GLAAD stands for Gay and Lesbian alliance against defamation. GLAAD is an organization that promotes "fair, accurate and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity." This group has received praise from Entertainment Weekly and The Los Angeles Times for being one of the most powerful and successful organizations lobbying for fair representation in the media. They formed in 1985 in New York after the sensationalistic portrayal of AIDS victims. Their mission was to educate the public on homosexual issues. They began to challenge media representation after they formed a chapter in Los Angeles in 1985. Currently, they have Media Resource Centers in San Francisco, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Kansas City, Los Angeles and New York.
GLAAD focuses on five strategies. The first strategy is to unify the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (lgbt) community in order to respond to negative and positive portrayal in the media through the Monitoring and Mobilization program. The second strategy is to improve the media’s understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community by providing them with accurate information and offering seminars as part of the Outreach to Media Professionals program. The third strategy is to work with other lgbt groups and individuals and educate them on media representation. GLAAD offers these groups training intervention and technical assistance through the Community Skills Building and Outreach program. The fourth strategy is to promote lgbt visibility by creating public education campaigns with positive lgbt images. The last strategy is to study and cover media trends, issues and controversies. They will also post the work of GLAAD and other organizations through its Research and Analysis program.
The first page of the site shows current events. There are celebrity pictures, bright blue, purple and red script over a white backdrop. There are some graphics in the data lounge which is a news recap and gossip column. They encourage the positive representation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people of all races. The web site can also be converted into Spanish. Some of GLAAD’s allies include Planet Out, Out on the Web, On Q, Gay Wired and Pride.
The web site allows visitors the opportunity to report positive or negative images of lgbt community. It also gives visitors a chance to read about controversial topics (i.e. Teletubbies, The Matthew Shepard case, Dawson’s Creek gay character, Jake, etc.). The site focuses on two aspects of the media, television and newspapers. GLAAD does not attack a particular group. They want to educate all groups that show ignorance to lgbt issues and portrayals. At the same time, they want to acknowledge television shows that do an excellent job. Visitors can write in and give their opinion on particular subjects. They can also write the company that promotes the negative or positive image (GLAAD mainly urges people to write the company when the image is negative. On their site, the negative portrayals tended to come from Right Wing conservatives like Reverend Fred Phelps and Jerry Falwell). There is a Hollywood Hot Sheet Archive dating back to October 27,1998 which highlights various shows that show positive images of gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual people. Currently, GLAAD reports that there are 25 lgbt characters on television. GLAAD gives out Media Awards to individuals and projects that present an accurate and positive portrayal of lgbt people.
This site is extremely important because it makes people aware of queer
representation on television. It basically, wants television viewers to
know that what they see is not always what they get. People should become
more cognizant about what can be taken as an accurate queer representation
and what can not. GLAAD pushes the media to take responsibility for the
images they impose onto characters and queer actors. I believe GLAAD knows
that people are given certain titles because of the way they are presented
to others; meaning, people become aware of other’s identities by the images
they see about the other (in relation to the self). Consequently, television
becomes a major ingredient in socialization. We tend to believe what is
presented to us by the media, especially children. GLAAD wants to ensure
that there is a positive image on television for a queer child to emulate
and admire. Positive images are not only beneficial for queer people but
for society as a whole. This makes them a very large political group because
they are presenting images against the norm and they are bringing these
images into every American home. They are attempting to eliminate the us/them
dichotomy. Thereby, normalizing homosexuality; the more we see positive
images of queer people, the more we will be able to incorporate queer ideology
into mainstream society. Of course, this process is long and ardious but
in the long run it will be successful and a life without queer characters
will seem obsolete. I strongly believe that GLAAD will fulfill all of their
goals. If you have recently seen any negative or positive representations
of the lgbt community, feel free to visit GLAAD’s web site (http://www.glaad.org)
and let them know your opinion.