Hi Friend,   

This morning’s ruling by the Supreme Court to uphold employment protections for LGBTQ people gives us hope that as a country we can unite for the common good and continue the fight for LGBTQ acceptance. Victories like this don’t happen in a vacuum. A series of forces and factors have shaped the landscape for LGBTQ people, and for more than 30 years, GLAAD has been on the frontlines of accelerating acceptance of our community. 

Our News and Rapid Response Team holds the media accountable. Each morning, we review breaking news and prioritize stories and issues to elevate to mainstream news outlets. GLAAD’s stories then generate public pressure to defeat anti-LGBTQ legislation and expose anti-LGBTQ candidates and officials. Our most recent actions include: 

• Creating a journalists’ guide for this Supreme Court verdict to make sure media get the facts right;
• Producing a forum in Iowa last year which featured all major Democratic candidates for President and highlighted the need for protections against employment discrimination;
• Working with local advocates in Arizona to use the power of the media to defeat a bill that would demand LGBTQ students be taught abstinence;
• Elevating stories of LGBTQ people who have faced employment discrimination: people like Shelly Fitzgerald, who was fired from an Indianapolis high school because she is gay, and told her story to NBC News;
• Calling out anti-LGBTQ elected officials – from Attorney General Barr’s blatant attacks on transgender people to Arizona state Rep. Andy Biggs, who voted against a coronavirus relief bill because it included provisions for LGBTQ families.