April 2008 Archives

Controversy was sparked by the remarks of North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley during his April 29 public endorsement of Sen. Hillary Clinton for president.  With Sen. Clinton standing next to him at North Carolina State University, Gov. Easley told the crowd “…this lady right here makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy.”  Gov. Easley’s use of the word “pansy,” which Webster’s Dictionary defines as “[Slang] an effeminate man; esp., an effeminate male homosexual: often a contemptuous term,” was taken by some people to be an anti-gay slur.  In the wake of Gov. Easley’s remarks, GLAAD issued a statement of concern about his decision to use a word with anti-gay connotations to endorse Sen. Clinton.  The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times have also noted that many bloggers have been debating about the anti-gay implications of Gov. Easley’s use of the word "pansy" and questioning why Sen. Clinton, a supporter of many LGBT issues, hasn’t issued a statement about it. Additionally, Keith Olbermann on MSNBC’s Countdown discussed Gov. Easley’s offensive choice of words.  As discussion about Gov. Easley’s remarks continues, the media may be asking Sen. Clinton tougher questions in the coming days about her response to Gov. Easley’s remarks.

Cindi Creager is Director of National News

The Arizona House of Representatives has recently passed a constitutional amendment proposal to limit marriage to exclude gay people in that state.  It now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Unfortunately, the media has thus far only been covering a piece of legislation, without exploring the real-life impacts such an amendment would have on gay and transgender citizens of the state.

The media has an obligation to talk to gay and transgender people in Arizona and to address this proposal in ways beyond the legislative mechanisms and vote tallies, but rather to address the day-to-day realities of those who will be affected by this type of legislation. 

Arizona media deserves credit where it is due for staying on top of this important election-year story affecting LGBT people.  However, so far reports have fallen short of distinguishing between LGBT issues being used as a divisive measure, and the real-life impact such divisiveness has on everyday Arizonans.

Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy 

Too often, the media portrays all religious voters as adamantly opposed to candidates who support equality for LGBT Americans.  As the Associated Press recently reported, the reality is far more complex.  According to the AP, a growing number of young people of faith are finding issues of social justice—such as the alleviation of poverty and strife—significantly more important than divisive issues such as the prohibition of marriage for gay and lesbian people.  Reflecting the unpredictability and diversity of the voting preferences of young religious people, a Feb. 2008 Barna Group study revealed that 40 percent of likely born-again Americans plan to vote for a Democratic candidate and 29 percent plan to vote for a Republican candidate in November 2008. These results contrast with the 2000 and 2004 elections when born-again voters were more likely to support a Republican candidate. “The religious voice in politics is not one unified voice,” said Beau Underwood, a student at the University of Chicago Divinity School. “There are times when the media paints a very narrow picture of the religiously minded voter as being very conservative and fundamentalist. People and groups who don’t fit that stereotype aren’t given the same amount of attention.”  Refreshingly, some media outlets—such as ABC News—have been paying increasing attention to the fact that younger religious voters are more diverse and progressive--and less motivated by anti-gay sentiment--than previous generations.

Cindi Creager is Director of National News

An April 17^th article published in the Florida Sun-Sentinel provided a rather one-sided story on Florida marriage ban supporters' new campaign, Yes2Marriage, which is bussing seniors around the state to hold press events and speak with voters. The piece talks to a couple that is supportive of the ban, but provides no viewpoint from those who might lose basic rights if the amendment is passed. There are seniors in Florida who are deeply concerned that a constitutional amendment barring legal unions other than marriage between one man and one woman could jeopardize their domestic partnership. Many older couples enter into this type of union because they do want to remarry after the loss of their husband or wife. Unfortunately, their voices are silent in this article.

The only statement opposing the amendment is from a Florida Red and Blue spokesperson. It is certainly important that the other perspective is included, but again, it is not a quote from someone directly impacted by what’s being discussed in the story.

It is essential the media include the stories of those affected by amendments like the Florida ballot initiative. Readers need to hear about the real world consequences of anti-gay legislation, which can break up families and deny couples the right to raise children with love and responsibility.

Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy 

In an April 23 Op-Ed in The Ithaca Journal, Christopher Latimer, a political scientist and openly gay Republican, raised issues surrounding John McCain’s candidacy as it relates to LGBT voters that haven’t been fully discussed in the media before.

