Public Service Announcements: April 2008 Archives

As actor Jason Lewis prepares for the big screen premiere of Sex and the City, he'll be making a pit stop to present at the San Francisco GLAAD Media Awards on Saturday, May 10. This isn't Jason's first time at the rodeo; he presented at the Los Angeles GLAAD Media Awards in 2007 (right, with GLAAD President Neil Giuliano), hot on the heels of his turn as a closeted soap actor on Brothers & Sisters.

Jason is featured in the new issue of Los Angeles Confidential, on sale now. The glossy mag is either so cool or so infrequent that they don't bother to give it a date or number, but it's the "Style & Design 2008" issue with Hilary Duff on the cover.

In regards to his Brothers & Sisters storyline, the actor said in the interview, "In terms of playing gay for the first time, I was supported by a really good story. It felt very much like a human issue and not a sexual issue."

Asked if he's gay, Jason says he's not and quickly rallies as an ally: "In the world we're living in, gay people are still horribly discriminated against. Why does anybody need to be so affected by someone else's happiness? Some of these people show up 20 years in a row at the county clerk's office [to get married] knowing they're going to be turned down. That's dedication and love...These are decent people."

And so are you Jason!

To find out more about the San Fran GLAAD Media Awards, click here.

And to see just how much of an ally Jason really is, check out this star turn!

mtvU, MTV's Peabody and Emmy Award-winning college network, and the Kaiser Family Foundation, in partnership with POZ Magazine, today unveiled "Pos or Not", an online game that challenges stereotypes and breaks down the barriers that may prevent people from talking openly about HIV and AIDS, getting tested, and using protection.

"'Pos or Not' is an urgent analogue to HotorNot.com, designed to capture college students' attention and harness the viral nature of the Web in the ongoing fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS,'" said Stephen Friedman, GM, mtvU in a statement. "'Pos or Not' was created to shatter myths, challenge assumptions and promote responsible sexual behavior - and we salute every participant, as well as the team of college students who conceived the game, for breathing life into it."

Several musicians, bands and public figures are lending their support to the initiative, including Wyclef Jean, Fall Out Boy, Will.i.am, Alyssa Milano, Say Anything, Perez Hilton, Angels & Airwaves, Atmosphere, The Spill Canvas, 30 Seconds to Mars, Aesop Rock, Motion City Soundtrack, All Time Low and Rise Against.

So what are you waiting for? Play the game and learn a thing or two about HIV and AIDS -- and about your own prejudices and assumptions. 

In honor of GLSEN's 12th Annual National Day of Silence, talk show host Larry King has recorded a special message in support of the LGBT community. This year's Day of Silence is dedicated to Lawrence King, the 15-year-old student who was shot to death in February by a fellow student, allegedly because King was gay.

“Larry King and I share more in common than just our names,” King says in the spot, which debuts on YouTube today. “We both believe that all students should be free to be themselves without the fear of name calling, bullying or harassment.”

Out performer Lance Bass is starring in a new public service announcement for the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN). The spot is being released on Friday, April 25, in honor of the organization's 11th Annual National Day of Silence. This annual event encourages students take a vow of silence to protest bullying, harassment and discrimination in schools.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Bass explains that he got involved with GLSEN after hearing about the murder of Lawrence King, a 15-year-old boy killed by another student in February because he arrived at school in feminine attire. 

''I heard about Lawrence on the news," he says, "and it was just incredible to me that kids that age that would have such an issue ... with the subject of being gay. It also shows me that these kids don't -- they don't learn (bigotry) on their own. ... They're being told by older siblings or family members or other fellow students.''

The message of the PSA is: ''Everyday, thousands of students are silenced. They're silenced by fear, they're silenced for being who they are. ... They're brothers, they're sisters, they're gay, they're straight, they're you, they're me.''