Adam Lambert to be honored with the Davidson/Valentini Award at 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in San Francisco

New York, Thursday, March 28, 2013 - GLAAD, the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy organization, today announced it will honor singer, songwriter, and stage performer Adam Lambert at the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, presented nationally by Ketel One Vodka and Wells Fargo.

Adam Lambert will receive the Davidson/Valentini Award at the San Francisco ceremony on May 11, 2013 at the Hilton San Francisco – Union Square, presented locally by Southwest Airlines. The Davidson/Valentini Award is named after Craig Davidson, GLAAD’s first executive director, and his partner Michael Valentini. The award is presented to an openly LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equality for the LGBT community.  Previous Davidson/Valentini honorees include Lee Daniels, Chad Allen, Ilene Chaiken, Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, Alec Mapa, B.D. Wong, and Sandra Bernhard.

“Adam Lambert’s continued success as one of the world’s best-selling pop stars shows LGBT people that they can be themselves and make it in a mainstream industry that many feel unfairly rejects them,” said GLAAD’s Wilson Cruz. “Adam is fearless on stage and astonishes audiences in every country he performs in.”

Upon the release of Lambert’s second album Trespassing, of which he is the executive producer and principal writer, Lambert became the first out LGBT artist to reach number one on the Billboard 200. The album made numerous year-end “best of” lists, including Rolling Stone and People, and Lambert supported the album by embarking on a successful world tour. Lambert also performed with legendary rock band Queen in critically-acclaimed sold-out shows across Europe.  He has also established himself as one of the few high-profile Western acts across Asia with recent TV performances on the finale of “The Voice of China” and the MNET Music awards, reaching more than three billion viewers.

As an out mainstream pop star, Lambert has used his status to help advance equality and raise visibility of the LGBT community. In September 2012, he participated in a benefit performance to raise money for marriage equality efforts in Maryland and engaged in several interviews, in which he spoke about the importance of empowering and supporting LGBT young people. Lambert has also been recognized by other LGBT advocacy organizations, including Equality California’s Los Angeles Equality Awards and the PFLAG National Los Angeles event. In December, he performed at “Cyndi Lauper and Friends: Home for the Holidays,” a benefit concert supporting homeless LGBT youth.

In addition to his music, Lambert has appeared on stage and television. His guest spot on the Halloween special of Pretty Little Liars on ABC Family was the highest rated annual Halloween special ever for the network. He also hosted and performed during VH1′s Divas, a show benefiting the Save the Music Foundation.

Adam Lambert is a two-time GLAAD Media Award nominee, garnering nominations for both of his albums. He performed two of his songs during the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles in 2010.


Additional honorees and special guests for the San Francisco event will be announced.

Nominees for the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards were announced in January and are available here: http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/nominees. The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives. Each year, the GLAAD Media Awards in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco bring together more than 5,000 advocates and allies to raise critical funds for the organization’s work.

The 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards are executive produced by Marc Honaker, Director of Creative Development at GLAAD, and by Josh Wood, founder and president of Josh Wood Productions. Emmy Award-winning production designer James Connelly will design this year’s set across the three cities. Acclaimed producer and editor Brett Henrichsen will also contribute to this year’s GLAAD Media Awards.

To receive the latest updates on the GLAAD Media Awards, follow @glaad on Twitter and use the hashtag #glaadawards.

About GLAAD: GLAAD amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.

Source: GLAAD

Anne Sweeney from Disney/ABC Television Group honored at 2013 HRC Los Angeles Gala Dinner hosted by Tom Bergeron

City of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa makes his last appearance at 2013 HRC LA Gala. Make Equality Count and Prop. 8 and DOMA was one of the main topic discussed at the 2013 Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles Gala Dinner event.

On Saturday, March 23, 2013 The Human Rights Campaign held their number one fundraising event The 2013 Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles Gala Dinner at the JW Marriott L.A. Live Hotel 900 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015 from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

Honoree Anne Sweeney is co-chair, Disney Media Networks, and president, Disney/ABC Television Group, which includes The Walt Disney Company’s global entertainment and news television properties, owned television stations group, as well as radio and publishing businesses. For more information visit The Walt Disney Company.

Make Equality Count and Prop. 8 and DOMA was one of the main topic issues at the event. As well to recognize Ally’s of Equality such as City of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and to honor Disney/ABC Television Group with the Corporate Equality Award for the company’s support of equality for the LGBT community. The award was presented to the company’s president, Anne Sweeney.

