Gay rights group demands apology from Newsweek
(Los Angeles) A gay rights group is demanding an apology from Newsweek magazine for a recent story that the group says suggested gay actors can’t play straight characters.
“An actor’s personal life should not be a factor in their believability in a role,” said Jarrett Barrios, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. “That would be tantamount to audiences not buying Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl as lovers in their upcoming film ‘Killers’ because the two are happily married to different people in real life.”
GLAAD spokesman Rich Ferraro said the magazine has not offered the apology sought by the group, but that the topic was discussed with Barrios and Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of “Milk,” during a Q&A with Newsweek on Wednesday. He said he believed that discussion would be published in the next issue.
Some Hollywood stars blasted the magazine and writer Ramin Setoodeh for an April 26 story that said it was OK for straight actors to play gay roles, but “it’s rare for someone to pull off the trick in reverse.”
In the story, Setoodeh criticized Sean Hayes’ latest leading-man performance on Broadway, writing that the openly gay actor “comes off as wooden and insincere, like he’s trying to hide something, which of course he is.”
Ryan Murphy, creator of the hit Fox series “Glee,” called for a boycott of the magazine until it apologizes to its gay readers, Hayes and “and other brave out actors who were cruelly singled out in this damaging, needlessly cruel and mind-blowingly bigoted piece.”
Kristin Chenoweth, who stars opposite Hayes in “Promises, Promises” on Broadway, defended her co-star and denounced the Newsweek article in a letter to the editor.
“No one needs to see a bigoted, factually inaccurate article that tells people who deviate from heterosexual norms that they can’t be open about who they are and still achieve their dreams,” she wrote.
Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, however, defended the magazine and its writer in an essay published Wednesday by The Huffington Post website.
Sorkin blamed the tabloid-fueled drive to know every detail about performers’ personal lives and the institutionalized homophobia found in the American military, and national marriage and adoption laws.
Newsweek did not respond to a call and e-mail seeking comment Wednesday.
Tour says it is not discriminating against Weir
Claims that Olympian Johnny Weir was not included in the “Stars on Ice” cast because of his sexual orientation are not true, the figure skating tour said.
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation started an online petition last week, saying Weir was being excluded from the tour because he was …
ABC, Lifetime among winners of GLAAD Media Awards
(New York) Joy Behar, Cynthia Nixon and the ABC drama series “Brothers & Sisters” are among this year’s recipients of media awards from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
Presented Saturday in New York, winners of the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards also include the NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation,” …
GLAAD pushes for ABC to rethink ending soap opera’s gay storyline
The ABC soap opera “One Life to Live” is eliminating its gay storyline. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation announced Friday it is pushing for the network to review the decision.
“Last summer, ‘One Life to Live’ brought a groundbreaking relationship into the homes of millions with Kyle and Fish’s …
‘Glee,’ ‘Modern Family’ among GLAAD nominees
(Los Angeles) For the fourth year running, the ABC television network leads nominees for media awards from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
The network earned eight nominations Wednesday for the 21st annual GLAAD Media Awards, with “Brothers & Sisters,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Private Practice” and newcomer “Modern Family” among its …
Staceyann Chin speaks out against Buju Banton Grammy nomination
From GLAAD:
(New York) The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, today welcomed the decision by Jamaican performance artist Staceyann Chin to speak out about Buju Banton’s Grammy nomination.
Banton has a long history of advocating the killing …
Study: HBO leads on TV in showing gay characters
(New York) HBO scored highest among 15 networks for its representation of gay characters last season, according to a report released Monday.
In its third annual Network Responsibility Index, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation found that of HBO’s 14 original prime-time series, 10 included content reflecting the lives of …
HBO RANKS HIGHEST IN THIRD ANNUAL “GLAAD NETWORK RESPONSIBILITY INDEX”
ABC Leads Broadcast Networks for Third Year in a Row; NBC and CBS Receive “Failing” Grades for Lack of Inclusion of the LGBT Community
Los Angeles, CA, July 27, 2009 – The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) today released its third annual Network Responsibility Index, a report that maps the quantity, quality and diversity of images of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people on television. Primetime programming on the five broadcast networks was evaluated as well as original primetime programming on 10 of the highest-rated cable networks.
