Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) said Monday it is rethinking its longstanding and controversial nationwide ban on gays and lesbians taking part in its activities.

Obama, Carrie Underwood, Jay-Z and Chris Kluwe are among the celebrities who supported gay rights in 2012. President Barack Obama, Carrie Underwood, Jay-Z, Chris Kluwe and Honey Boo Boo are among the celebrities who supported gay rights in 2012. GLAAD's list of Ten Famous Allies Who Came Out For Equality in 2012 also includes Brendon Ayanbadejo, Bruce Springsteen, First Lady Michelle Obama, Josh Hutcherson and Vice President Joe Biden. ?Our straight allies can be some of the most effective and powerful voices in the LGBT movement,? GLAAD wrote in a blog post announcing its list. ?Particularly for those in the public eye, allies can lead by example to help others understand that the LGBT community is just as deserving of equality, fairness, acceptance and mutual respect. And in 2012, quite a few famous faces came out as allies of the LGBT community to tremendous effect.? ?If there's one person whose voice did the most to further equality this year, it was undoubtedly President Barack Ob

AIDS activist Spencer Cox died on Tuesday. He was 44 years old. AIDS activist Spencer Cox died on Tuesday. He was 44 years old. According to GLAAD, Cox died at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City of causes related to AIDS. Cox had been involved in AIDS-related activism for over 20 years. He was involved in AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power (ACT UP) and was a co-founder of the Treatment Action Group (TAG). David France, who produced and directed the documentary How To Survive A Plague, a film which looks at the rise and success of HIV/AIDS advocacy groups ACT UP and TAG and features Cox, spoke of Cox's role in the fight against the disease. ?As a very young man fresh from Bennington, where he studied Theater and English Literature, he arrived in NYC after finishing just 3 years,? France told BuzzFeed.com. ?He was diagnosed with HIV soon thereafter. By 1989, at age 20, he had become spokesman for ACT UP during its zenith through the early 90s. A member of its renowned Treatment

Shonda Rhimes says she includes gay storylines in her shows because she loves her gay and lesbian friends. ?Shonda Rhimes, the creator and executive producer of the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy, says she includes gay storylines in her shows because she loves her gay and lesbian friends. The 42-year-old Rhimes was asked on Twitter: ?[L]ove your shows but why all the gay and lesbian story lines?? Rhimes, who also developed the ABC drama Scandal, responded: ?Because I believe everyone should get to see themselves reflected on TV. EVERYONE. And because I love all my gay and lesbian friends. AND because I think same-sex marriage is the civil rights fight of our era and back when being a person of color was the civil rights fight, people like Norman Lear put black people on TV and helped change some minds. So you know, it's gotta be paid forward. As long as we are willing to sit by while one person is not free, none of us are free. And FINALLY: because as long as someone feels like it is

Gay rights groups have criticized a 'Dr. Oz Show' episode on the topic of 'ex-gay' therapy. Gay rights groups have criticized a Dr. Oz Show episode on the topic of 'ex-gay' therapy. The timely episode aired as the SPLC announced a lawsuit against an ?ex-gay? ministry in New Jersey and California Representative Jackie Speier introduced a resolution encouraging states to protect minors from reparative therapy, which promises to alter a person's sexual orientation from gay to straight. (Related: Chaim Levin on undergoing ?ex-gay? therapy: It wasn't kosher.) Producers of the show were criticized for including 2 proponents of the practice. ?Producers of the Dr. Oz Show framed their program on so-called reparative therapy in a way that provided a lengthy platform for junk science. The first two segments of the show featured two proponents of so-called reparative therapy, neither of whom was challenged, at any point, by Dr. Oz or any guests. These two 'ex-gay' activists, however, were invited

Two-hundred-and-fifty-six transgender people have been murdered around the world in 2012. ?Two-hundred-and-fifty-six transgender people have been murdered around the world in 2012. According to the Trans Murder Monitoring project, 256 transgender people have been murdered in the past 12 months, a 20 percent increase from the previous year. Tuesday's Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) sets out to remember those lost to senseless violence and to raise public awareness around increasing rates of violence facing transgender people. Vigils in cities across the globe will honor the memory of those lost. A listing of world-wide events can be found at Transgender.org. Another resource released by GLAAD to coincide with today's events is a timeline illustrating transgender milestones since 1952. ?With anti-transgender violence on the rise, we remember our colleagues, friends and family whose lives were taken simply because of who they are,? GLAAD President Herndon Graddick said in a statemen

The UPS Foundation on Monday said it would no longer fund organizations which discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. The UPS Foundation on Monday announced it would no longer fund organizations which discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The new rules would exclude the Boy Scouts of America, which in July reiterated its ban on openly gay scouts and leaders. The foundation wrote at its website: ?The UPS Foundation seeks to support organizations that are in alignment with our focus areas, guidelines, and non-discrimination policy. UPS and The UPS Foundation do not discriminate against any person or organization with regard to categories protected by applicable law, as well as other categories protected by UPS and The UPS Foundation in our own policies. These include, but are not limited to race, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran or military status, pregnancy, age and religion.? In a blog post, GLAAD c

