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

The 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards were held virtually on Thursday and brought uplifting messages from the likes of Demi Lovato, Dolly Parton, Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union, the cast of Pose, Lil Nas X, and many others to LGBTQ people around the world. The most visible night for LGBTQ media provided calls to action for LGBTQ voters and our allies to register to vote. That coincided with GLAAD’s launch of its 100 Days of Action campaign. Read more about that below.

GLAAD also debuted its State of HIV Stigma survey that found about 90% of American adults agreed “there is stigma around HIV,” “people are quick to judge those with HIV,” and that “people make assumptions when someone is tested for HIV.” 

Read on to learn more about GLAAD’s work.

GLAAD Media Institute

GLAAD launches 100 days of action campaign to reach LGBTQ voters and their allies

In the run up to Election Day, GLAAD announced its 100 Days of Action to ensure LGBTQ voters turn out at the polls on November 3. As part of the campaign, GLAAD is calling on the LGBTQ community and allies to take action every day leading up to the election. Visit GLAAD's Action Center to take the pledge to vote, register to vote, and reach out to friends to encourage them to vote. In an op-ed published by The Advocate, GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis laid out the stakes for LGBTQ people this election. Ellis wrote, in part: “Exit polls during the 2018 midterm elections - when a pro-equality majority took control of the House and a rainbow wave of LGBTQ candidates were elected - indicate that 6 percent of the overall voting electorate identified as LGBTQ. Of that 6 percent, 82 percent supported pro-equality candidates. Meanwhile, a study released in November 2019 from the Williams Institute indicates that 21 percent - more than one in five - of LGBTQ voters are NOT registered.” Ellis closes the op-ed with three action steps for readers and supporters: 1) Making sure you are registered to vote; 2) Talk to 10 people you know and let them know how this election impacts you as an LGBTQ person or impacts an LGBTQ+ person you love; and 3) Show up to vote. GLAAD’s News and Rapid Response will also continue to highlight LGBTQ-related news, demonstrating the impact the election will have on everyday lives in states around the country. GLAAD’s Trump Accountability Project has tracked more than 160 attacks from the Trump administration over the last three years. 

On August 19, 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 will equip everyday advocates to highlight LGBTQ issues in every race from the presidency to local leaders. 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.

 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards

Virtual 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards send positive messages to LGBTQ youth, trans people of color and urges people to get out the vote

On Thursday, GLAAD hosted a virtual ceremony to announce the award recipients of the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards. The event streamed live on GLAAD’s Facebook and YouTube, and aired Monday on Logo. The virtual ceremony was hosted by comedians Fortune Feimster and Gina Yashere, and featured special performances from Chloe x Halle, Shea Diamond, and Ben Platt. During the virtual ceremony, GLAAD spotlighted the award recipients for seven competitive categories, including Outstanding Music Artist (Lil Nas X), Outstanding Drama Series (Pose), Outstanding Comedy Series (Schitt’s Creek), Outstanding Film - Wide Release (Booksmart), Outstanding Individual Episode (Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings episode “Two Doors Down”), Outstanding TV Journalism Segment (Rachel Maddow’s one-on-one interview with Pete Buttigieg), and Outstanding Magazine Article (“The Trans Obituaries Project” by Raquel Willis for Out Magazine). Prior to the virtual ceremony, GLAAD announced the winners of the remaining GLAAD Media Awards categories on Twitter, which featured acceptance speeches from each of the award recipients. The full list of winners can be found here. Click here to check out some of the highlights.

Youth Engagement

GLAAD works with Campus Ambassador and activist Austin Houck on op-ed about the importance of implementing LGBTQ-inclusive curricula in schools across America

This week, GLAAD worked with Campus Ambassador and activist Austin Houck to place his op-ed, titled “It’s The Perfect Time to Make Our Schools LGBTQ-Inclusive," in The Advocate. In the op-ed, Houck notes that within the context of omitting the stories of the marginalized, the history of the LGBTQ community, particularly Black LGBTQ history, is often left out of school curriculums as a whole. Throughout the op-ed, Houck states that with most schools closed for the time being, it is essential for educators and policymakers to take the time and space to develop and test new ideas for curricula. Houck provides examples of states who have taken initiative to incorporate LGBTQ history and issues in their curricula, and calls for a greater push to ensure that queer issues are represented both accurately and proportionally in schools across the country. Read the full article here.

 HIV Prevention and Education

GLAAD releases inaugural study on the State of HIV Stigma in the U.S.

