposed immigration reform bill.
To get the latest updates and take part in GLAAD’s work to build support for LGBT equality, be sure to ‘like’ us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!