GLAAD

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Hi Friend,

Welcome to our bi-weekly newsletter communication about GLAAD's
programs and activities.

GLAAD announced that its 31st Annual Media Awards will go virtual on
July 30. Read below to find out who will make special appearances and
how you can watch. In News and Rapid Response, GLAAD continues to
monitor the firing of LGBTQ teachers despite the recent Supreme Court
ruling. GLAAD led a panel and helped organizers for Global Black Gay
Pride, and we continue to respond to harmful anti-transgender
statements from J.K. Rowling.

Read on to learn more about GLAAD's work.

31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards

Virtual 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards to feature special guests Dolly
Parton, Lil Nas X, Dwyane Wade & Gabrielle Union, the cast and
producers of Pose, and many more

Click here to register for the event.

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GLAAD announced last week that its 31st annual Media Awards will go
virtual on July 30. The Media Awards in New York and Los Angeles were
scheduled for earlier this year, but were canceled due to the novel
coronavirus. "Among this year's nominees are a wide range
of stories and narratives about LGBTQ people of different races,
ethnicities, genders, religions, and other identities that demonstrate
the power of inclusion and diversity in fostering positive cultural
change," said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.
"As this year's Media Awards go virtual, we hope to send a
powerful message to LGBTQ people that in the midst of this culturally
and politically divisive time, our visibility and voices have never
been more important."

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The GLAAD Media Awards will be hosted by comedians Fortune Feimster
and Gina Yashere  and features a star-studded lineup: Cara
Delevingne, Kaitlyn Dever, WWE superstar Sonya Deville, Beanie
Feldstein, Jonica T. Gibbs, Dan Levy, Lil Nas X, Rachel Maddow, Ryan
O'Connell, Dolly Parton, Peppermint, the cast and producers of
Pose, trans model and advocate Geena Rocero, Angelica Ross, comedian
Benito Skinner, Brian Michael Smith, Dwyane Wade & Gabrielle
Union, Lena Waithe, Olivia Wilde, and Raquel Willis. Chloe x Halle
will put on a special performance. The event will stream on
GLAAD's Facebook and YouTube at 8 p.m. ET July 30 and air on
Logo on August 3 at 8 p.m. ET

 Studio Responsibility Index

GLAAD's Studio Responsibility Index sees highest recorded percentage
of LGBTQ films, but racial diversity drops and zero transgender
characters appear

GLAAD released its eighth annual Studio Responsibility Index (SRI) on
Thursday, a report that maps the quantity, quality, and diversity of
LGBTQ characters in films released by the eight film studios that had
the highest theatrical grosses from films released in the 2019
calendar year and four of their subsidiaries as reported by box office
database Box Office Mojo. These studios were Lionsgate, Paramount
Pictures, Sony Pictures, STX Films, United Artists Releasing,
Universal Pictures, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros.

GLAAD found that of the 118 films released from major studios in 2019,
22 (18.6%) included characters that were lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ). This represents a slight increase
from the previous year's report (18.2%, 20 out of 110 films) and
the highest percentage of inclusive films found in the eight-year
history of the report. 

GLAAD noted a concerning continuation of a downward trend in terms of
racial diversity of LGBTQ characters in this year's report.
There was a significant decrease in racial diversity of LGBTQ
characters for the third consecutive year. In 2019, just 34 percent of
LGBTQ characters were people of color (17 of 50), down from 42 percent
in the previous report and a decrease of twenty-three percentage
points from the 57 percent of LGBTQ characters of color in 2017. GLAAD
is calling on the studios to ensure that within two years at least
half of their LGBTQ characters are people of color. Click here to read
the full report.
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 News and Rapid Response

GLAAD works with Indianapolis high school coach and athletic trainer
who was fired for being gay

Last week, The Indianapolis Star published a feature on Krystal
Brazel, a coach and athletic trainer who was fired from her job at
Lutheran High School in Indianapolis in February for being gay. GLAAD
is working with Brazel to tell and share her story, including the
outpouring of support from local Lutheran parents and students who say
they were blindsided by the school's decision to dismiss her. The
comprehensive article in

