In Brief

Staff Reports

FAMOUS FACES 'COME OUT' FOR EQUALITY WITH GLAAD AND BRETT RATNER

Brett Ratner

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA -- Film Director Brett Ratner, whose homophobic slur during a Q&A session following a film screening last year that caused considerable controversy forcing him to step down as the Co-Producer of the 2012 Academy Awards Show, has teamed with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to direct and produce a LGBTQ supportive video campaign.

The upcoming video series will feature a diverse group of Hollywood celebrities, athletes, musicians and politicians ‘coming out of the closet’ as supporters of equality. Participants will share personal stories about why and how they support the LGBT community and call on Americans to do the same.

Teaming up with GLAAD in an effort to re-build his image after last year's debacle- The notoriously sharp-tongued director had stated that "Rehearsing is for fags," which quickly drew criticism from GLAAD and Entertainment Weekly columnist Mark Harris, along with other LGBTQ rights advocates and allies- in a statement today said:

“Working together with GLAAD has been a very positive and enlightening experience for me, and I could not be more pleased to be developing this crucial campaign to help educate people that we all share the same humanity,” said Ratner. “I am excited to get to work on this program and hope that minds and hearts are opened by what we create.”

Ratner later apologised for the comment he made saying; "It was a dumb way of expressing myself," he wrote at the time. "Everyone who knows me knows that I don't have a prejudiced bone in my body. But as a storyteller I should have been much more thoughtful about the power of language and my choice of words."

Ratner met with GLAAD’s Board of Directors this weekend in a meeting that included producer of the 84th Annual Academy Awards Brian Grazer along with director and producer Bryan Singer (pictured below with GLAAD's Acting President Mike Thompson and Senior Director of Programs Herndon Graddick).

“Straight allies are crucial to creating a culture in which LGBT people are respected and supported,” said Herndon Graddick, Senior Director of Programs and Communications at GLAAD. “We look forward to working with Brett and these other inspiring Americans who are speaking out and standing up for their LGBT friends, family members, neighbors and coworkers.”

Ratner is known for directing films including the Rush Hour film series, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Tower Heist.

Oklahoma Elects First Openly Gay State Senator

State Senator Al McAffrey

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA -- Democratic Representative Al McAffrey, 63,was elected a State Senator Tuesday in a special election. McAffrey was first elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives becoming the state’s first openly gay member of the legislature in 2006. He later ran for reelection in 2008 and 2010, and won by significant margins in both contests. In Tuesday's special election, he won with more than 66 percent of the vote and is due to be sworn into office next week.

Senator McAffrey was endorsed by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund whose president and CEO Chuck Wolfe said;

“Al’s election to the State Senate is another milestone for LGBT Oklahomans, and we are proud to support his campaign. There are still a number of states that have never elected any openly LGBT state legislators, so Oklahoma can be proud that Al has been elected to both the House and the Senate.”

Oklahoma media outlets reported that McAffrey was a leader on legislation supporting senior citizens, education issues and access to affordable health care. He was also one of the state House’s most vocal critics against Republican Rep. Sally Kern and her anti-gay agenda.

The Senator's constituency includes almost all of the metropolitan Oklahoma City area and with his election, the Democrats now have 16 seats in the state Senate. Currently the Republicans hold a 32-seat super-majority.