Some of the event program celebrities, politicians and special guests included:
Kris Perry & Sandy Stier and Paul Katami & Jeff Zarrillo, Christine Gregoire, Mark Takano, Anne Sweeney, Rob Reiner, Tom Bergeron, Kerry Washington and Chad Griffin. The event dinner co-chairs were Ted Holmquist & Gwen Baba.

The 2013 Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles Gala Dinner featured special guests and celebrities arrivals, dinner, gift bag, award presentation. Also inspirational and supporting speeches on Marriage Equality to win Prop. 8 and DOMA in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is schedule to hear arguments on both the Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Prop 8. Prop. 8 case, Hollingsworth v. Perry on Tuesday, March 26 and Defense of Marriage Act on Wednesday, March 27, 2013.

Supporters and activists expect a ruling on this discriminatory law by next June. If the Supreme Court decides in favor of equality, more than a quarter of Americans will live in states where LGBT couples can marry legally. And if they rule DOMA unconstitutional, every single one of those couples will have the same federal rights and benefits of marriage as heterosexual couples.

About The Human Rights Campaign:
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all. For more information visit http://www.hrc.org/

About The Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles Steering Committee:
The Los Angeles Steering Committee of the Human Rights Campaign is a diverse volunteer group of individuals working each and every day to bring the mission of HRC to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender and straight-supportive people in this area. For more information visit http://hrcladinner.com/about_us.html

Source: HRC

Photos credit to: Alireza Kia/Alireza Kia Photography for Diversity News Magazine.

Editor’s Note: We want to thanks HRC for allowing Diversity News Magazine and Diversity News teams to cover the 2013 Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles Gala Dinner, a very well organized and important event.

Anne Sweeney, President of Disney/ABC Television Group to be Honor at 2013 HRC Los Angeles Gala Dinner

Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles Dinner Last Stop for Prop. 8 Plaintiffs on way to Supreme Court

LOS ANGELES – March 19, 2013, The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, today announced the 2013 Los Angeles Gala on Saturday March 23 at the JW Marriott L.A. Live Hotel will celebrate Kris Perry & Sandy Stier and Paul Katami & Jeff Zarrillo, the four California plaintiffs challenging Prop. 8 before the U.S. Supreme Court. The dinner will be their last public event in their home state of California before they head to Washington for the oral argument, which begins on March 26.

In addition to the Prop. 8 plaintiffs, this year’s dinner will include other champions of equality including former Washington State Gov. Christine Gregoire, who signed marriage equality into law in 2012 and then helped lead the historic campaign against the efforts to overturn the law, openly gay Congressman Mark Takano, and Rob Reiner, a board member of the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), the sole sponsor of the federal court challenge of Prop. 8. ABC’s Tom Bergeron will host the event and actress Kerry Washington will make a special appearance. HRC will honor Disney/ABC Television Group with its Corporate Equality Award for the company’s steadfast support of equality for the LGBT community. The award will be presented to the company’s president, Anne Sweeney.

WHAT: Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles Gala Dinner

WHEN: Saturday, March 23, 2013
Media arrival at 5:00 p.m. / Arrivals 6:00 p.m. / Program begins at 7:00 p.m.

WHERE: JW Marriott L.A. Live Hotel
Diamond Ballroom
900 West Olympic Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90015

WHO: Prop. 8 Plaintiffs Kris Perry & Sandy Stier and Paul Katami & Jeff Zarrillo
Christine Gregoire, Former Washington Governor
Congressman Mark Takano
Anne Sweeney, President of Disney/ABC Television Group
Rob Reiner, actor, director, and American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) board member
Tom Bergeron, host of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and America’s Funniest Home Videos
Kerry Washington, actress
Chad Griffin, President of the Human Rights Campaign

For more information on sponsorship opportunities or to purchase tickets go to www.hrcladinner.com.


About The Human Rights Campaign:
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all. For more information visit http://www.hrc.org/

About The Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles Steering Committee:
The Los Angeles Steering Committee of the Human Rights Campaign is a diverse volunteer group of individuals working each and every day to bring the mission of HRC to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender and straight-supportive people in this area. For more information visit http://hrcladinner.com/about_us.html

About Anne Sweeney:
Anne Sweeney is co-chair, Disney Media Networks, and president, Disney/ABC Television Group, which includes The Walt Disney Company’s global entertainment and news television properties, owned television stations group, as well as radio and publishing businesses. For more information visit The Walt Disney Company.

Media Credentialing: Media pre-registration is required and space is limited. All media must be pre-registered and approved for a credential. To request credentials for the dinner, please contact Paul Guequierre at paul.guequierre@hrc.org.

Source: Human Rights Campaign, The Walt Disney Company

President Barack Obama Re-Elected for second term to the White House as President of the USA in 2012

Photos of President Barack Obama Re-Elected for second term to the White House as President of the USA in 2012.