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The Indianapolis Star described Brazel's journey and its place in the
broader fight for LGBTQ job protections after conflicting U.S. Supreme
Court decisions. Brazel detailed her encounter with the school's
athletic director and head of school, where they showed her the school
handbook, which reads, in part: "We believe that any form of
sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual
behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of
pornography) is sinful and offensive to God." When Brazel said
she would not sign a statement adhering to the tenets of the handbook,
she was told that she could not go back to the school in any capacity.
Brazel is one of five LGBTQ educators fired by religious institutions
in the Indianapolis area. GLAAD is working with Indianapolis-based
organization Shelly's Voice to provide advocacy and media outreach for
Brazel and for Shelly Fitzgerald, the namesake of Shelly's Voice, who
was fired as Roncalli High School's guidance counselor after 15 years
when the archdiocese found out she had married her wife. GLAAD
continues to monitor and amplify these stories to achieve 100 percent
LGBTQ acceptance.

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 Youth Engagement

GLAAD honors Naya Rivera after news of her passing

Former GLAAD Media Awards host Naya Rivera was reported dead earlier
this week in a tragic drowning accident. Rivera is most known for
playing queer Latinx character Santana Lopez on Glee. GLAAD shared
uplifting stories of fans remembering Rivera and what her character on
Glee meant to them. GLAAD also created space on its social media for
people to share their thoughts and share in the loss. 
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 Communities of Color

GLAAD's DaShawn Usher leads panel for Global Black Gay Pride

Global Black Gay Men Connect (GBGMC) held the first-ever Global Black
Gay Pride, themed Riot, a virtual 12-hour global experience that took
place on Friday, July 10. Kalen Allen served as one of the grand
marshals. DaShawn Usher, GLAAD's Programs Officer for
Communities of Color, hosted a panel with other national Black
leaders. He has also worked with the organizers for the US programming
section, including several featured panels: "Black Queer Music
Culture Goes Mainstream," "Manifesting Bravery: A
Conversation on the Future of Black Pride," "Lift Every
Voice: A Conversation with Black Gay Advocates," "Young,
Gifted, and Black: A Chat with Young Black Gay Leaders," and
"Saints and Sexuality: A faith-based conversation with Black
LGBTQ Faith Leaders." The event featured talent and performances
from the likes of Billy Porter, Greg Millet (amfAR), Kenyon Farrow,
Victor Jackson, Julian Walker, and more. Click here to watch the
event.
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GLAAD amplifies digital series "Heart to Heart" as Mila
Jam and Kandi Burruss discuss solidarity

In the first installment of Intersection's "Heart to
Heart" series, Grammy winner Kandi Burruss and pop artist Mila
Jam discuss the importance of solidarity between cisgender women and
women of trans experience. GLAAD promoted the series on its social
channels and wrote a post highlighting its importance. The women
discuss how their profession and activism intersect. The hour-long
conversation comes at a time when more conversations and opportunities
to learn about the challenges facing the Black trans community is
vital and can no longer wait to be had. Heart to Heart aims to bridge
the intersectional gaps within the Black community. Click here to
watch the interview.

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 Transgender Media Representation

GLAAD continues to call out media that misgender and deadname
people  

Merci Mack, a 22-year-old Black transgender woman, was fatally shot in
Dallas last week, becoming at least 21 transgender peopel have been
killed in the U.S. this year alone. Following her murder, GLAAD
reached out to local media and responded on Twitter to call out media
for its irresponsible coverage surrounding her death: "Some
reports are misgendering and deadnaming her, which only adds to the
pain of her death. Media must take note and fix their reports."
In a story by
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USA Today, GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis also called on
media to do better when reporting on transgender victims of violence:
"Using the birth name implies that the trans person's actual
lived identity is somehow not real, and draws attention to a name and
identity that is not accurate or authentic to how they lived their
life. Journalists need to do the work and learn the name the victim
actually used with people who respected and accepted them. Failing to
do this causes additional harm in a situation that is already
tragic." With its Rapid Response model, GLAAD closely monitors
the media to ensure publications accurately and fairly report LGBTQ
issues.

