So Not @GLAAD
“For over 25 years, GLAAD has worked with news, entertainment and social media to bring culture-changing stories of LGBT people into millions of homes and workplaces every day.
Why? Because words and images matter.”
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation exists to hold media accountable for the words and images they present. Recently, GLAAD called for the termination of CNN’s Roland Martin for an allegedly homophobic tweet. CNN ultimatelysuspended Martin in response. Hooray, said GLBT Organizations, including GLAAD and the Equality Forum. Mission accomplished.
Now, what happens when the Anti-Defamation Organization promotes defamation? That is, who watches the watchdog?
In early March, GLAAD highlighted the work of Monica K. Roberts on its website. Roberts recently published a post on the website of Ebony.com that GLAAD cross-posted, along with this note: “GLAAD worked closely with both Monica Roberts and EBONY.com to place this article.”
For years, lesbians and feminists have condemned Roberts for referring to females and lesbians as “Fish” on theTransGriot blog. Roberts also frequently threatens to “pimp slap” women and anyone else who disagrees with the unique world view Roberts pushes.
“Fish” is a slur against Females and we don’t like it. It reeks of misogyny, reducing Females to what Males think of us (and think we are). “Pimp Slap” invokes violence against Females. Roberts also threatened me last August because another feminist and I wrote a letter to the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Womenquestioning anti-feminist “Gender Identity” legislation pushed by national GLBT Organizations.
The GLBT Community has made great hay out of anti-bullying campaigns and has condemned violent threats against Gays when made by our “opponents.” But when Roberts threatened me, nary a peep was heard (with at least one notable exception, thanks Jillian Weiss); suggesting, of course, that violence is acceptable if the speaker says something with which you disagree.
GLAAD knows about Robert’s violent and Misogynist language against females and lesbians because we have told GLAAD. And yet, rather than censure Roberts, GLAAD glorifies Roberts’ work and ignores our well-founded concerns.
Sadly, this fails to surprise me. Misogyny and Sexism is rampant in the GLBT Community. AMERICABlog, a popular blog focusing on “Gay concerns,” has no Female bloggers. Bilerico does better by the numbers, but its editor, Bil Browning, has demonstrated his disdain for lesbians and feminists more than once, noting, for example, that that although he will delete Misogynist comments about lesbian feminists, such comments make him smile.
So, GLAAD, who watches Gay Media? Who watches you? Who calls out misogyny? Who calls out sexism? Who calls out women hatred? Remember, Lesbians are FEMALE — Misogyny is a Lesbian issue.
Truth is, no one watches GLAAD, no one watches Gay Blogs, no one watches GLBT Organizations, no one calls out Misogyny, and no one calls out Sexism.
Why would they? Misogyny and Sexism are deeply ingrained in Gay Culture. Before the whole Trans Shtick came along, there were few objections to Drag Culture — even though Drag Culture is Misogynistic. The Gay Male Community rarely if ever objected to characterizations of Lesbians has “man-hating dykes” or “too ugly to get a man” or “fishy.”
GLBT Organizations do not address Misogyny or Sexism because they cannot — if they did, the Gay Males who fund these organizations might complain and stop funding them. Thus, the GLBT Movement message of “Equality” is that Gay Males deserve to be equal. MoveOn.org recently released a video that promises to send chills down your spine when you see the “oppression” Gays suffer.
Oh, I reacted — with sheer anger that our Movement ignores Females. Now, I am happy for Marriage Equality, and I am proud of my friends who worked to achieve it here, but understand this — Marriage Equality will not make Females equal. Females will continue to lag behind in every single way because the GLBT Community and our broader culture will never address Sexism and Misogyny.
And that brings me back to Monica Roberts. Here, GLAAD, are some of Monica’s greatest hits:
Anti-defamation? Sure. Right. We get your message, GLAAD, and it ain’t Female-loving.
Friday, 09 March 2012
Originally published at bugbrennan.com on March 9, 2012.