GLAAD announced the findings of the State of HIV Stigma study, a national survey among U.S. adults conducted by research firm Cint. The survey, funded by Gilead Sciences, Inc., measures American attitudes toward HIV/AIDS and people living with HIV. The inaugural State of HIV Stigma study found that only half of American adults feel knowledgeable about HIV and that high levels of perceived stigma around HIV still exist. About 90% of American adults agreed “there is stigma around HIV,” “people are quick to judge those with HIV,” and that “people make assumptions when someone is tested for HIV.” At a time when people living with HIV lead long and healthy lives, and cannot transmit the virus when on proper medications, only 60% of respondents believed HIV can be treated and nearly 60% wrongfully believe it is “important to be careful around people living with HIV to avoid catching it.” The survey also found that only slightly more than half of American adults had seen stories about people living with HIV in the media. Along with the results, GLAAD released a video about the survey and HIV stigma, featuring celebrities like Peppermint, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Michelle Visage, Tatiana Maslany, Jonathan Fernandez, Daniel Franzese, singer Parson James, Selenis Leyva, and singer Asiahn. For the full study, click here. 

GLAAD also announced its Accelerate Compassion and Accelerate Impact programs with a $9 million multi-year grant from Gilead Sciences to combat HIV stigma in the U.S. South as part of Gilead’s COMPASS Initiative. ‘Accelerate Compassion’ is a GLAAD Media Institute program dedicated to filling gaps in the HIV care continuum by stimulating awareness, challenging stigma, and creating a first-ever scalable curriculum to stop stigma before it starts, particularly in communities of color in the Southern U.S. Leading the initiative is DaShawn Usher, GLAAD’s Program Officer for Communities of Color. Accelerate Impact will focus on engaging with local media outlets across the South to grow coverage of local LGBTQ issues and equip newsrooms to better cover HIV and LGBTQ issues.

 Digital Media

GLAAD’s Instagram series ‘GLAAD Hangouts’ recognized by Instagram Business as one of the best examples of how to successfully use Instagram Live

Instagram Business, an account with nearly 4 million followers, recognized GLAAD’s Instagram series ‘GLAAD Hangouts’ as one of the best examples of how to successfully use its Instagram Live feature and connect with your audience. Instagram Business praised GLAAD Hangouts for partnering with notables and influential figures in popular culture, as well as powerful brands, to draw awareness to important cultural issues and conversations. Launched in May, GLAAD Hangouts is a weekly Instagram Live series bringing skills, advice, and entertainment to GLAAD’s online community. With weekly takeovers from experts, celebs, and influencers, GLAAD Hangouts operates in various forms, including how-to tutorials, timely discussions and Q&As, interactive entertainment & shows, and much more. So far, GLAAD Hangouts has featured many exciting guests, including director Lee Daniels, RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Shea Coulée and Jujubee, Michelle Visage, Nico Santos & Zeke Smith, Darryl Stephens & Rodney LoveJones, Jay Manuel, and many others. 

 Entertainment Media

GLAAD celebrates LGBTQ-inclusive Emmy nominations for Rain Valdez, Laverne Cox, Billy Porter, ‘Schitt's Creek,’ ‘We're Here’ and more, but joins in acknowledging how trans ‘Pose’ talent were snubbed

The nominations for the 72nd Annual Emmy Awards were announced, and Raina Deerwater, GLAAD’s Entertainment Research & Analysis Associate, recapped this year’s LGBTQ nominees. Billy Porter was once again nominated for his portrayal of Pray Tell in FX’s Pose, but GLAAD joined many in recognizing how it was disappointing that, once again, Porter was the only actor nominated for Pose, when there are so many phenomenal performances by transgender actors who anchor the show. Regardless of the disappointing snubs, transgender actresses Rain Valdez and Laverne Cox both received Emmy nominations this year. Cox was nominated once again Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama series for her role on the final season of Orange Is the New Black as Sophia Burset. Valdez was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for her role as Belle Jonas in her web series Razor Tongue, which she also wrote and produced. Out actor and writer Dan Levy received a nomination in Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on Schitt’s Creek, as well as nominations in Outstanding Writing and Directing for his work on the show. Also nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series were LGBTQ-inclusive comedies What We Do in the Shadows, The Good Place and Dead to Me. Other LGBTQ-inclusive nominees for the 72nd Annual Emmy Awards include Wanda Sykes, Jeremy Pope, Hannah Gadsby,HBO’s breakout hit reality progam We’re Here, Queer Eye, and several others. Check out the full recap here.

 That’s all for now. Keep up to date by following @GLAAD on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. See you next time!