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NCAA Fails To Protect LGBTQ Athletes

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ratified its new constitution without including nondiscrimination policy language that had been a part of their previous constitutions. The organization took this action despite the urging of 18 national advocacy groups across a wide spectrum of issues led by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) & Athlete Ally to reinstate & strengthen previously-existing nondiscrimination policy language protecting LGBTQ athletes, women & athletes of color into their new draft constitution. The NCAA also announced a new policy regarding participation of transgender athletes that raises significant concerns. Joni Madison HRC Interim President stated, “If not through their constitution, the NCAA needs to show us their playbook for protecting LGBTQ+ & specifically transgender athletes from discrimination. The NCAA has so far proven to be an unreliable ally to LGBTQ+ athletes across the country who depend upon the organization to protect them from discrimination & now they owe these athletes answers. Their inaction is giving extremist legislators across the country precisely what they want & need to advance a discriminatory agenda targeting LGBTQ+ & particularly transgender, people: their silence, which provides the cover to push radical policies. Look no further than Indiana’s religious refusal law in 2015 or the 2017 HB2 bathroom bill in North Carolina to see the impact NCAA action can have in defeating discriminatory legislation. Unfortunately, the past two years have been a disastrous example of what happens when the NCAA does nothing meaningful to stand up to this historic discriminatory effort… The NCAA’s unresponsiveness, unwillingness to re-implement common sense language & inability to enforce their own policies to protect athletes vulnerable to discrimination are all deeply disappointing & dangerous. We know they are capable of better.” Read Letter To NCAA…
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Creating Change Conference Remixed

The National LGBTQ Task Force’s Creating Change conference has gone virtual due to the on-going impact of the COVID pandemic & will now be held March 19th to 29th. Over the March conference weekend “Creating Change Remixed” will feature several plenary & keynote speakers, award presentations, daylong institutes & the annual House Ball. In lieu of the customary workshops & caucuses being part of the conference programming the Task Force will host a series of virtual events in 2022 under a new banner of “Creating Change 365.” The Task Force welcomes back Sandra Vallsas as the conference emcee. The programs will include the Annual State of the Movement Address with Task Force Executive Director Kierra Johnson & Deputy Executive Director Mayra Hidalgo Salazar. With the 2022 midterm elections just around the corner Task Force leaders will focus on the opportunities ahead & lay out what at stake for our democracy. Featured Keynotes speakers will be Two Spirit activist Beverly Little Thunder & author & performance artist ALOK. In addition there will be the traditional presentation of awards. This year the Task Force will also be honoring Urvashi Vaid with the Susan J. Hyde Award for Longevity in the Movement sponsored by Wild Geese Foundation & the Carmen Vázquez Leadership Award in Aging will be presented by SAGE to José Albino. The Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Fund Award for Outstanding LGBTQ Leadership for Immigration Rightswill be presented to Ola Osifo Osaze & the Leather Leadership Award will be presented to Billy Lane. There will also be an Interfaith Service & the annual Agents of Change Masquerade Ball. For More Info & Tix…
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GLAAD 33rd Media Awards Nominees

GLAAD has announced the nominees for the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards. The GLAAD Media Awards honor media for fair, accurate & inclusive representations of LGBTQ people & issues. Sarah Kate Ellis GLAAD President & CEO stated, “Media can create positive change & this year’s nominees represent powerful projects, stories & creators that positively shifted culture & enlightened audiences with new & impactful LGBTQ stories. There are more nominees this year than ever before, highlighting a growing landscape of LGBTQ visibility & serving as a reminder to the critical role that film, television, music, journalism & other forms of media can play in growing LGBTQ acceptance in the face of ongoing attacks against our community.” Streaming & cable dominated broadcast TV with 63 nominations from streaming services, 39 nominations from cable outlets &17 nominations from broadcast networks. HBO/HBO Max received the most nominations of any network with a total of 19 nominees followed by Netflix with 17 nominees. Hulu received 7 nominations while ABC, MSNBC & Peacock all received 4 nominations. This year’s recipient of the Barbara Gittings Award for Excellence in LGBTQ Media is Franco Stevens the pioneering lesbian journalist & founding publisher of Curve Magazine. GLAAD's Barbara Gittings Award for Excellence in LGBTQ Media honors a pioneering individual, group, or community media outlet that has made a significant contribution to the development of LGBTQ media. The GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies is presented by Gilead Sciences, Inc. & Ketel One Family Made Vodka & will be held in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday April 2, 2022 & in New York at the Hilton Midtown on Friday May 6, 2022. Full Nominees List…
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Supreme Court Health Care Victory