HBO scored the highest rating of the 15 networks evaluated with LGBT characters on shows including True Blood, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and Entourage that reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of the LGBT community. Of HBO’s 14 original series, 10 included LGBT content and 42 percent of the network’s total programming hours included LGBT representation.
“This year programming was not only inclusive of LGBT people, but networks like HBO are beginning to reflect the broad diversity within our community,” said Rashad Robinson, Senior Director of Media Programs at GLAAD. “With upcoming fall programming and new storylines there is a tremendous opportunity for networks to share the stories of all members of our community including lesbian, bisexual and transgender people as well as LGBT people of color, all groups which continue to be underrepresented across all networks.”
GLAAD reviewed a total of 4,901 hours of primetime programming for inclusion of LGBT characters or issues on the five major networks (ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox and NBC) from June 1, 2008 to May 31, 2009. GLAAD also examined 1,212.5 hours of original primetime programming on 10 highly-rated cable networks. Each hour was reviewed for on-screen LGBT representations. Based on the quantity, overall quality and diversity of these representations, a rating was assigned by GLAAD’s Entertainment Media Program to each network: Excellent, Good, Adequate, or Failing.
Additional findings from the GLAAD Network Responsibility Index:
Good
- HBO and Showtime received grades of Good, with HBO leading with 42 percent of programming hours featuring LGBT representations.
- ABC, with shows including Brothers & Sisters, Grey’s Anatomy and Ugly Betty, again received the highest ranking of the five broadcast networks, earning a Good grade with 24 percent of their primetime programming hours including LGBT representations.
- The CW also received a grade of Good, with 20 percent of their primetime programming hours including LGBT representations.
Adequate
- While Fox received an Adequate, rising from last place and a Failing grade in 2008; 11 percent of its programming hours were LGBT-inclusive, yet some of those hours included problematic content.
- Among cable networks evaluated, TNT showed the largest growth, jumping from one percent of LGBT inclusive primetime programming hours last year to 19 percent. FX posted the sharpest decline, dropping 32 percent over the previous season. Both were graded
Failing
- NBC and CBS received Failing grades, for their 8 and 5 percent, respectively, of programming hours with LGBT images. CBS moved down from third place in last year’s GLAAD Network Responsibility Index to last among the five major broadcast networks.
- A&E, Sci Fi and TBS received grades of Failing.
“Television shows that weave our stories into the fabric of the series present richer, more accurate representations and are the kinds of images that help Americans understand and embrace their LGBT family members, friends and neighbors in a more meaningful way,” said Robinson.
The third annual GLAAD Network Responsibility Index was delivered to programming executives at the 15 graded networks, and GLAAD’s Entertainment Media Program will continue discussions with them to advocate for improvements in the quality, quantity and diversity of their LGBT representations.
The Executive Summary of the report can be viewed online at GLAAD.org. A PDF of the full report can also be downloaded at GLAAD.org.
The 14th Annual GLAAD Where We Are On TV report on diversity will be issued in September 2009. This analysis will examine LGBT inclusion as well as the gender and race/ethnicity of all scripted characters scheduled to appear during the 2009-2010 season.
About GLAAD
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org.
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GLAAD: `Bruno’ reinforces negative gay stereotypes
(Los Angeles) The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation said that “Bruno,” the new film starring Sacha Baron Cohen, reinforces negative stereotypes and “decreases the public’s comfort with gay people.”
GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios, who saw the film Friday, said that “the movie was a well-intentioned series of sketches – some …
Perez Hilton not backing down for using gay slur
(Los Angeles) Perez Hilton isn’t apologizing for using a gay slur.
The openly gay gossip blogger said in a statement Tuesday that he would continue to say things upsetting to gay and straight people alike. The comments came after the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation called for Hilton to apologize …
