GLAAD is no longer the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Going forward the organization will simply be known as GLAAD, the LGBT media advocacy organization.
The name change, announced Sunday on MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry, reflects GLAAD’s renewed commitment to incorporate transgender people as well as allies from diverse backgrounds in GLAAD’s work to shape the media narrative and build public support for LGBT people.
“It is a natural progression that reflects the work GLAAD’s staff is already leading,” said GLAAD’s spokesperson Wilson Cruz. “We respect and honor the full name that the organization was founded with, but GLAAD’s work has expanded beyond fighting defamation to changing the culture. Our commitment to marriage equality, employment nondiscrimination, and other LGBT issues is stronger than ever, and now our name reflects our work on transgender issues as well as our work with allies.”
viveutvivas
It was bad enough when they appointed themselves queen of the gays. Who died and made them queen of the transgenders now?
ArthurTreacher
@viveutvivas: Ha ha so true. It is extremely
presumptuous isn’t it? I’ve even heard commentary by transgenders that they
resent this advocacy on their behalf, not to mention that the gays resent them
for dropping their name and basically becoming a trans-focused group to the
exclusion of all else.
WashingtonHeightsBOTTOM
How can Wilson Cruz say he respects the fact that
GLAAD has been using imperialistic tactics to
shun THE ENTIRE TRANSGENDER COMUNITY ?
We all remmember and some still call it
“Gay & Lesbian Center”
Unfortunatly this exclusions are influencing
others like @LogoTV which is yet to produce a
documentary that ingludes us, and reflets
HISTORY THE WAY IT ACUALLY HAPPENED
I was always thought that it was the “PERFECT GAYS”
who did all the work, while “TRANSGENDER WOMAN”
were just geting high & doing sex trade, giving us all
a really bad reputation to this day.
When the fact is Gays were doing the same things, exept
they were not charging, because their privileged status
with a lot of disposable income.
Also it is a WELL KNOWN FACT, that most Gays were in
the closet, and because of that they were unable to contribute.
Most of them felt superior because they looked “masculine”
(they still do)
And how ironic The Gays use the same tactics the catholic church
uses against them. INTERNALIZED HATE is going to set The TLGB Commnity
back at least 20 years. And we all will be looking back and see we
were no better than the GOP or the church.
Dresden
@WashingtonHeightsBOTTOM: I’m probably just ignorant, but I don’t understand from where your hostility stems. What’s so wrong with Gay oriented organizations, such as GLAAD or Logo, emphasizing or catering to mainly gay people? Perhaps I’m unaware of GLAAD or Logo actually portraying transgender people in a blatantly negative light… e.g. “geting (sic) high and doing sex trade.”
I’m well aware of the attitudes which some gay men have toward those of us who are more effeminate (like the “straight-acting” mantra that gets bandied around… honestly, if you are that straight-acting you’d be sleeping with women); I do think that it reeks of internalized homophobia. But, to me, that seems like a completely different issue.
I bring this up because I would honestly like to know why. It makes almost as little sense to me as the reasoning behind some feminists’ hostile attitudes towards transgender women.
Heather
@Dresden:
Perhaps the hostility comes from the well-founded suspicion that trans advocacy is only being taken up so they can throw us under the bus and the first and every opportunity that comes along.
Trans people have a long history of being the first bargaining chip in any legislative negotiation.
I’m fine if GLAAD says they want to be our friends now; I’m happy about it — IF they actually match their words with their deeds. Time will tell.
SoThenWhatHappened
@Heather:
Great, how about the trans community start its own organizations? Even if you allow that the trans community belongs in with the gay community (which I DO NOT,) the over emphasize on trans issues and wants is way out of proportion to their eensy0weensy, teeny-tiny numbers. I’m a member of the gay and lesbian community and no other.
Thedrdonna
@SoThenWhatHappened:
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/11/16/1203051/conservatives-downplay-gay-agenda-they-once-inflated/?mobile=wt
Dana
Trans women helped start the gay liberation movement. And look how a lot of our LGB brothers and sisters want to throw us under the bus.