While the pleasure of daily reading the printed newspaper with a cup of coffee is largely gone, I still get excited when major dailies and magazines write on LGBT individuals and trends, specifically when it's outside of the heated political coverage around major issues and inequalities facing our community. And yet, as we've highlighted on here many times, companies and media still struggle with understanding the complications and sensitivities around issues, at times making and correcting blunders.
The first article that caught my eye was USA Today's article last week on gay and lesbian families. The article reviewed findings from Clark University researcher Abbie Goldberg's new book Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children: Research on the Family Life Cycle, as well as other studies on same-sex families and their straight counterparts. Highlights from the article include:
- Sexual orientation of a parent has very little to do with their parenting
- Children of gay couples have similar mental health, self-esteem, life satisfaction, social skills and number of friends as children of straight couples
- 31 percent of same-sex couples who identify as spouses are raising children as compared with 43 percent of straight couples
- Children of gay couples are teased more about their families and their sexualities, but are not teased more overall
These findings are great points to use in communications with friends and families on the topic of LGBT families. And while Modern Family, whose on-air fictional gay family is pictured in the piece, has brought the issue into America's living room, USA Today should have used a picture of real LGBT families who daily live out the joys and struggles. Communicators and the media must begin to help realize that neighbors, friends and actually people live the lives of Mitchell and Cameron from Modern Family.
In other major media, Seventeen magazine recently realized there are two sides to every story. The popular young teen girl magazine covereda story about teen girl who found out that her boyfriend was actually a transgendered individual. The piece focused solely on the surprise and emotions of the teen girl, never considering the challenges of the transgender community, especially sharing one's true self with a special someone.
Readers of the mag and GLAADgot involved expressing their concern. Last week, Seventeen editors, including Jessica Press who oversaw the piece and editor-in-chief Ann Shoket, met with GLAAD to discuss the oversight of transgender issues and problems in their approach. They expressed regret for the article and accompanying sidebar on comparative break-ups, as well as plan to respond to upset readers and possibly issue an apology.
I applaud Seventeen for admitting their oversight and hope this leads to educational activities for Seventeen's staff. I myself admit to having less understanding or insight into the unique challenges and issues of the transgender community. I encourage everyone to seek out resources, like those at GLAAD and others, that provide more light and appreciated for the challenges and value a transgender life brings to our local communities.
And on a final note — The Washington Post ran a story on the ex-wives of gay men who support legalizing gay marriage. This time, the media is showing a side of the heated gay marriage that largely goes overlooked (though, they really should've also reached out to men of women who have come out of the closet after marriage, as this is not simply a gay phenomenon).
The article reported: "Many of these former spouses — from those who still feel raw resentment toward their exes to those who have reached a mutual understanding — see the legalization of same-sex marriage as a step toward protecting not only homosexuals but also heterosexuals. If homosexuality was more accepted, they say, they might have been spared doomed marriages followed by years of self-doubt."
One of the advocates quoted in the piece was Carolyn Lowengart who works with such groups as the Straight Spouse Network. She said "We want people to have the right to be who they are. If that were the case, people like me wouldn't exist."
I applaud the Post for discussing how heterosexuals are also hurt by current bans on gay marriage. While that issue has many more conversations ahead, I think continued coverage of our community, no matter the missteps, is a sign of progress and greater awareness, understanding and acceptance.
What are your thoughts? What has captivated you lately about gays and lesbians in the media?
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