Tricia Macke, an anchor at Cincinnati's FOX19, has apologized for calling Rachel Maddow an 'angry young man'. Tricia Macke, an anchor at Cincinnati's FOX19 television station, has apologized for calling MSNBC host Rachel Maddow an ?angry young man.? ?Rachel Maddow is such an angry young man,? Macke wrote in an October 12 Facebook post. Several commenters chided Macke, and one suggested she should apologize. ?[Y]ou are right ? I am sorry,? Macke responded. ?I should have said antagonistic.? Another commenter noted that Macke had also referenced Maddow's sexual orientation. ?I knew what I was saying,? she responded. Two gay rights groups, Ohio Equality and GLAAD, on Friday called on FOX19 to repudiate the comments. ?I recently posted comments on my personal Facebook page regarding cable news anchor Rachel Maddow which were insensitive and inappropriate,? Macke said in a statement released on Friday. ?I apologize to Ms. Maddow and any others who may have been offended by my comments, as t

Lee Thompson, the 29-year-old uncle to 'Here Comes Honey Boo Boo' star Alana Thompson, supports Spirit Day. Lee Thompson, the 29-year-old uncle to Here Comes Honey Boo Boo star Alana Thompson, supports Spirit Day. Thompson, referred to on the show as Uncle Poodle, who recently publicly announced he's gay, recorded a video in support of Friday's Spirit Day, which supports efforts to combat the bullying of LGBT teens. ?Being gay in the South, people don't like it,? Thompson says in the 1-minute video released by GLAAD. ?Why? You have homophobes that want to beat you and bully you and name-call you and hurt you in any kind of way.? ?Growing up as a kid, I was bullied day in and day out in school ? broke ribs, dislocated jaw, cars vandalized. I've had cars vandalized to this day.? ?But I have a family that stands by me, supports me. I have a niece that's a lesbian that I love to death. I support her non-stop and I tell her it's okay to be who you are.? ?I'm wearing purple today to let ever

Conservative celebrity Ann Coulter is being criticized for joking about parents rejecting their gay sons. ?Conservative celebrity Ann Coulter is being criticized for joking about parents rejecting their gay sons. The 50-year-old Coulter on Monday messaged to her more than 228,000 Twitter followers: ?Last Thursday was national 'coming out' day. Monday is national 'disown your son' day.? Aaron McQuade, director of news and field media at the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), didn't find the humor in the tweet. ?I recognize that this is a joke, and that she is not really taken seriously in any context anyway, but with this coming right after National Coming Out Day, at the start of Ally Week and just days before Spirit Day, I thought this would be a good opportunity to talk about this idea of hers,? McQuade wrote in a blog post. ?There was a time in our culture's history when, if thousands of LGBT kids were to come out on the same day, the next week genuinely would be exa

PepsiCo will go purple on Spirit Day to support efforts to combat the bullying of LGBT teens. PepsiCo will go purple on Spirit Day to support efforts to combat the bullying of LGBT teens. The beverage giant joins a growing list of companies, schools, media and celebrities expected to participate in Friday's show of support. ?I am personally proud to be an ally and PepsiCo is proud to be an ally,? Indra Nooyi, chairman and chief executive officer of PepsiCo, said in a statement given to GLAAD. ?As a global food and beverage company, we need a team that reflects the diversity of our consumers. And that starts with creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome, including our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, suppliers, trade customers and partners. Creating a culture of respect and trust is part of PepsiCo's values and it's the source of our strength in the marketplace. That's why we'll need the unique talent and insights of today's students and young people to lead ou

Ryan Andresen claims he was denied a Boy Scouts award after coming out gay. Ryan Andresen claims he was denied a Boy Scouts award after coming out gay. Andresen, a longtime Boy Scout who lives near San Francisco, was denied an Eagle Scout award by his troop leader after he completed the work needed to earn it. Andresen's mother, Karen Andresen, told Yahoo! News that her son was denied the award ?because Ryan said he is gay.? The scout said he told his scoutmaster about his sexuality before beginning work on his project, a wall-sized mural illustrating hundreds of acts of kindness. ?He had been telling me all along that we'd get by the gay thing,? Andresen said. ?It was by far the biggest goal of my life. It's totally devastating.? Deron Smith, a spokesman for the Boy Scouts, suggested the reason Andresen was denied the award was because he disagreed with the group's religious principles. ?Recently, a Scout proactively notified his unit leadership and Eagle Scout Counselor that he does

There is a record percentage of gay characters on US television this season, reflecting Americans' growing acceptance of the LGBT community, media advocacy group GLAAD said Friday.