While McCain gets mixed reviews from conservatives and liberals on his general voting record, little has been reported on the long-term consequences for the LGBT community with regard to potential McCain appointments.

A key argument that hasn’t been raised during this election cycle with regard to any of the candidates for President is the impact that their appointments will have on LGBT Americans.  Latimer discusses the wide latitude that an Attorney General has in deciding which discrimination cases are pursued at the federal level and notes that given McCain’s opposition to an inclusive hate crimes law and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, it’s unlikely that a McCain appointee serving in such a critical role would be an advocate for the LGBT community.

Even more significant would be the lasting impact that a new justice on the Supreme Court would have.  McCain voted for the confirmations of Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito – both of whom haven’t voted on any cases that are significant for the LGBT community but have generally sided with Justices Scalia and Thomas on many cases that are related to social issues.  President Bush has railed against ‘activist judges’ and McCain has seemed to take the same verbal posture when it comes to discussing potential nominees to the court. 

It’s critical that the media continue to look beyond the voting records of the individual candidates to the long-term repercussions that Presidential appointees will have for the LGBT community.

Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy 

The Associated Press reported that anti-gay groups claim to have collected enough signatures to place a constitutional amendment banning marriage for gay and lesbian couples on California’s November ballot.

Proponents of the measure say they have exceeded the 1.1 million signatures needed to qualify for the ballot, however, they haven’t revealed the exact amount of signatures they’ve actually gathered. They are expected to deliver the petitions this week ahead of the April 28 deadline with the Secretary of State’s signature verification process to follow.

Oftentimes when the media covers anti-gay ballot campaigns, anti-gay extremists tend to dominate the coverage with their controversial, sensational positions. But in California the coverage seems more nuanced. Rather than simply allowing ballot measure proponents to claim their victory unchallenged, the story presents a more complicated picture.

And the story didn’t relegate LGBT advocacy groups to the standard one quote response. Instead, they were able to deliver powerful messages suggesting that despite the potentially successful signature drive, anti-gay groups are likely out of step with mainstream California voters. Hopefully if the ballot measure does, in fact, appear on the November ballot, the media will continue to provide a thorough analysis of where Californians stand on this issue and look at how the amendment would have an impact on LGBT families. 

Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s campaigns have been visibly courting LGBT voters in Pennsylvania in the few final days leading up to today’s primary. The media have focused attention on the LGBT electorate with prominent stories in different regional and national outlets, picking up on why LGBT voters support who they support, and highlighting each campaign’s LGBT outreach strategies.

LGBT press reported heavily on Chelsea Clinton’s Friday night out at Philadelphia’s gay bars. She was accompanied by prominent Clinton supporter and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell. But Chelsea’s night out wasn’t all the media saw. National cable TV outlets, as well as local Pennsylvania press, picked up on her recent walking-tour, where she campaigned for gay and lesbian votes. Mainstream and gay outlets both covered Chelsea interacting with the community in a more social setting, and were just as interested in her more traditional campaigning.

Monday’s Patriot-News featured a story on why LGBT voters were voting for one candidate over another.  Nearly all of the coverage focusing on the LGBT Pennsylvania electorate has explored the reasons behind why individual voters are supporting their candidates.
 
According to the Patriot-News piece, LGBT voters seem to be expressing personal preferences that aren’t related to the candidates’ positions on LGBT issues, but rather broader issues like health care, the economy or the war in Iraq. As we have seen from the beginning of this election season, journalists are framing LGBT issues (like marriage for gay and lesbian couples) as larger social issues. In return, the media are reflecting the diversity of LGBT voters, and reporting on the fact that LGBT voters care about issues across the board, and that voters across the board care about LGBT issues.

Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy

On April 18, Keith Olbermann of MSNBC's Countdown proposed several tough questions for ABC News' George Stephanopoulos to ask Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain during their then upcoming April 20 interview on This Week.  Encouraging Stephanopoulos to press Sen. McCain on his association with anti-gay televangelist John Hagee, Olbermann posed the cutting question: "...you proudly accepted the endorsement of Pastor John Hagee, who wants the U.S. to start a nuclear war as part of the apocalypse, who called Catholicism the great whore, and who said Katrina was God's punishment of New Orleans for holding, quote, 'a homosexual parade.' Senator McCain, does Pastor Hagee love Catholics, Muslims, New Orleans, gay people, parades and life on earth as we know it as much as you do?"

