Many of us have seen them: anti-LGBT “experts” who appear on the news spouting supposed “facts” about LGBT people—”facts” that are nothing more than fabrications or distortions wrapped in bias. Many of their arguments center around the supposed unsuitability of LGBT people to be parents. We might expect such people on certain conservative-leaning news channels, but when they appear even on more moderate ones, it can be infuriating.
GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, today announced the launch of its Commentator Accountability Project, which aims “to educate the media about the extreme rhetoric of over three dozen activists who are often given a platform to speak in opposition to LGBT people and the issues that affect their lives.”
“Hate is not an expert opinion,” said GLAAD spokesperson Herndon Graddick. “In most cases, news outlets invite reputable experts to speak on the subject at hand, but when talking about LGBT issues, open hostility and anti-LGBT bias seems to be all the credibility required. This project holds these so-called ‘pundits’ accountable for the extreme anti-LGBT rhetoric they continue to spread.”
Graddick added, “These activists have the right to recite their anti-LGBT talking points, but it is important to expose the questionable and often hostile rhetoric that passes as punditry.”
GLAAD will use the resources of the project to make editors, writers, network executives, and others aware of the full context of the right-wing commentators” words. It invites people to alert the organization if they hear such rhetoric on local or national news. Visit www.glaad.org/cap or follow the #glaadcap hashtag on Twitter to learn more.
