In Brief

Staff Reports

Ellen DeGeneres Named Special Envoy For Global AIDS Awareness

Photo via Warner Brothers Studios

BETHESDA, MARYLAND -- During a major policy speech to the National Institutes of Health on HIV-AIDS issues and U. S. efforts to quash a virus that has taken million of lives globally, U. S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has been named as a Special U. S. Envoy for Global AIDS Awareness.

In a letter to Ms. DeGeneres, Secretary Clinton wrote;

“By lending us your energy, compassion, and star power to serve as our Special Envoy for Global AIDS Awareness, your words will encourage Americans in joining you to make their voices heard in our campaign to achieve an AIDS-free generation. The enormous platform of your television show and your social media channels will enable you to reach millions of people with the strong and hopeful message that we can win this fight.”

U. S. Ambassador Eric Goosby, the United States Global AIDS Coordinator, who leads all U.S. Government international HIV/AIDS efforts noted:

“At this historic moment in our global fight against AIDS, we are thrilled that we have someone like Ellen DeGeneres on our team to raise awareness that we are on the path to beating this devastating disease. We at PEPFAR look forward to working with her to deliver a positive and hopeful message that we can work together to put an end to AIDS.”

In response, the talk show host said Tuesday;

"I’m honored to have been chosen by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as Special Envoy for Global AIDS awareness. The fight against AIDS is something that has always been close to my heart. And I’m happy that I can use my platform to educate people and spread hope. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go look up what “envoy” means," DeGeneres said.

As a special envoy, DeGeneres will be able to utilise her celebrity status to raise awareness about the global fight against AIDS. According to Warner Studios in Burbank who produces her daily talk show, DeGeneres reaches millions of people every day, including 8 million followers on Twitter and 5.8 million Facebook fans.

A spokesperson for the "Ellen" show told LGBTQNation that the Emmy award-winning entertainer is heavily involved in several humanitarian causes including prevention of bullying; animal rescue and rehabilitation, as well as raising breast cancer awareness. DeGeneres has previously worked with the advocacy organization ONE to raise awareness about the fight against AIDS.

Film Director Brett Ratner resigns as a producer of the Annual Academy Awards Telecast After Gay Slur

Brett Ratner

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA -- In an open letter published today in leading entertainment media outlets, film director Brett Ratner resigned one of the producers of the annual Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences award telecast known informally as the "Oscars." Ratner touched off a firestorm of criticism last weekend when during a question and answer period after the screening of his new film, “Tower Heist,” he responded to a question by answering“rehearsal is for fags." Ratner later appeared on the Howard Stern Show on Sirius XM and discussed masturbation, cunnilingus, pubic hair, the size of his testicles, along with his sexual encounter with Lindsay Lohan.

The Los Angeles Times Entertainment Report notes:

Ratner apologised Monday and Sherak seemed to accept his apology, but the drumbeat of criticism continued Tuesday, culminating in Ratner's resignation. It was not immediately clear whether Ratner's handpicked host, Eddie Murphy, would also leave the show, scheduled for late February. Ratner and Murphy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Academy's president Tom Sherak told reporters Tuesday afternoon, "He did the right thing for the academy and for himself. Words have meaning, and they have consequences. Brett is a good person, but his comments were unacceptable. We all hope this will be an opportunity to raise awareness about the harm that is caused by reckless and insensitive remarks, regardless of the intent."

Ratner's Letter reads:

An Open Letter to the Entertainment Industry from Brett Ratner

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last few days, I've gotten a well-deserved earful from many of the people I admire most in this industry expressing their outrage and disappointment over the hurtful and stupid things I said in a number of recent media appearances. To them, and to everyone I've hurt and offended, I’d like to apologize publicly and unreservedly.

As difficult as the last few days have been for me, they cannot compare to the experience of any young man or woman who has been the target of offensive slurs or derogatory comments. And they pale in comparison to what any gay, lesbian, or transgender individual must deal with as they confront the many inequalities that continue to plague our world.So many artists and craftspeople in our business are members of the LGBT community, and it pains me deeply that I may have hurt them. I should have known this all along, but at least I know it now: words do matter. Having love in your heart doesn't count for much if what comes out of your mouth is ugly and bigoted. With this in mind, and to all those who understandably feel that apologies are not enough, please know that I will be taking real action over the coming weeks and months in an effort to do everything I can both professionally and personally to help stamp out the kind of thoughtless bigotry I’ve so foolishly perpetuated.

As a first step, I called Tom Sherak this morning and resigned as a producer of the 84th Academy Awards telecast. Being asked to help put on the Oscar show was the proudest moment of my career. But as painful as this may be for me, it would be worse if my association with the show were to be a distraction from the Academy and the high ideals it represents.

I am grateful to GLAAD for engaging me in a dialogue about what we can do together to increase awareness of the important and troubling issues this episode has raised and I look forward to working with them. I am incredibly lucky to have a career in this business that I love with all of my heart and to be able to work alongside so many of my heroes. I deeply regret my actions and I am determined to learn from this experience.