Not surprisingly, Stephanopoulos didn't use such strong language on This Week when he addressed Rev. Hagee's support of Sen. McCain. Instead, Stephanopoulos asked Sen. McCain if "it was a mistake to solicit and accept [Hagee’s] endorsement." Sen. McCain replied "oh, probably, sure," but went on to say that he's "glad to have his endorsement"  Unfortunately, Stephanopoulos did not follow Olbermann's suggestion and ask Sen. McCain to further explain why he’s still glad to have the support of a man who is well known for his extreme anti-gay rhetoric.

Cindi Creager is Director of National News

 

Media coverage of openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender candidates and elected officials in the West does not seem to be focusing on the sexual orientation of those candidates.  In fact, in the key electoral state of Colorado, Congressman Mark Udall is seeking the US Senate seat for that state, and openly gay Jared Polis is seeking the nomination to replace Udall in the House.  Media reports have determined that Polis being gay is having no noticeable affect on the race.

In another key electoral state, Oregon, where Senator Gordon Smith has a tough re-election campaign facing him, there will be high-profile races with LGBT candidates, among them:  Senator Kate Brown running for Secretary of State and Commissioner Sam Adams seeking the position of Mayor of Portland.  So far the media coverage has not focused on the sexual orientation of either candidate.

In other states, lesbian candidates are more frequently mentioned in the media as defacto spokespeople for LGBT issues – but the media has not explored whether there is an effect of their sexual orientation on the individual races.  Examples include Representative Nicole LeFavour in Idaho (now seeking a Senate seat), Senator Christine Kauffman in Montana, Representatives Jackie Biskupski and Christine Johnson in Utah; and Representative Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona.

In one recent media story about the sexual orientation of legislators, the AP pointed out that Washington State, with six, is second only to New Hampshire (with 7) for the number of openly gay legislators.

There is clearly an intersection between openly LGBT candidates, LGBT issues, and election 2008 – however, that intersection, in most of the Western US, has moved beyond the sexual orientation of the candidate, but rather to the nuanced positions of those candidates – on LGBT and a myriad of other issues.

Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy 

On April 13, presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama engaged in a discussion with people of faith about their views on various social issues during CNN's "Compassion Forum." CNN chose Pennsylvania's Messiah College as the location of the event.  As ABC News Senior National Correspondent Jake Tapper noted in his blog, Messiah is an evangelical college that explicitly equates being gay with sinfulness in its "community covenant." The college, Tapper explained, also advises its gay students to partake in so-called "ex-gay" counseling. Tapper additionally quoted several comments from readers concerned about Clinton's and Obama's presence at the anti-gay school. "How can politicians appear at a college that espouses these ideas and then turn around and court the gay community at the same time?" one reader queried.  Unfortunately, CNN's "Compassion Forum" never raised such questions because it provided the candidates no opportunity to even generally discuss their views on LGBT issues. Hopefully, more national journalists will follow Tapper's lead by questioning the candidates' commitment to LGBT equality and by examining and calling attention to the views of the sponsors and hosts of political events.

Cindi Creager is Director of National News

The Associated Press is reporting that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vowed to oppose a proposed ballot initiative that would amend the state’s constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. The governor made the announcement Friday at the Log Cabin Republican convention in San Diego. Although he has twice vetoed legislation that would’ve legalized marriage, the governor said he believes the initiative is a waste of time, and he wants the courts to decide the matter.

Anti-gay groups must gather almost 1.1 million signatures by late April to qualify for the November election and have reportedly already collected more than 900,000. If the proposed measure qualifies and passes, the legislature would be prohibited from passing another pro-marriage bill in the future and current cases that might lead to marriage would be stopped or reversed.

Both the San Diego Union Tribune and the Sacramento Bee spoke to conservatives who criticize Schwarzenegger for inconsistency on the issue, but the media has also noted a significant shift in public opinion with opposition to marriage decreasing from 61 to 51 percent of California voters.

Media coverage of this hot-button issue shows just how complicated the social and political landscape remains in California, especially in such cities as San Diego where Republican mayor Jerry Sanders reversed his position and voiced support for marriage as did the City Council. As the political battle unfolds, it’ll be critical for the media to go beyond covering this issue as a partisan fight, especially considering that Republican leaders are bucking the conventional party stances.    

Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy 

Presidential hopeful John McCain might be seen by many as independent, but he’s actually conservative, the Associated Press (AP) wrote today. The story pointed out that though McCain does not support a federal ban on marriage for gay and lesbian couples, he is by no means an advocate for the gay community in large part because he does support statewide marriage bans. In a CNN interview last month, he said he was “proud to have led an effort in my home state to change our state constitution to protect the sanctity of marriage as between a man and a woman” and that as President, he “will continue to advocate for those fundamental principles.”

The AP story, which was picked up by dozens and dozens of papers across the country, goes out of its way to remind Americans that likely Republican presidential nominee McCain is not an independent at all, but that he falls in line with conservatives. It points out his support of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, his opposition to hate crimes legislation, and his opposition to protecting gay and transgender people from job discrimination.

The article grouped McCain’s anti-gay stances with his anti-abortion, pro-war, and gun control stances. The fact that the AP spent considerable time discussing McCain’s stances on gay issues right alongside other social issues places our community at the forefront of the election. The article’s use of the gay issues as one of four categories of controversial social issues may serve to again position the gay community as a wedge with voters. The media’s regular reporting on the candidates and the gay community may influence voters with opinions on gay issues (for better or for worse).

Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy 

The mainstream press is giving increasing coverage to the grassroots primary campaign of openly gay North Carolina Democratic Senate nominee Jim Neal. Special attention has been paid to the way Neal has used the Internet to raise funds and compete against Democratic rival, state Sen. Kay Hagan, who has the support of party leaders like Sen. Chuck Schumer. Ever since Howard Dean utilized the netroots in his ‘04 presidential bid to raise money and galvanize voters the media have increasingly focused on how the Internet is changing the political process. It has been a consistent theme for Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign, especially in talking about how he has been able to engage young voters. Now we are starting to see more stories of openly gay candidates, like Neal, who are utilizing online technologies to challenge the party establishment.

A March 26 article in the Charlotte Observer states that Neal is aiming to become “only the second openly gay Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in American history.” The piece goes on to say that Neal is utilizing the “so-called netroots, writing blogs and raising money online.” On March 6 the News & Observer reported that, “It was during a live blog on BlueNC that U.S. Senate candidate Jim Neal revealed that he is gay, making national news.” Neal has also received the endorsement of influential blogs, including Pam’s House Blend – which has been extensively covering his campaign – and AMERICAblog. A recent Survey USA poll has him in a statistical dead heat with Hagan.

A win by Neal in the primary would be huge for garnering more national coverage of openly gay candidates. It could also help create stories that are less about insurgent candidates using the netroots to challenge the establishment and more about the viability of LGBT people as mainstream candidates. 

Paul Karr is Directory of Media Field Strategy

Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama sat down last week with The Advocate to discuss topics such as his hopes for LGBT legislation during his term as president, his first friendship with an openly gay person, and the effects of the Donnie McClurkin controversy.  Over the course of the campaign, Obama has often taken a different path than his rival Sen. Hillary Clinton when it comes to where he addresses LGBT issues.  Clinton already spoke with The Advocate last fall and since Super Tuesday has also given interviews to regional LGBT newspapers like the Washington Blade and the Philadelphia Gay News, while Obama previously had not spoken to the LGBT press since 2004.

During the interview, Obama addressed criticisms he has received for what some perceive as silence towards LGBT media.  When he declined an interview with the Philadelphia Gay News last week, the paper responded by printing a blank space in its pages where his interview would have appeared.  Obama told The Advocate that he has chosen to focus on discussing LGBT issues to a general audience rather than speaking to specialized press.  “It’s easy to preach to the choir,” he said. “What I think is harder is to speak to a broader audience about why these issues are important to all Americans.”  He then mentioned his speech at Ebenezer Church on Martin Luther King Jr. Day where he “talked about the need to get over the homophobia in the African-American community.”

Discussing the controversy over including anti-gay pastor Donnie McClurkin on his South Carolina tour, Obama said it was an opportunity for constituencies with differing opinions to have a more open discussion.  “If you’re segmenting your base into neat categories and constituency groups and you never try to bring them together […] you never create the opportunity for people to have a conversation and to lift some of these issues up and to talk about them and to struggle with them,” he said.

The Advocate reporter Kerry Eleveld notes how the length of the Democratic primaries has given candidates more time to reach out to LGBT constituents through the media.  “Candidates continually pivot and adjust in order to engage ever more voters,” she said.  “Had the race stopped cold in the snows of New Hampshire, gays and lesbians would have been left with one interview of record for each Democratic candidate in total.”  Whether through mainstream or LGBT media, the candidates hopefully will continue to include LGBT issues as a vital part of their platform and LGBT constituents as an essential part of their voting base.