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GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis highlights the alarming
rates of homelessness experienced by trans youth, the epidemic of
violence facing Black trans women, and more

In response to the Trump administration's new proposal that
would allow federally funded housing services to turn away transgender
people, GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis appeared on a
segment of CBS News this week to talk about how the new proposal is
part of the Trump administration's continued campaign to target
the trans community. The proposal is just one of at least 153 attacks
on the LGBTQ community from the Trump Administration since he took
office, as documented on

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GLAAD's Trump Accountability Project. Throughout the segment,
Ellis talks about how homelessness disproportionately affects
transgender youth, which makes the Trump administration's new
proposal a cruel attack on an already vulnerable population. Ellis
also talks about the epidemic of violence facing the trans community,
specifically Black trans women, and provides ways that cisgender
people can be allies to the trans community. She also highlighted the
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video that trans content creator Daniella Carter partnered with GLAAD
to debut during Pride Month, which spotlighted members of the
transgender community sending messages of hope in response to COVID-19
and nationwide protests. Ellis closes the segment detailing why
deadnaming is a harmful practice, specifically in light of media
coverage surrounding the murders of trans people. Watch the full
interview
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here. 

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 GLAAD Media Institute

Join GLAAD for the 2020 Election Engagement for LGBTQ Equality
workshop

On July 29, the GLAAD Media Institute will host its second 2020
Election Engagement for LGBTQ Equality workshop. The training is free
and open to the public. Click here to register. The training is
important as we near our Presidential Election.GLAAD is on the
frontlines urging LGBTQ people and allies to vote. It is imperative
that we reverse the erosion of LGBTQ rights, including reversing the
trans military ban and making sure all marginalized communities are
seen and heard.
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Take the pledge to vote now.
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GLAAD works with Harry Potter fan sites to craft responses to J.K.
Rowling's transphobic essay and tweets 

GLAAD worked with Mugglenet and The Leaky Cauldron, two of the largest
and most well-established Harry Potter fan sites, to help them craft a
public response to JK Rowling's anti-trans essay and her ongoing
transphobic tweets. In the
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statement, the two groups disavowed Rowling's "harmful and disproven
beliefs about what it means to be a transgender person," and affirmed
their support for transgender fans who have found community in the
Harry Potter fandom. GLAAD has continued to use its social media as a
safe haven for Harry Potter fans, especially transgender fans. 
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 Entertainment Media

GLAAD supports Ty Herdon's annual Concert For Love &
Acceptance

On June 30, the 2020 Concert for Love & Acceptance took place,
which streamed on CMT's and GLAAD's Facebook and YouTube
channels. The program raised funds to support LGBTQ youth & their
families through GLAAD and ACM Lifting Lives. The event was hosted by
Kristin Chenoweth, Cody Alan, and Ty Herndon, and featured
performances, special appearances, and messages of LGBTQ acceptance
from country music stars Tanya Tucker, Jake Owen, Brett Young, Rita
Wilson, Lauren Alaina, Shane McAnally, Dennis Quaid, Lewis Brice,
Michael Ray, Jamie O'Neal, Mickey Guyton, Indigo Girls, Matt
Bomer, Leslie Jordan, and more. Watch the full show here. 
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GLAAD partners with Rainbow Railroad for 'Welcome To
Chechnya' virtual panel

In partnership with GLAAD, Rainbow Railroad held a Beyond the Film
panel about the documentary Welcome to Chechnya. The HBO documentary
was released on June 30, and GLAAD has promoted and supported the
documentary since its Sundance debut in January. Welcome to Chechnya
documents the anti-LGBTQ purging that took place in Chechnya in the
2010s. The film puts LGBTQ Chechnyan refugees at the center of the
story. Click here to learn more about the film. 
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 That's allfor now. Keep up to date by following @GLAAD on
Facebook,
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Instagram,
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Twitter and
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TikTok. See you next time!
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