With October being LGBTQ History Month, it has been a busy month full of activism, events, and outreach at GLAAD. Kicking off with National Coming Out Day, we also celebrated the 10th anniversary of Spirit Day, as well as Asexual Awareness Week and Intersex Awareness Day.

We featured the latter two on GLAAD’s amp website. Campus Ambassador Sage Skyler shared their experiences <[link removed]> as asexual and debunked misunderstandings surrounding asexuality.

Campus Ambassador Jonathan Leggette stressed the importance of including intersex people <[link removed]> in the conversation of LGBTQIA+ rights. Jonathan also called for people to end intersex surgery.

It has been an incredible and exciting month, we are proud to have celebrated and represented our community with pride. Read on to see what else we’ve been up to last month and what’s next for GLAAD, our supporters and allies.

GLAAD responds to Tennessee County Commissioner Warren Hurst’s homophobic comments toward 
Pete Buttigieg

During a meeting in Sevier County, Tennessee last week, County Commissioner Warren Hurst used homophobic language to attack 2020 Democratic candidate Pete Buttigieg, calling the politician “queer,” and that their sexuality is “about as ugly as you can get.” GLAAD took to Twitter <[link removed]> to acknowledge the fact that Hurst hasn’t apologized for his comments in over a week and called for people to sign a petition <[link removed]> by the Tennessee
Equality Project.



HBO’s Mrs. Fletcher partners with GLAAD for three-day West Hollywood pop-up exploring sexual liberation and
gender identity

HBO’s Mrs. Fletcher premiered Sunday, so GLAAD and the network partnered for a three-day pop-up shop in West Hollywood <[link removed]>, with portions of the money raised going back to GLAAD’s advocacy work. At the premiere event for the pop-up, Actress, writer and activist Jen Richard’s spoke with GLAAD’s Associate Director of Transgender Representation Alex Schmider about her character Margo, a creative writing professor who is transgender. Mrs. Fletcher airs Sundays at 10:30 p.m. on HBO.



GLAAD sponsors screenings at NewFest, New York City’s LGBTQ Film Festival

NewFest, New York City’s LGBTQ film festival, ran from October 23-29, and GLAAD sponsored two screenings. The first was for a narrative film titled The True Adventures of Wolfboy, in which a teenage boy runs away from home in search of his estranged mother. The second was for the documentary Queering the Script <[link removed]>, which looks at queer representation in media and features Megan Townsend, GLAAD’s Director of Entertainment Research and Analysis. The film has been one of the most popular documentaries on the queer film festival circuit in 2019.


After being fired from her job at Roncalli High School for being gay, GLAAD helps amplify the news of Shelly Fitzgerald’s lawsuit and fundraising campaign to assist with legal fees

Shelly Fitzgerald, the LGBTQ guidance counselor who was fired from her job at Roncalli High School because of her sexual orientation in August 2018, filed a federal lawsuit against the high school and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Shelly’s Voice, a local advocacy group that launched after her firing, created a ​fundraising campaign assist with the legal fees. Shelly’s Voice is hopeful to raise $150,000 by the end of the year. To donate to the campaign, click here <[link removed]>.

GLAAD calls on media to keep spotlight on the most vulnerable immigrants, including transgender
asylum seekers


GLAAD called on the media to focus on coverage of the most vulnerable immigrants, including transgender asylum seekers, after the Trump Administration seemingly deleted key video surveillence that could have helped the investigation into Roxsána Hernández’s death, which happened in ICE custody. “The LGBTQ community and other communities demand transparency from government entities that are funded by our tax dollars. We should never punish immigrants seeking safety, including LGBTQ asylum seekers, by housing them in unsafe conditions or keeping critical medical treatment from them,” said Monica Trasandes <[link removed]>, Director of Spanish Language and LatinxMedia Representation for GLAAD. “The media is necessary to bring awareness and accountability when it is lacking from
the government.”



Netflix’s Rhythm + Flow is Now Streaming: Meet Black & Queer contestant Cakes Da Killa and Catch Episodes 1-7 Now


DaShawn Usher, GLAAD’s Programs Officer for Communities of Color, sat down with Cakes Da Killa <[link removed]> to discuss his experience on the new Netflix reality competition Rythym + Flow and what it means to be an out queer artist in Hip-Hop. The show follows megastars Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, Snoop Dog, and T.I. as they travel to hip-hop epicenters to find raw talent and help undiscovered artists pursue their dreams.. The show is now available for streaming on Netflix.


That’s it for now. Make sure you're following @GLAAD on Facebook <[link removed]>, Instagram <[link removed]>, and Twitter <[link removed]> for the latest in LGBTQ news and current events.

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