Cindi Creager is Director of National News 

LGBT issues continue to make headlines in Arizona, and shifting political winds have led to big updates to stories that we first mentioned on Read Between the Lines back in February.

News coverage has indicated that former openly gay state legislator Steve May is no longer running for Congress, and had also highlighted the landmark decision which means that Arizona will begin to offer state employees domestic partnership benefits.

There was more good news out of Arizona last week.  Despite the fact that a lot of folks thought it was a done deal, a November ballot constitutional initiative on marriage was amended to include basic protections for domestic partners.  With this amendment, it’s likely that the constitutional amendment proposal is pretty much dead in that state.

Certainly the fair media coverage of these issues, which took a close look at the lack of security gay families have in the state (a handful of those articles can be found here, here and here), likely helped to influence this debate in the legislature and in communities throughout the state.

The media has been doing a responsible job up to this point of documenting the shifting winds around these bills and other topics of importance to folks in Arizona. The dynamic of LGBT issues in the state, and the ways that they are discussed in the media, have played a role in the changes we’ve seen in Arizona in just one month.    

Paul Karr is Director of Media Field Strategy

On Monday, April 7, Ellen DeGeneres hosted Presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton on her daily talk show, Ellen. Though the two joked about Clinton’s relationship with Madonna (they’re cousins!?) and the Senator’s attempt to “bowl for voters” (you've got to see it for yourself), the conversation turned serious as Clinton told Ellen she was vowing to “defend gay rights as President and eliminate inequalities for same-sex couples in Federal law.”

Clinton went on to tell a personal story from her childhood about her family’s gay neighbors and how her close-minded father grew to love and accept them — and how the candidate herself saw firsthand how her family’s dear friends were denied hospital visitation rights when one of the men got sick. “That made such an impression on me,” she told Ellen, “and I’m going to do everything I can so that people like you and [partner] Portia have a chance to have rights...We just have to make this much more fair.” 

 

Kudos to Ellen for making sure Clinton addressed issues that are not only important to her personally, but to many in her audience as well. As we’ve seen in recent months, Ellen has spoken passionately about the shooting death of teen Lawrence King and about Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern's anti-gay rhetoric. With the immense popularity of Ellen the show, Ellen the entertainer is able to create a bridge that makes the discussion of LGBT issues accessible and urgent for all Americans, and to hold the candidates accountable for their support of the LGBT community.

 

Damon Romine is Director of Entertainment Media 

Last week, an episode of Hardball with Chris Matthews on MSNBC included a clip from Sen. Barack Obama’s college tour, which had stopped at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. A student stood up and asked Obama, “Hi, Senator Obama. My name is David Bernett and I just have a question for you, and that is where do you stand on gay marriage?”

Young people are at the front lines, in communities and in the media, addressing the issues faced by the LGBT community, often because they’re further along than the rest of the country. Surveys and polls support this fact – including the 2006 Hamilton College Youth Hot Button Issues Poll, which showed that three quarters of that year’s high school seniors favor legal recognition of gay and lesbian relationships, whether as marriages or civil unions. This progress speaks to the work of our movement, the increased visibility of our community at every level, and the impact it’s had on young people all over the country.

And it’s because young people are passionate about the LGBT community that Obama’s response about marriage got time on Hardball above all the other important issues facing our country today. Though Obama does not support marriage for gay and lesbian couples, he did voice his support for civil unions, and spoke out about the importance of ensuring that couples are able to take care of each other, especially in moments of crisis. The inclusion of his response highlights the role that young people will continue to play in moving our issues forward in this election cycle and in upcoming election cycles - and the importance of telling our stories to ensure that our issues stay on the table. 

Rashad Robinson is Senior Director of Media Programs

As presidential hopefuls vie for the vote in the upcoming Pennsylvania primary, the Philadelphia Gay News invited the candidates to an interview about their positions on LGBT issues.  Sen. Hillary Clinton accepted the invitation and spoke at length with the newspaper about her stances on legislation that would affect LGBT lives. Clinton explained that she would eliminate the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, oppose foreign governments that persecute gay people, support federal domestic partner legislation, advocate for support services for gay youth as well as take part in gay pride celebrations. Additionally, though she supports states’ ability to define marriage, Clinton explained that she would oppose a Pennsylvania ballot measure prohibiting marriage for gay and lesbian people. “I would be very distressed if Pennsylvania were to adopt that kind of mean-spirited referendum and I hope it won’t happen,” she said.