'Modern Family' and 'Grey's Anatomy' have helped ABC top this year's GLAAD survey of gay-inclusive television. Modern Family and Grey's Anatomy have helped ABC top this year's Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) survey of gay-inclusive television. The 8th annual Where We Are On TV report released Friday found that ABC is the most LGBT-inclusive broadcast network and Showtime tops the list of cable networks. The number of regular gay characters in the 2012-2013 broadcast television season has increased to record levels, while the number on cable networks remains steady, the study found. ?This year's increase of LGBT characters on television reflects a cultural change in the way gay and lesbian people are seen in our society,? said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick in a statement. ?More and more Americans have come to accept their LGBT family members, friends, coworkers and peers, and as audiences tune into their favorite programs, they expect to see the same diversity of pe

Paris Hilton has issued an apology for calling gay men on Grindr 'disgusting' and likely to have AIDS. Paris Hilton has issued an apology for calling gay men on Grindr ?disgusting? and likely to have AIDS. Hilton made her comments while speaking to a male gay friend in a New York City cab during Fashion Week earlier this month. The conversation was secretly recorded by the cab driver and released to the media. ?Say I log into Grindr, someone that's on Grindr can be in that building and it tells you all the locations of where they are and you can be like, 'Yo, you wanna fuck?' and he might be on like the sixth floor,? the male friend is heard saying. ?Ewww. To get fucked? Gay guys are the horniest people in the world. They're disgusting. Dude, most of them probably have AIDS,? Hilton responded. ?I would be so scared if I were a gay guy. You'll like die of AIDS.? On Thursday, Hilton apologized for her comments in a statement released through GLAAD. ?As anyone close to me knows, I always

Major League Baseball slapped Toronto Blue Jays player Yunel Escobar with a three-game ban Tuesday after he appeared in a game with a homophobic slur written in eye black on his face.

'How To Survive A Plague' producer David France has said a lot of good has come from AIDS activism. How To Survive A Plague producer David France has said a lot of good has come from AIDS activism. France's documentary looks at the rise and success of HIV/AIDS advocacy groups ACT UP (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power) and TAG (Treatment Action Group). The film first premiered at Sundance 2012 and opens Friday in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, with a national release to follow. The powerful film pieces together archival footage to tell the story of two coalitions ? ACT UP and TAG ? ?whose activism and innovation turned AIDS from a death sentence into a manageable condition.? In a GLAAD blog post, France argued that good things have come out of the AIDS pandemic. ?A number of years ago, while I was working on a piece for New York magazine about the dark chapter of AIDS in America before the advent of effective therapies in 1996, one of the people I interviewed told me, 'A lot of

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar has been given a 3-game suspension for etching an anti-gay slur on his eye-black. ?Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar has been given a 3-game suspension for etching an anti-gay slur on his eye-black, a sticker players wear under their eyes to reduce sun glare. In last weekend's game against Boston, Escobar wrote in Spanish ?you are? in his left eye-black and ?fagot? in his right. The 29-year-old Cuban native apologized ?to all those who have been offended,? saying it was meant to be ?just a joke.? ?It was not something I intended to be offensive,? he said in Spanish. ?It was not anything intended to be directed at anyone in particular.? ?I don't have anything against homosexuals,? he said, explaining that the word ?maricon? doesn't ?have the significance to the way it's being interpreted now.? The 3-game suspension will cost Escobar $82,000. The money will be donated to two groups: the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) an

Jeff Lewis of cabler Bravo's 'Flipping Out' and 'Interior Therapy' has described gay group GLAAD as oversensitive. ?Jeff Lewis, the openly gay star of cabler Bravo's Flipping Out and Interior Therapy, has described gay rights group GLAAD as oversensitive. In an interview on Larry King Now, Lewis discussed the July 2011 incident which resulted in his parting with the group. ?Basically I was in an interview and was asked about one of the worst homes I've ever done. And when I purchased the home there was somebody squatting there who happened to be a transgender crack addict. Now GLAAD was upset that I used transgender and crack addict in the same sentence. But that was the truth. And then where I went wrong is that throughout the article I referred to the person as a he/she, which I did not know, I guess, is extremely offensive.? The interview in question was with Curbed.com, and Lewis told the site: ?The worst one ? there was a house I bought on King's Road in Sunset Strip and it was in

Paul Ryan is among the Republicans being called on not to attend FRC's Value Voter Summit because its host is anti-gay. ??Wisconsin congressman and vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan is among the Republicans being called on not to attend the Family Research Council's (FRC) Value Voter Summit, because the FRC and the American Family Association (AFA), a co-sponsor of the event, are anti-gay. In a letter addressed to 15 Republican elected officials, a coalition of groups states that their presence at the 3-day conference would ?legitimize anti-LGBT extremism.? ?Given the FRC's and AFA's public statements, we urge you not to lend the prestige of your office to the summit,? the letter stated. ?The FRC is far outside the mainstream. It has engaged in repeated, groundless demonization portraying LGBT people as sick, vile, incestuous, violent, perverted and a danger to the nation. One of its officials has gone so far as to say that homosexuals should be criminalized.? ?The FRC's extremism