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GLAAD & Ty Herndon Nashville Concert

GLAAD & Ty Herndon, Grammy-nominated & Dove award-winning country artist joined forces once again to present a spectacular evening of music & unity at The Concert for Love & Acceptance on Wednesday, June 7th at the esteemed Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville. The star-studded event showcased a powerful coalition of artists & celebrities who are dedicated to accelerating acceptance for our LGBTQ community. Herndon stated, “With all that’s going on in the world, this event has gained a new level of significance. I’m so grateful to the artists & fans who came together to send a message of love and acceptance from here at CMA Fest to LGBTQ people all around the globe.” The 2023 Concert for Love & Acceptance featured an exceptional lineup of talent including Chrissy Metz, Maddie & Tae, Terri Clark, Pam Tillis, Sam Williams, Brooke Eden, Chapel Hart, Desmond Child, Billy Gilman, Jamie Floyd, Brandon Stansell, Bryan Ruby, Wendy Moten, Shelly Fairchild, Justin Fabus, Auti, Autumn Nicholas, Jada Cato, Jason Catron & Matt Bloyd. The annual event provides a platform for artists, supporters & allies to come together in a spirit of love, unity & acceptance through the power of music ignites conversations, challenges stereotypes & promotes positive change within the country music industry & beyond. The Concert for Love & Acceptance aims to raise awareness & support for Ty Herndon's Foundation for Love & Acceptance. For almost 10 years the Foundation has been at the forefront of fostering understanding, compassion & equality for our LGBTQ community. 
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LGBTQ Pride Month Under Attack In USA

Celebrating Pride this June is beyond parades with 525 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in 41 state legislatures so far this year & over 76 bills already signed into law across America. In recent weeks anti-LGBTQ media outlets have incited boycotts against Target, Bud Light, The North Face, Kohl’s, Disney & other brands who show public support for our LGBTQ community. Then we’re confronted with far-right anti-LGBTQ agitators showing up in increasing numbers at school board meetings nationwide attempting to ban books that simply state different types of families exist & Pride flag burnings have been reported near school property in California & other states as well. This week for the first time in their 40-year history the Human Rights Campaign has officially declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ people in the United States. Kelley Robinson, HRC President stated, “LGBTQ+ Americans are living in a state of emergency. The multiplying threats facing millions in our community are not just perceived — they are real, tangible & dangerous. In many cases they are resulting in violence against LGBTQ+ people, forcing families to uproot their lives & flee their homes in search of safer states & triggering a tidal wave of increased homophobia & transphobia that puts the safety of each and every one of us at risk. As we kick off LGBTQ+ Pride Month, HRC will be working tirelessly to educate and arm the LGBTQ+ community with information & resources to ensure their safety — whether they’re planning summer travel through regions that are becoming increasingly hostile to LGBTQ+ people, or whether they already live in a state where legislative assaults & political extremism are continuing to put a target on our backs.” 
Hear Audio Chats w/ LGBTQ Leaders @OUTTAKE VOICES 
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Queer Women of Color Film Festival

This year the Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project will premiere 30 films in 6 screenings during their free 19th Annual San Francisco International Queer Women of Color Film Festival that runs from June 9th to 11th at the Presidio Theatre at 99 Moraga Avenue in San Francisco, CA. From the lush sageness of memory, movement & Indigenous traditions of environmental stewardship to the transformation of grief & the mycorrhizal relationships between love, collective care & disability justice the Festival Focus "Forever Rooted" liberates spores of sovereignty & survivance. The Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project (QWOCMAP) began in 2000 with funding from California Arts Council for award-winning San Francisco filmmaker Madeleine Lim to conduct a series of free workshops serving queer women of color emerging media artists. Since then over 250 new films have been created through their training program single-handedly increasing the number of films by & about queer women of color. These politically insightful, socially relevant & personally poignant works challenge all forms of racial, political, economic, sexual & gender stereotyping & offer new dynamic representations of queer women of color. In addition to their own screenings & boutique film Distribution Program they distribute QWOCMAP films to Bay Area & international film festivals, universities & grassroots organizations around the world. All films are subtitled for Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing & Audio Described for the Blind & Low Vision & ASL interpretation will be provided along with many other forms of accessibility. The 19th annual Queer Women of Color Film Festival is free of charge. 
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Louisiana Bills Attacking LGBTQ Youth

Louisiana legislators have advanced 3 discriminatory bills targeting LGBTQ youth. The extreme legislation passed by the Senate included a Gender Affirming Care Ban (HB 648), a “Don’t Say LGBTQ+” Bill (HB 466) & a Pronoun Restriction Bill (HB 81) which will be sent to Gov. John Bel Edwards for signature or veto. The Gender Affirming Care Ban (HB 648) would ban physicians from providing age-appropriate, best practice health care for transgender minors under the age of 18. The “Don’t Say LGBTQ+” Bill (HB 466) prevents students & educators across the state from having & providing safe, inclusive classrooms. The Pronoun Restriction Bill (HB 81) allows schools to forcibly out & intentionally misgender transgender & non-binary students. Cathryn Oakley Human Rights Campaign State Legislative Director & Senior Counsel stated, “From doctors’ offices to classrooms, Louisiana’s extremist legislators show no shame in assaulting the freedoms of those different from them. Blocking teachers from providing the safe & inclusive spaces that LGBTQ+ youth so desperately need is an unconscionable act. There is absolutely nothing inappropriate about being LGBTQ+ or in acknowledging LGBTQ+ issues & people. Furthermore, denying transgender & non-binary youth access to best-practice, life-saving medical care puts their lives in very real danger. These bills are a desperate & cruel effort by radical politicians in Louisiana to marginalize & erase the LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender youth. The Human Rights Campaign strongly condemns these discriminatory bills & calls on Gov. Bel Edwards to veto them.” So far in 2023 more than 530 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in statehouses across the country. A total of 74 pieces of legislation have been enacted into law this year & more than 225 of those bills would specifically restrict the rights of our transgender community.
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Provincetown Int’l Film Festival (AUDIO)