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected North Carolina State Health Plan’s effort to shield itself from health care discrimination lawsuits. The decision will protects the rights of marginalized people including LGBTQ people & people living with HIV to seek justice & obtain relief in court if they are subjected to health care discrimination. This allows Lambda Legal & the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) who are suing the health plan, the North Carolina State Health Plan for Teachers & State Employees for its blanket exclusion of coverage for gender-affirming health care services to go forward. Omar Gonzalez-Pagan Lambda Legal Senior Attorney & Health Care Strategist stated, “We are pleased that the Supreme Court decided not to review this case & that we can now focus on holding North Carolina’s State Health Plan accountable for its discriminatory & harmful refusal to provide comprehensive health care coverage – including for gender-affirming care – to all its state employees & their dependents. The Court’s denial leaves in place a court of appeals decision strongly affirming that it is unlawful & dangerous for state entities receiving federal funding to engage in discrimination in health care & that they are not immune from accountability in court. Entities, like The State Health Plan, must be held accountable when they discriminate & violate people’s rights. Today’s decision protects the rights of marginalized people, including LGBTQ people & people living with HIV, to seek justice & obtain relief in court if they are subjected to health care discrimination.” David Brown TLDEF Legal Director concluded, "The Fourth Circuit got it right with its carefully-considered September 2021 opinion deciding that states receiving federal funding can be sued if they discriminate.” For More Info…
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Martin Luther King Day & Voting Bills

So here we are on Martin Luther King Day in 2022 with two basic voting bills in jeopardy because two so called Democratic Senators Arizona's Sinema & West Virginia's Manchin are playing into the Republican agenda to end our democracy. Kierra Johnson, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund Executive Director stated, “The National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund urges the U.S. Senate to pass the Freedom to Vote Act & the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Voting rights are a cornerstone of our democratic process & have been under attack by conservative political extremists. These extremists have tried everything from partisan gerrymandering to mass purges of voter rolls in attempts to undermine the work of election officials, sow false doubt in legitimate election results & curb access to registering & casting votes. There are many things to be divided over but right now there is an opportunity to be aligned in eradicating barriers to voting. We have an opportunity to restore faith in the American people that there are still foundational values & inalienable rights that can hold us together. The right to vote is a baseline. It is an essential part to exercise our power & participate in our democracy. When LGBTQ+ Americans, People of Color & other marginalized populations vote in high numbers, elections are greatly impacted & it can make the difference in local, state & federal elections. The fear of losing power & the threat of losing an elected seat is not justification for our leaders to carve out LGBTQ+ folks, People of Color, women, poor people & so many other already marginalized groups from the political process.” Urge the U.S. Senate to pass these bills. For More Info…
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Mariska Hargitay Addressing Our Issues

Mariska Hargitay has consistently addressed important issues on “Law & Order: Special Victims’ Unit” with episodes going beyond sexually abuse taking on racism, the Me Too Movement, COVID & most recently our LGBTQ community when her young son Noah played by Ryan Buggle reveals to his mom played by Hargitay that he is bisexual. The January 13th episode entitled “Burning with Rage Forever” begins with Noah being bullied in a cage by a boy named Hudson who’s filming it on his phone demanding Noah on all fours to "bark like a dog”. In a touching Mother son discussion at the end of the episode they address Hudson’s bullying & Noah states, “Hudson's just an idiot, no one likes him anyway. He bullies everyone. It was just my turn to be his target." Then Olivia asks Noah why & he explains how Hudson went after other kids including one who uses they/them pronouns who Hudson called a fairy. Then Noah tells Olivia "Then I said that I was bi & that there's no shame in being true to yourself." Hargitay adds, "That is incredibly brave." "Well, it's my truth. I just hadn't told anybody before" he tells her. "Well thank you for telling me," Olivia says, smiling at her son. "No big deal," he replies adding, "It's not like I have a boyfriend or girlfriend, it's just not fair for anybody to be left out." Then the total tearjerker happened for me as Olivia concludes, "I hear that I'm really proud of you." Well we’ve definitely turned a corner in mainstream TV.  Brava Mariska Hargitay & we at OUTTAKE MEDIA thank you for your decades of groundbreaking work & make sure to check out Hargitay’s Joyful Heart Foundation…
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First Black Trans Woman Killed In 2022


Amariey Lej is the first transgender person to be killed in 2022. Amariey Lej was a 20-year-old Black transgender woman who was found shot & lying in the streets of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania on January 1st 2022. Lej was a dancer who shared her gift & passion with the Lady Diamonds dance squad. She also worked with the Legacy Arts Project as a youth artist apprentice. Her family described her as a “vibrant soul with a presence that filled every space she entered” & said she “had an unforgettable presence that will be deeply missed.” Victoria Kirby York, National Black Justice Coalition Deputy Executive Director stated, “I am deeply saddened to learn about Amariey, who we lost on the first day of this year. As we enter this New Year, we must remain focused on ending the epidemic of violence facing the transgender, nonbinary & gender-nonconforming community. Currently, sufficient action has not been taken to protect the community & that must change soon to decrease the level of violence this year. We must continue to demand that those in power, elected officials, law enforcement, media, do better & do more. Enough is enough. We have lost too many siblings.” In 2021 NBJC tracked the deaths of 52 trans, nonbinary or gender-nonconforming people. Most of those we lost last year were Black transgender women like Lej. This violent & senseless attack on our transgender community must be addressed. The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is America’s leading civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black LGBTQ people including people living with HIV. For More Info…
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