GLAAD (The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) has been in the news a couple of times lately. First off, they have chosen a new president, Herndon Graddick. Previous to his selection he was serving as GLAAD's Vice President of Programs and Communications. He assumed that role in 2010.
Previous president Jarrett Barrios resigned over a letter he wrote federal regulators encouraging the merger of AT&T and T-Mobile. AT&T is a major financial supporter of GLAAD.
In his previous role, he has lead GLAAD's mission of addressing news stories; entertainment; people of color; religion, faith and values; advertising; and the Spanish Language Media. He was at the forefront of the "Stand Up For Ellen" campaign, which caused the One Million Moms to back off on their call for J. C. Penney to fire Ellen DeGeneres as its spokesperson. He has also been involved with the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition's I AM: Trans People Speak video series.
Right now GLAAD and our partners in the LGBT movement are making a significant difference at a time when a difference needs to be made. I look forward to working with our dedicated staff to create a culture where there is a welcoming and respected space for LGBT Americans. GLAAD's work with the media to inspire Americans to speak out against anti-LGBT actions and support equality is needed today more than ever.
Graddick was also involved with GLAAD's
Commentator Accountability Project.
Hate is not an expert opinion.
In most cases, news outlets invite reputable experts to speak on the subject at hand, but when talking about LGBT issues, open hostility and anti-LGBT bias seems to be all the credibility required. This project holds these so-called ‘pundits’ accountable for the extreme anti-LGBT rhetoric they continue to spread.
--Herndon Graddick
GLAAD went so far as to issue a list of 36 so-called "experts" whose sole purpose seems to be to spread the hate. And the squealing began:
Because we all know that the real victims here are the people on the list.
The genius of CAP is that it creates a lose-lose situation for these would-be pundits. They can try to compensate by doubling down on their most offensive talking points and how loudly and widely they share them. Or, they can proceed with their typical media appearances and attempt to use the victim mentality to obfuscate responsibility for their own views. Either way, they stand to lose public favor, and no matter how they condemn GLAAD, that’s surely why they’re so perturbed.
--Zack Ford