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☆ GLAAD finds overall decline in LGBTQ representation in major studio films
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

GLAAD, the LGBTQ media advocacy organization, has released its 12th annual Studio Responsibility Index tracking films released during 2023. Despite “a huge increase in LGBTQ characters who were front and center in their own narratives,” the study found the number of films with LGBTQ characters dropped in 2023. The survey looked at 256 films from 10 major distributors and their subsidiaries and streaming services. Those 70 films included 170 LGBTQ characters, of which 46% were characters of color, representing an increase of 6% from the 2022 study. If LGBTQ representation continues to decline in major releases, these companies will lose relevance with a crucial buying audience.

Persons: GLAAD’s Vito Russo, Sarah Kate Ellis, ” Megan Townsend, GLAAD's Organizations: GLAAD, Amazon, Apple, Lionsgate, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony, Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros, Discovery, NBC, ”, Queer Creative Summit, Equity, Media, Entertainment Initiative, GLAAD Media Institute Locations: Mexico

The new short documentary “It’s Okay” explores the experiences of two young brothers at a Drag Story Hour event in North Carolina, one of more than a dozen states that have considered restrictions on drag performances in front of minors in recent years. An additional four states passed laws that could be used to restrict drag, according to Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ think tank. GLAAD, a national LGBTQ media advocacy organization, found that drag events faced more than 160 protests and significant threats between early 2022 and April 2023, with some events targeted by armed protestors. France said he felt like the people who were left out of the national conversation about Drag Story Hour were the kids who attended them. If his brother was indifferent to the drag queen or the story, that would have been our film.

Persons: “, Leo, Matteo, Shelita, ”, “ Simon Says ”, Shelita Bonet Hoyle, David France, Oscar, ‘, ’ ”, MSNBC Films France, Matteo’s Organizations: MSNBC, New Yorker, NBC News, Advancement, GLAAD, MSNBC Films, NBC Locations: North Carolina, Charlotte, Queens , New York, N.C, ’, ’ ” France, ” France, Montana, Tennessee, France, Texas

☆ A Pattern of Lavish Spending at a Leading L.G.B.T.Q. Nonprofit
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Emily Steel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A light rain fell at the Zurich airport one Sunday morning in January 2023 as Sarah Kate Ellis made her way from a seat in Delta’s most exclusive cabin to a waiting Mercedes. It was there to chauffeur her to the Swiss Alps, where she and her colleagues would stay at the Tivoli Lodge, a seven-bedroom chalet that cost nearly half a million dollars to rent for the week. Ms. Ellis, who was en route to the World Economic Forum in Davos, doesn’t run a Wall Street bank or a high-flying tech start-up. She is the chief executive of the nonprofit organization GLAAD, one of the country’s leading L.G.B.T.Q. The trip was part of a pattern of lavish spending at GLAAD, much of it by Ms. Ellis, that may have violated the organization’s own policies as well as Internal Revenue Service rules.

Persons: Sarah Kate Ellis, Mercedes, Ellis, doesn’t Organizations: Economic, GLAAD, The New York Times, Revenue Service Locations: Zurich, Delta’s, Swiss, Davos

☆ Report Says 17 Percent of Gamers Identify as L.G.B.T.Q.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Less than 2 percent of console video games include L.G.B.T.Q. characters or story lines even though 17 percent of gamers are queer, according to GLAAD’s first survey on the industry. But it also found that many queer gamers saw virtual worlds as an escape in states where recent legislation has targeted L.G.B.T.Q. “The statistic is driven largely by young gamers. Its latest report found that 10.6 percent of series regulars in prime-time scripted shows identified as L.G.B.T.Q., which researchers said helped put their video game study in perspective.

Persons: GLAAD’s, ”, Blair Durkee Organizations: Nielsen

☆ 5 reasons to be unapologetically thrilled about this year’s Oscar nominations
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The nominations for the 96th Academy Awards were revealed last week and – as they so often do – caused quite a stir. Co-written and directed by Triet, “Anatomy of a Fall” is nominated for five Oscars this year in total, including for best original screenplay and best picture. That gives Williams more Academy Award nominations than any other living person. According to the Academy, the late Walt Disney holds the overall record of career nominations, with a grand total of 59. Still, it seemed to be a role destined for Brooks, who received a Tony Award nomination in 2016 for playing the same character in the Broadway revival of the musical.

