Welcome to our bi-weekly newsletter communication about GLAAD’s programs and activities that your investments make possible.

As we entered a new year, GLAAD is working to ensure LGBTQ voices are heard and part of the national conversation. On Inauguration Day, GLAAD celebrated the swearing in of pro-equality President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis wrote about the historic moment for Variety.

Here is a bit of what she had to say: “On a new Inauguration Day, we begin the work of healing: both as a nation, and the LGBTQ community itself. As we inaugurate the most LGBTQ-inclusive administration in American history, we must clean up the mess left behind by the Trump administration.” As we heal together, GLAAD is ensuring LGBTQ Americans are fairly and accurately represented.

Read more below. 

News and Rapid Response

GLAAD celebrates the inauguration of President Joe Biden with video highlighting LGBTQ Americans

During the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, GLAAD released a video highlighting LGBTQ Americans. LGBTQ voters made a monumental difference in the last election, which ended the presidency of Donald Trump. Throughout his four years in office, Trump attacked LGBTQ Americans through rhetoric and policy more than 180 times as tracked through GLAAD’s Trump Accountability Project.

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO HERE

Billy Porter narrates video highlighting how LGBTQ voters made a difference in the 2020 election

GLAAD released a video voiced by Billy Porter, which recaps the organization’s pivotal work throughout the 2020 election cycle. The video spotlights GLAAD’s leadership efforts to educate LGBTQ people and media about what was at stake during the 2020 election and to increase LGBTQ turnout at the polls. Highlights include: the LGBTQ Forum with Democratic Presidential candidates in September 2019; petitions for debate moderators to include LGBTQ questions and issues in the town halls and debates; pre- and post-election polling; celebrity engagement, and more. The video first ran in an article by LGBTQ Nation, which also helped to highlight GLAAD’s work leading up to the Georgia Senate runoff races to ensure record LGBTQ voter turnout. 

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

GLAAD congratulates Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff on securing the Georgia seats in the U.S. Senate 

Following the victories of pro-equality candidates Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in the Georgia runoff elections, GLAAD congratulated the U.S. Senators. Throughout the Georgia election, GLAAD worked with local organizations to ensure residents were registered to vote, including phone calls to voters from actors and Georgia natives Tommy Dorfman and Kat Graham.

READ OUR RESPONSE HERE

Entertainment Research & Analysis

Where We Are On TV report finds four showrunners account for the creation of nearly 1 in 5 LGBTQ characters on scripted TV shows

Despite a tumultuous year that halted many productions, LGBTQ representation remained steady in 2020, only dropping approximately 1 percent, GLAAD’s annual Where We Are On TV report finds. The study also found that Greg Berlanti, Shonda Rhimes, Ryan Murphy and Lena Waithe are behind 17 percent of LGBTQ characters on scripted TV shows. This year’s report was sponsored by Gilead Sciences and shows a drastic decrease in representation of characters living with HIV, from nine the previous year to just three, all of which are on FX’s Pose. GLAAD and Gilead are calling on the industry to erase the stigma and drive meaningful cultural change with authentic storytelling featuring people living with HIV by introducing no less than three new regular or recurring LGBTQ characters living with HIV each year in scripted primetime broadcast or cable shows, or original series on the services tracked in this study (Amazon, Hulu, Netflix). The New York Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Entertainment Weekly and Associated Press covered the findings of the report.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL REPORT

Latinx Media and Representation

GLAAD joins Puerto Rico Para Tod@s in calling out dangerous trend of anti-trans violence in Puerto Rico

Seven transgender people have been killed in Puerto Rico, and local group Para Tod@s has declared a “state of emergency for gender violence and hate crimes.” GLAAD joined Para Tod@s to stand against the violence and raise awareness through its ongoing efforts to bring attention to the epidemic of violence against transgender people, which disporportiantely affects transgender people of color. GLAAD works with news outlets to ensure these stories are being told fairly and accurately.

READ MORE HERE

Catch up on ‘Veneno’

Have you watched Veneno yet? GLAAD partnered with NewFest to host a panel conversation with the creators and cast of this incredible new 8-part transgender-inclusive HBO Max series from Spain. Hosted by GLAAD’s Director of Spanish-Language and Latinx Media, Monica Trasandes, panelists included cast and crew from the breakthrough series. Be sure to watch this series that everyone in the LGBTQ community is raving about!

WATCH THE PANEL HERE

Entertainment Media

GLAAD chats with the Season 13 cast of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ ahead of its season premiere

Just before the new year, GLAAD’s caught up with all the queens from the new season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, which premiered on January 1. In the interviews, the queens react to the surprise lip syncs at the start of the competition, share their strategy to take the crown using only one word, and then channel their inner Real Housewives by ru-vealing what their Housewife taglines would be. Check out the interviews below:

Interview with Olivia Lux, Tamisha Iman, Gottmik and Rosé

Interview with Tina Burner, Symone, Kandy Muse, Utica Queen and Kahmora Hall

Interview with Elliott with 2 T's, Joey Jay, Denali and LaLa Ri

The new ‘Batwoman,’ Javicia Leslie, catches up with GLAAD about being a Black queer superhero

ICYMI: Javicia Leslie made her debut as Ryan Wilder, the new titular lead in Batwoman on The CW on Sunday night. GLAAD caught up with Javicia to talk about what it means for a Black queer superhero to be the lead character in a network television show. 

CHECK OUT THE INTERVIEW HERE

Hunter Schafer’s ‘Euphoria’ special episode is almost here

The second special episode of GLAAD Media Award nominee and Emmy®-winning HBO drama series Euphoria will premiere  early on HBO Max Friday, January 22, at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT in advance of its HBO premiere on Sunday, January 24 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The second special episode follows Jules (played by transgender actress Hunter Schafer) over the Christmas holiday as she reflects on the year. Schafer serves as co-executive producer on the second special episode, which she co-wrote with Levinson. Both special episodes were produced under COVID-19 guidelines.

Spotlight

EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Join Bleecker Street and the cast of ‘Supernova’ for a screening and Q&A

Bleecker Street and GLAAD are teaming up for a private, virtual screening of the upcoming film Supernova. Following the movies, a Q&A moderated by GLAAD’s Head of Talent Anthony Ramos will be held with cast members Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci along with director Harry Macqueen. GLAAD members are welcome to join and can RSVP by emailing [email protected]. Space is limited. Register ASAP.

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