Sincerely,

Brett Ratner

Traverse City voters keep gay and transgender nondiscrimination ordinance

TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN -- In an overwhelming victory, the city's voters today chose to keep Traverse City’s local nondiscrimination ordinance on the books. The ordinance, passed last year by the City Commission, prohibits discrimination against gay and transgender residents in employment and housing. Anti-gay activists petitioned to repeal the ordinance through a ballot initiative.

Because state law does not prohibit such discrimination, 15 municipalities across Michigan have passed measures similar to Traverse City’s. Statewide and national studies consistently show that gay and transgender people face high levels of discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. Last month, pro-equality advocates launched a campaign asking lawmakers to update the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.

“We applaud Traverse City voters for choosing to treat residents fairly and equally. Voter turnout was the highest we've seen in Traverse City municipal elections in years -- which affirms that Michigan residents are more than willing to support pro-equality policy. All hardworking people in our state, including gay and transgender people, should have the chance to earn a living and provide for themselves and their families. Nobody should have to live in fear that they can be legally fired for reasons that have nothing to do with their job performance."

While this is certainly a victory, we are concerned about legislation introduced in Lansing that would effectively void inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances. House Bill 5039 would roll back progress and limit a city’s ability to pass ordinances that are better than our outdated state law. We’re calling on local leaders throughout the state to stand up and oppose this bill.”

~ Statement by Denise Brogan-Kator, the Executive Director of Equality Michigan

New London Connecticut elects openly gay attorney to newly reorganised Mayor's office

Todd Ledbetter, (L) & Mayor-Elect Finizio
Photo courtesy of Finizio for Mayor Campaign

NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT -- In a historic contest, the voters chose political newcomer, openly gay attorney Daryl Justin Finizio as the city's first elected mayor in nearly nine decades.

Finizio, a Democrat who had moved to New London 18 months ago from Waterford, Rhode Island, had shaken the Democratic party by winning its primary and then defeating five challengers, including three sitting city councilors.

Last November (2010) New London's voters in a three to one margin, had voted to create a new form of the mayor's office public office by amending the City Charter. Finizio will be the first elected mayor under the new charter's provisions for the office.

The mayor-elect had run on the campaign slogan of "Change is coming to New London," which, when asked by a reporter was just that, a slogan, Mayor-elect Finizio replied, "I want to be very clear, the era of machine politics in New London is over."

According to the local paper The Day, hundreds of supporter who packed a second-floor banquet room at Dev's on Bank restaurant erupted into applause and cheers upon hearing the mayor's response.

The paper also reports that according to the city's registrar of voters, Finizio won the New London mayoral race with 2,185 votes, defeating Michael Buscetto III's 1,153 and Rob Pero's 1,057.

As of 7 p.m., voter turnout in the city had exceeded that in 2009.

At 7pm (EST), a total of 4,725 people had already voted in this historic election. This was close to 40 percent of the city's 12,793 registered voters. Of that, 344 were absentee ballots.

Barely avoiding a run-Off, Houston Mayor Annise Parker reelected for 2nd term

Annise D. Parker

HOUSTON, TEXAS -- Mayor Annise D. Parker has been reelected to a second term Tuesday barely avoiding a runoff despite a poll conducted last month which showed her with the lowest approval rating of any Houston mayor in nearly fifty years, and with only 37 percent of the poll's respondents saying that they would vote for her. Mayor Parker spent $2.3 million to promote herself to Houston voters this year in her successful effort to win another term as mayor.

Parker is Houston's second female mayor, and the first elected gay mayor of a major U.S. city.

The Houston Chronicle reported that "most close political observers considered Parker a prohibitive favorite against five challengers. Parker took office two years ago at a time when the tanking economy drained millions from the city's income stream as tax collections plunged. She tackled a $100 million budget shortfall by laying off more than 750 city workers, consolidating departments, raising fees and cutting deals to put off some of the city's bills until better times. She did so without raising taxes or laying off any firefighters or police officers."

Parker took no chances on the result, diligently using the power of incumbency to work the civic club and homeowners association speaker circuit and vastly outspending her opponents with television ads and mailers. She hammered home her efforts to help Houston's economy through initiatives such as Hire Houston First, which allows the city to contract with local businesses even when they cost slightly more than out-of-town competitors.

Yet, she still managed such a bare majority that it could embolden a stronger crop of challengers in two years, much as Mayor Lee Brown got taken to a runoff 10 years ago after an unexpectedly weak showing in 1999.

"I had five opponents. Plus, I had the economy, and that was a tough opponent," Parker said in her victory speech.

The Chronicle also reported that only 13 percent of the city's registered voters cast ballots in the mayoral election. The paper wrote that the lack of a competitive mayor's race, the absence of a talk-of-the-town proposition like last year's red-light camera measure, the city's changing demographics and even the rainy weather may have contributed to a turnout that was 60,000 votes short of the total for the race two years ago.