This week I talked with Andrew Peterson, Director of Programming of the Provincetown International Film Festival that takes place June 14th to June 18th in Provincetown, MA. PIFF is celebrating its 25th year with over 100 films that include diverse BIPOC & LGBTQ filmmakers as well as wildly talented first-time filmmakers along with PIFF’s longstanding commitment to gender parity. The opening night film will be “Cora Bora” starring Megan Stalter & directed by Hannah Pearl Utt. Written by Rhianon Jones “Cora Bora” follows the story of Cora a messy millennial & struggling musician. When she goes home to Portland to win back her girlfriend Cora realizes there’s a lot more than her love life that needs salvaging. As we announced earlier Stalter will receive the festival’s Next Wave Award this year. “Theater Camp” from directors Molly Gordon & Nick Lieberman is set to close the festival. It tells the story about staff members of an upstate New York theater camp who must band together when their beloved founder falls into a coma. Also honored this year will be Bruce LaBruce with the Filmmaker on Edge Award, Billy Porter the Emmy, Tony & Grammy Award-winning actor will be honored with this year’s Excellence in Acting Award & along with Megan Stalter, writer, director & actor Julio Torres will receive the Next Wave Award. There will also be lots of fabulous special events & parties. I talked to Peterson about what he hopes to accomplish at the 25th annual Provincetown International Film Festival & his spin on our LGBTQ issues. LISTEN  
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LGBTQ Concert For Love & Acceptance

GLAAD & country music artist Ty Herndon’s annual “Concert For Love & Acceptance” takes place Wednesday June 7th at 7:30P at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, Tenn. Chrissy Metz, Brooke Eden, Jada Cato, AUTI & Jason Catron will be joining the stellar line-up of performers including Maddie & Tae, Terri Clark, Pam Tillis, Desmond Child, Wendy Moten, Billy Gilman, Shelly Fairchild, Justin Fabus, Chapel Hart, Sam Williams, Jamie Floyd, Brandon Stansell & Bryan Ruby. Herndon stated, “We’ve come a long way in Nashville & in country music since GLAAD & I came together to host this show for the first time in 2015 but we still have a long way to go, as evidenced by the onslaught of attacks against our LGBTQ community by politicians. Love & acceptance should never be up for debate at the courthouse or at the state house & I’m so proud that this event has grown year over year to become what it is today. I feel like we need it now more than ever.” Anthony Allen Ramos GLAAD’s Vice President of Communications & Talent concluded, “Right now it is more crucial than ever to take a stand in Tennessee & show love & support for LGBTQ people & so many amazing artists in country music are joining The Concert for Love & Acceptance & stepping up to the plate to do so. This show will serve as an important reminder that LGBTQ people have a place in country music & that we must be treated fairly & with respect.” The Foundation For Love & Acceptance founded by Herndon is dedicated to harnessing the power of music & media to support mental health & addiction recovery, LGBTQ & other at-risk youth & Nashville’s country music community. 
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Pride Month Battle Of The Good & Evil

Celebrating Pride Month this year began with controversies battling over 500 anti-LGBTQ bills erupting across the nation so far in 2023 attempting to derail diversity & inclusion. Then we had to deal with recent pushback by businesses like Anheuser-Busch & Target falling prey to rightwing extremist groups’ hate & intimidation strategies. Kelley Robinson, HRC President stated, “This year, we need more than just a rainbow logo. Going into Pride Month – a protest for our fundamental rights & a celebration of visibility & queer joy – businesses play a bigger role than ever before in championing LGBTQ+ inclusion & representation. The LGBTQ+ community is experiencing the worst year on record for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation – over 520 bills that aim to strip us of our very existence, dignity & history, from the doctor’s office to the classroom to the sports field.” At the same time GLAAD has released their 9th annual Accelerating Acceptance study which revealed that a record number of non-LGBTQ Americans support equal rights for the LGBTQ community. The Study also shows that an overwhelming majority of non-LGBTQ Americans now believe that LGBTQ people should have the freedom to live their life & not be discriminated against & that schools should be a safe & an accepting place for all youth as Florida ramps up its book banning agenda. Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD President & CEO concluded, “Media, content creators & corporate leaders need to lead & respond to hate with undeterred support for the LGBTQ community, including LGBTQ employees, shareholders & consumers. Allyship is not easy, but when values of diversity, equity & inclusion are tested, we must defend them unequivocally." 
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