 

Clinton’s interview with the Philadelphia Gay News and the Associated Press’s report about it again reinforce the growing visibility and importance of LGBT media in the 2008 election and the willingness of candidates to discuss the issues that matter to LGBT Americans.  However, both Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama declined to talk with the Gay News.  The paper responded to Obama’s refusal by printing a blank space in its pages where his interview would have appeared.  While not unusual for McCain, this decision marks a change for the Obama campaign, which has worked to reach out to the LGBT community by placing advertisements in Texas and Ohio, engaging issues that matter to LGBT voters in speeches and forums, and other outreach efforts.  As the Democratic primary continues to move forward, the role of LGBT issues – and LGBT media – will hopefully continue to play a meaningful role in shaping voter decisions.

 

Paul Karr is Director of Media Field Strategy 

Though many musicians have spoken up on behalf of the candidates they support for president, many LGBT public figures — musicians and otherwise — remain tight-lipped, likely because no candidate has pledged their full support of the LGBT community. As we approach November, out celebrities have the opportunity and the platform to make a difference by publicly calling on the presidential candidates to be leaders in the quest for equality.  

Last Thursday, March 27, out rocker Melissa Etheridge participated in a national conference call for the Stonewall Democrats, along with Chelsea Clinton, out Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and Oklahoma Corporations Commissioner Jim Roth, the state’s first openly gay public official. More than 1,000 Stonewall Democrats listened in at house parties across the country as the four discussed how the LGBT community can continue to keep its issues on the forefront of presidential politics well into the general election season.

Etheridge is no stranger to the political platform. Back in August, she participated as a panelist in the HRC/Logo Presidential Forum. At that time, she had not announced her support for any candidate, but on the Stonewall Democrats call, she spoke as a representative of Sen. Barack Obama.  

Sir Elton John has been a long-time supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton, and is pulling out the stops to help fill Clinton’s campaign coffers. On April 9, the music legend is hosting a special concert to help raise funds for Clinton’s campaign. Elton and Hillary: One Night Only is taking place at Radio City Music Hall in New York. This will be John’s first solo concert at the venue in eight years, and seats are filling up quickly.

As November approaches, we hope to see more out celebrities play a vocal role in talking about the issues facing our community this election season. 

Damon Romine is Director of Entertainment Media

With the manner in which media follow and speculate about the presidential campaigns, the real issues that concern voters in the 2008 election can often be overlooked.  To help remedy this problem, CNN Newsroom’s Election Center has been discussing the importance of this election for a diverse range of Americans. On April 1, CNN featured openly gay Latina radio host Fay Carmona, who spoke about the parallels between the concerns of Latino voters and LGBT voters.  “It’s funny enough that Latinos and gays don't really know they’re fighting for the same thing,” Carmona said. “They want equal rights. They want health care for their partners.”  We look forward to seeing CNN spotlight more people like Carmona who can draw connections between the challenges faced by diverse communities and the impact of the election on their lives.

Cindi Creager is Director of National News 

As election season progresses, LGBT websites and blogs are influencing the way that media cover the presidential campaigns in unprecedented ways.  On the March 31 broadcast of Fox News’ Hannity & Colmes, conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt sought to highlight divisions amongst Barack Obama’s supporters by referencing an article on GayWired.com that raised concerns about Obama’s connection to anti-gay pastor and superdelegate James Meeks.

While Hewitt’s reference to an article in the LGBT media is significant, it’s also important to note his disappointing analysis of it. When host Alan Colmes asked him why John McCain shouldn’t receive equal scrutiny for his connection to anti-gay televangelist Rod Parsley, Hewitt distanced himself from concerns raised by GayWired, saying: “It’s not my thought. It’s the gay people’s fault.” Unfortunately, after referencing the valid questions about the relationships between presidential candidates and anti-gay leaders, Hewitt chose to blame the LGBT media for bringing them up rather than to thoughtfully address their implications.  Nonetheless, it is clear that the voices in the LGBT media are echoing through our national political coverage, even in unexpected places.

Cindi Creager is Director of National News