For 25 years, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has worked to amplify the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. GLAAD is the leading organization that works directly with the news, entertainment, and social media to ensure that our stories are heard – because as people get to know the LGBT community they come to understand that we simply seek and deserve the same things all Americans do: to take care of each other and our families, to have good jobs, to support our neighborhoods and to publicly serve our local, national, and military communities.
GLAAD serves as a storyteller, watchdog, and advocate – empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. GLAAD staff and volunteers have both increased the presence and changed the way LGBT people are portrayed on the screen and in the news. As more Americans see our stories in news or in entertainment media, they grow to respect and understand our community, paving the way for full equality.
Formed in New York in 1985 to protest the New York Post's grossly defamatory and sensationalized AIDS coverage, GLAAD put pressure on media organizations to end the trend of homophobic reporting. In 1987, after a meeting with GLAAD, The New York Times changed its editorial policy to use the word "gay" instead of including anti-gay rhetoric. GLAAD soon advocated that the Associated Press and other television and print news sources follow. Today, GLAAD's Announcing Equality project has resulted in more than 1,000 newspapers including gay and lesbian announcements alongside other wedding listings. GLAAD's work spread to Los Angeles, where we educate television networks and movie studios on how to move beyond stock stereotypes and present fair and accurate images of LGBT people. Entertainment Weekly has named GLAAD as one of Hollywood's most powerful entities, and the Los Angeles Times described GLAAD as "possibly the most successful organizations lobbying the media for inclusion."
GLAAD has not only reached media insiders, but has impacted millions by raising awareness of the dangers of anti-LGBT defamation and the need for LGBT-inclusive laws through sharing the stories of: the hate-motivated murders of Matthew Shepard, Brandon Teena, Angie Zapata and others; the anti-gay advocacy of "Dr. Laura" Schlessinger; Eminem's anti-gay lyrics; fraudulent "ex-gay" ads; a GLAAD PSA campaign in English and Spanish calling on Americans to “be an ally and a friend;” and most recently, working with LGBT-supportive Lutherans, Catholics, Episcopalians, and the Jewish community to highlight growing support for LGBT people from voices of faith.
GLAAD has grown its Media Field Program to serve local communities and organizations in places where LGBT rights are not secure by training people to speak out at community meetings, in local media and online via blogs and social media like Facebook. By helping local organizations engage advocates and communicate widely about how anti-gay laws hurt our families, more and more voters are siding with fairness for all.
Because of GLAAD's work, millions of Americans see and hear stories about LGBT people and learn about the need for marriage equality, LGBT inclusive hate crime protections and employment non-discrimination laws. But there's a lot of work yet to do. Transgender and bisexual acceptance, representations of the full spectrum of diversity of our community, and stories of supportive African American and Latino allies are but a few areas where GLAAD continues to focus resources and attention.
At GLAAD, we believe that people are fair, and when they see LGBT people, when they hear our stories, they will come to understand that this is about people just like them – their brothers and sisters, neighbors and friends – who deserve to be accepted, respected, and valued. GLAAD will continue to bring this message to Americans one Facebook group, one newspaper article, one telenovela, one TV character, one story at a time.
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amplifies the voice of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality.
©2010 Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation