June 01, 2004

GLAAD EN ESPAÑOL: recursos para una covertura veraz y objectiva [ presione aquí ]

BACKGROUND

June is designated lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pride Month in commemoration of the historic Stonewall uprising on June 28, 1969. Among the nation's largest June Pride events are:

There are also several Pride events across the nation that celebrate the unique cultural experiences of LGBT communities of color, including: Latin Pride (Los Angeles, Aug. 7); Black Gay Pride (Atlanta, Sept. 1-6); Los Angeles Black Pride (July 1-4); Ebony Pride (San Diego, Calif., Aug. 21); Black Pride NYC (New York, June 20-27); D.C. Black Pride (May 28-31) and Philadelphia Black Gay Pride (April 22-25, 2004).

For a list of more Pride events, please visit http://www.interpride.org.

COVERAGE & DIVERSITY: REPORTING

Pride festivals and celebrations bring out the diversity of our community. We encourage you to explore this cultural diversity in your reporting by including coverage of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, intersex people, communities of faith and color, different occupational groups, parents and families. We also suggest that you interview local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community leaders in an effort to give local flavor to regional Pride events.

This year, Pride Month will celebrate a landmark year in LGBT civil rights history that included the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, as well as the same-sex marriages performed in San Francisco, Oregon, New Mexico, and New Paltz, New York. Both the reality of same-sex marriage in America and the reaction by the opposition, including a proposed Federal Marriage Amendment that would write discrimination into the U.S. Constitution, will have far-reaching impact on the lesbian and gay community's struggle for equality. We encourage reporters to integrate coverage of same-sex marriages and families into pride coverage.

Some other suggestions for coverage:

• Seek out a broad range of attendees for interviews, including Pride organizers, attendees, community activists, etc.
• Take the time to discuss local issues with the organizations and people sponsoring booths at Pride.

COVERAGE & DIVERSITY: IMAGES/PHOTOGRAPHS

Drag queens and leather-clad community members are present and welcome at Pride events, but media outlets frequently focus all their attention on these images. However, all images of our community should be used in context. It is important to represent the diversity of the LGBT community, including lesbian and gay parents and families, youth, couples, bisexuals, transgender people, people of color, people of faith, teachers, lawyers, mechanics, doctors and the many others who participate in Pride. No single image can or should be put forth as the sole representation of the entire LGBT community, and at GLAAD we hope that pictorial coverage of Pride events intentionally portrays the diversity of our lives.

"BALANCE"

Good journalism is key to increasing public awareness and understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. Opposing viewpoints on complex issues are, of course, key to good journalism. However, there is a difference between opposing viewpoints on lesbian and gay issues and defamatory rhetoric which exists solely to fuel prejudice and discrimination. While defamatory comments may be newsworthy, they should not be used as "balance" in a news story. When covering Pride, if opposing viewpoints are necessary for a particular news story, please contact organizations or individuals from both sides who have a clear stake in the issue, and pair them appropriately.

TERMINOLOGY SUGGESTIONS

PROBLEMATIC: "homosexual" (as a n. or adj.)
PREFERRED: "gay" (adj.); "gay man" or "lesbian" (n.)

Please use "lesbian" or "gay man" to describe people attracted to members of the same sex. Because of the clinical history of the word "homosexual," it has recently been adopted by anti-gay activists to suggest that lesbians and gay men are somehow diseased or psychologically disordered -- notions discredited by both the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association in the 1970s.

PROBLEMATIC: "sexual preference"
PREFERRED: "sexual orientation"

The phrase "sexual preference" is generally used to suggest that one's sexual orientation is a choice or a disorder, and therefore "curable." The term "sexual orientation" is an accurate description of variations of sexual attraction, and is inclusive of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and heterosexual men and women.

PROBLEMATIC: "gay lifestyle"
PREFERRED: "lesbian" or "gay"

There is no single lesbian or gay lifestyle; lesbians and gay men are diverse in the ways they lead their lives. The phrase "gay lifestyle" is used to denigrate lesbians and gay men, suggesting that their sexual orientation is a choice or a disorder, and therefore "curable."

PROBLEMATIC: "gay agenda" or "homosexual agenda"
PREFERRED: "lesbian and gay movement"

Lesbians and gay men are as diverse in our political beliefs as other communities. Our commitment to equal rights is one we share with civil rights advocates who are not necessarily lesbian or gay. "Lesbian and gay movement" accurately describes the historical effort to achieve understanding and equal treatment for lesbians and gay men.

PROBLEMATIC: "special rights"
PREFERRED: "equal rights" or "equal protection"

Anti-gay political extremists frequently characterize equal rights and protections for lesbians and gay men as "special rights." This is an attempt to energize opposition to anti-discrimination and hate-crimes legislation, civil unions, lesbian/gay adoption, and other equal opportunities for lesbians and gay men.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

If you have any further questions about or want additional resources for Pride Month 2004 coverage, please contact:

FOR NATIONAL MEDIA:
Glennda Testone
Media Director
(646) 871-8022
testone@glaad.org

FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR MEDIA
Mónica Taher
People of Color Media Director
(323) 634-2025
taher@glaad.org

FOR NORTHEAST REGION MEDIA
Michael Young
Northeastern Regional Media Manager
(646) 871-8019
young@glaad.org

FOR SOUTHEAST REGION MEDIA
Eddie Gutierrez
Associate Director of Regional Media
(323) 634-2011
gutierrez@glaad.org

FOR CENTRAL REGION MEDIA
Michael Young
Regional Media Director
(646) 871-8021
young@glaad.org

FOR NORTHWEST REGION MEDIA
Kathy Sanchez
Northwestern Regional Media Manager
(323) 634-2022
sanchez@glaad.org

FOR SOUTHWEST REGION MEDIA
Eddie Gutierrez
(323) 634-2011
gutierrez@glaad.org