Persons: Barbie’s, Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, there’s, we’re, Justine Triet, Palme, Sarah Meyssonnier, Triet, Sandra Hüller, Barbie ”, Colman Domingo, Bayard Rustin, Rustin, David Lee, Steven Spielberg’s “, ” Domingo, “ Rustin, ”, Domingo, – Ian McKellen, Jodie Foster, Bonnie Stoll, Anthony Allen Ramos, ” Ramos, ” Cord Jefferson, Cord Jefferson, Claire Folger, Jeffrey Wright, Cord Jefferson’s, Jefferson, he’s, Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, ’ ”, Percival Everett, Wright, Sterling K, Brown, John Williams, Ray Dolby, Michael Kovac, “ Indiana Jones, ” Williams, Oscar, Williams, Walt Disney, Danielle Brooks, Eli Ade ´, ” Brooks, Oprah Winfrey, Spielberg, Alice Walker, Brooks, “, Corey Hawkins, Harpo Organizations: CNN, Cannes Film, Reuters, “, Netflix, Orion, Jefferson, Hollywood & Highland Center, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Academy, Warner Bros, Entertainment Inc, Broadway, Juilliard Locations: Cannes, France, German, Steven Spielberg’s “ Lincoln, “ Nyad, Hollywood, Sofia, New York City

☆ Muslim Runner Says She Was Cut From Lululemon Campaign Over Religious Identity
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Remy Tumin | More About Remy Tumin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

In a statement to The New York Times, a spokesman for Lululemon said the company did not intend to exclude anyone from the photographs. The images were sent to the runners who appeared in the photo shoot but were not used by Lululemon or noname, the spokesman said. That included being a team leader for the noname program, leading the 8-minute-30 second-mile group. “A big part of what was attractive about the noname program was its emphasis on inclusivity and embracing people’s full identities and experiences,” she wrote. Noor Abukaram, a runner who was told she couldn’t run in her hijab in high school and pushed back, criticized Lululemon’s decision to leave out Ms. Saad.

Persons: Lululemon, “, Saad, “ Lululemon, Ms, Saad’s, ” Edward Ahmed Mitchell, ” Ms, ”, Noor Abukaram, Lululemon’s, Abukaram Organizations: New York Times, The Times, Palestinian Ministry of Health, Boeing, Council, Islamic, Times, New York City Marathon, New York, New York City Muslim Running Club Locations: Gaza, Israel, London, New York City

☆ A grape soda fountain, a moonbounce and an electric fan: Is this modern art?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Leah Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

London CNN —The 20th annual installment of Frieze — London’s biggest and most influential art fair — has officially begun. A grape soda fountainAdam Farah-Saad's debut at the Public Gallery booth included a steel 6-person fountain pumping KA grape soda. Courtesy of Public GalleryLondon artist Adam Farah-Saad’s first solo exhibition presented by Public Gallery featured a large reworked steel drinking fountain similar to those seen at children’s parks or playgrounds. This version would probably prove more popular with those under 18, too, since it exclusively pumps out KA Black Grape Soda instead of H2O. Placed 20 inches away is a rotating electric fan causing the pages of the pad to flutter between drawings.

Persons: Regent’s, Barbara Sturm’s “, ”, Elizabeth Peyton’s, Adam Farah, Saad’s, Farah, Mariah Carey’s, Caballero Alto, Bruno Ruiz, Débora Delmar, “ Caballero Alto, Beuys, Linda Nylind, Wantanee, Siripattananuntakul, Joseph Beuys, Gillian Wearing, Maureen Paley's, Haricot, Shilpa, Shilpa Gupta Organizations: London CNN, Gallery, Public, Llano Gallery, Young British, Frith Locations: Gallery London, Mexico City, Llano, London, Chapultepec Castle, Thai, New York, United Kingdom

☆ Australia rescues sick expedition member from remote Antarctic outpost
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A sick expedition member has been evacuated from a remote Antarctic outpost in the depths of winter following a rescue operation spanning thousands of kilometers, Australian authorities said Monday. Perched on the edge of the Antarctic ice cap, the Casey research station is located on the northern part of Bailey Peninsula on the Budd Coast, 3,880 kilometers (2,410 miles) south of Perth, Western Australia. Australian Antarctic DivisionIt’s one of three permanent stations on the Antarctic coast run by Australia and is staffed year-round with about 150 expeditioners visiting Casey during the summer. An image of the Casey Research Station in the east Antarctic. Australian Antarctic DivisionDescribed by the AAP as “the main lifeline to Australia’s Antarctic and sub-Antarctic research stations,” the icebreaker Nuyina will make a roughly 7,000 kilometer-round journey to complete the evacuation.

Persons: AAD, ” Robb Clifton, AAD’s, Casey, ” Clifton, Wilkins Organizations: CNN, Australian Antarctic Division, Casey Research Station, Casey Sunday, Royal Hobart Hospital, Australian Antarctic Program, . Australian Antarctic, AAP Locations: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, Bailey, Budd Coast, Perth, Western Australia, Antarctica, Casey

☆ Opinion: How to respond to anti-LGBTQ hate this Pride month
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Opinion Allison Hope | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

I promise there are some simple and immensely helpful ways in which LGBTQ people and allies can take action in June and every month. Don Arnold/Getty ImagesIf you don’t know where to begin with lobbying, look to an LGBTQ or civil rights group doing the hard work on the ground. Commit to learning and teaching: Even members and strong allies of the LGBTQ community can benefit from fresh learning. After all, the LGBTQ community is anything but a monolith — there are so many diverse forms of representation and a landscape that is quickly evolving. It’s also not a bad time to support brands that are supportive of the LGBTQ community.

Persons: Allison Hope, Read, Allison, ”, isn’t, ” Melanie Willingham, “, they’re, Octavio Jones, allyship, —, Don Arnold, Virginia Woolf’s, Orlando ”, Dorian Gray ”, Oscar Wilde, Janet Mock’s, ” Young, Maia Kobabe’s, Juno Dawson, Jessica Love, Wilhelmina ”, Joseph Belisle, It’s, Ron DeSantis, intersectionality, let’s Organizations: New Yorker, The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Slate, Allison Hope, Tampa Pride, Getty, Progress, Florida Capitol, Sydney Opera House, Volunteer, Reading, Florida Gov, Twitter, Facebook Locations: New, Florida, Tampa, Tallahassee, Australia, Virginia, Paisley, America

Every year since 1990, the media advocacy nonprofit group has honored films, television shows, musicians, journalists and other media figures for fair, accurate and inclusive representations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. Of the 10 wide-release film nominees, for example, six featured prominent lesbian, bisexual or other queer women characters, including “Tár,” “Bodies Bodies Bodies” and “Scream,” the group noted in its release. Netflix scored the most nominations of any network, outlet or platform, with a total of 21, followed by ABC with 12 and HBO Max with 10. He Was Dead An Hour Later.”Award winners will be announced during two live ceremonies: in Los Angeles on March 30, and in New York City on May 13. The full list of nominees can be found on GLAAD’s website.

☆ 1 in 5 studio films included an LGBTQ character in 2021, GLAAD report finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Sixteen of the 77 films released by those studios (20.8%) featured 28 LGBTQ characters, the report found. That percentage is down slightly from 2020, during which 10 of the 44 theatrical releases (23%) featured 20 LGBTQ characters, according to the report. Of the 16 films that included LGBTQ characters in 2021, 11 films (69%) included gay male characters, four (25%) included lesbian characters and two (13%) included bisexual characters, according to the report. For the second year in a row, GLAAD found that there were zero LGBTQ characters with disabilities or LGBTQ characters living with HIV represented in the year’s films. The majority of the 28 characters, 17, received fewer than five minutes, and six of those characters received less than a minute of screen time.

☆ Workers and consumers say they're likely to favor pro-LGBTQ businesses, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

American workers and consumers are more likely to prefer brands that publicly align with LGBTQ causes, according to a new analysis. In a separate Edelman survey fielded in May, 34% of consumers said they were more likely to buy from a brand that expressed support for LGBTQ rights, versus 19% who said they were less likely. LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD partnered with Edelman to analyze the survey data to gather LGBTQ-specific insights. Though this year has brought more corporate hesitation around LGBTQ support, some employees and customers have nonetheless succeeded in pressuring brands to enter the conversation in ways that go beyond rainbow logos. Soon after, then-CEO Bob Chapek announced that the company would donate $5 million to LGBTQ support organizations and vowed to help repeal Florida’s anti-LGBTQ policies.

☆ Tencent: China resumes streaming South Korean content after six-year suspension
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

A Chinese streaming platform has resumed distributing South Korean content after suspending it for nearly six years, South Korean officials said on Tuesday, in what Seoul called a sign of Beijing’s readiness to improve ties. A South Korean presidential official linked the timing of the gesture to a recent summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Chinese President Xi Jinping met with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Bali, Indonesia, November 15, 2022. Relations between South Korea and China have been frayed in recent years following the installation in South Korea of the THAAD system in 2017 to better counter North Korea’s evolving missile threats. China had argued that THAAD’s powerful radar could peer into its airspace, and reacted by sharply cutting trade and cultural imports with South Korea, in a major blow to bilateral ties.

☆ Former J. Crew chief Jenna Lyons to join 'Real Housewives of New York City' cast
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Zachary Schermele | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Jenna Lyons, the New York City fashion designer who was famously outed by the New York Post over a decade ago, will join the cast of “The Real Housewives of New York City” next year for the show’s 14th season. Lyons will be the first queer housewife to join the franchise’s New York City series as one of its seven new cast members. Their romantic relationship was revealed by the New York Post after someone spotted Lyons and Crangi at a New York restaurant amid Lyons’ divorce. The New York Post was asking if she would like to confirm or deny that she was “seeing a woman,” they said. GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, praised the decision to cast Lyons.

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