The Speech, You must listen what our President say.

Please click on photos to view regular size.

Please come back for story, but for now, check out the photos taken live from our media partner CBS News.

Photos credit to: Pete Souza, AP, CBS News, Diversity News Publications.

Sources: CBS News, CBS News Radio

All major professional sports leagues to ‘go purple’ for Spirit Day with GLAAD in a historic show of support for LGBT youth on October 19

MLB, MLS Cares, NBA, WNBA, NFL, NASCAR Diversity, NHL, USA Track & Field, WWE join millions to speak out against bullying
Ricky Martin, Country music icon Reba McEntire, Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi, Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley, Country Music Television (CMT), CNBC, MTV, VH1, Logo, BET, NBCUniversal, Paris Hilton, ‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas’ Sign, New York Stock Exchange, Hosts of Good Morning America, The Talk, Days of Our Lives cast, Dianna Agron, Chaz Bono, Fran Drescher, Joel McHale, Sir Ian McKellen, Maria Menounos, Bernadette Peters and more pledge to wear purple in stand against bullying.

NEW YORK, NY, October 18, 2012 - In an unprecedented show of support, GLAAD today announced that the six most prominent American major sports leagues – The National Basketball Association (NBA) / Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), the National Football League (NFL), the National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB), Major League Soccer (MLS) and NASCAR’s diversity program – will all ‘go purple’ for Spirit Day on Friday, October 19, in a stand against bullying and to show their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth. The six leagues will send messages on Spirit Day to bullied LGBT youth via Twitter and Facebook. The leagues join athletes like Shaquille O’Neal and Terrell Owens who have already pledged to ‘go purple,’ and sports organizations, including the GLAAD Amplifier Award-winning “You Can Play” project, GLAAD partner Athlete Ally, GO! Athletes, and UK Rugby champion Ben Cohen’s StandUp Foundation. World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), like the NBA, will be taking part in Spirit Day for the second consecutive year. USA Track & Field will also participate by providing support through social media.

For a full list of participants, an anti-bullying resource kit for students and parents as well as Spirit Day digital apps visit glaad.org/spiritday and follow #SpiritDay

“From sports leagues to faith institutions to national monuments, schools and celebrities, millions of Americans will unite this week in an extraordinary show of support for LGBT youth and in a stand against bullying,” said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. “At a time when 8 out of 10 LGBT youth report being harassed at school, it’s now more important than ever that we let every young person know that it’s okay to be who you are.”

Country music icon Reba McEntire and Country Music Television (CMT) will join MTV, VH1, Logo and BET, as well as Latin music icon Ricky Martin, pop sensation Fun., 80s pop icon Cyndi Lauper, Grammy Award-winning R&B recording artist Brandy Norwood, teen music star Aaron Carter, country music star Chely Wright, Broadway legend Bernadette Peters and EGOT Rita Moreno in ‘going purple’ for Spirit Day on October 19. More than one hundred celebrity participants are listed below or here: www.glaad.org/spiritday/entertainment

Viacom’s brands will be participating on-air, online, through social media and employee engagement efforts. MTV, VH1, Logo, TV Land and TeenNick will turn on-air logos purple on Spirit Day; MTV, VH1 and Logo will turn online logos purple as well and support through social media, VH1.com, LogoTV.com and NewNowNext.com, which will be posting feature stories and never-before-seen “It Gets Better” clips. MTV will turn its 44 ? high-definition screen in Times Square purple for the day. The cast of TeenNick’s ‘Degrassi’ and ‘Victorious’ star Avan Jogia will be wearing purple and Viacom, BET, CMT and Paramount Pictures will also support the day through social media. MTV stars, including ‘Jersey Shore’ cast members DJ Pauly D, Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley, Sammi Giancola and Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi will also participate.

Comcast and NBCUniversal will participate including NBC owned stations, Telemundo network and owned stations. Hosts of “Access Hollywood,” CNBC, “Chelsea Lately,” and E! News, among others, will wear purple.

The Sundance Channel will also participate by turning its on-air and web logos purple for Spirit Day on October 19. Additionally, the network will go purple on its social media pages and share photos of Sundance staff in their Spirit Day purple.

The ‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign’ will be turned purple and several hotels on the Las Vegas strip will light their marquees purple with an anti-bullying message, GLAAD previously announced with R&R Partners Foundation. In addition, the Duke Energy Tower in Charlotte, NC will join the New York Stock Exchange, Thomson Reuters’ Times Square screen, the LAX Pylon Lights and JFK traffic tower in lighting up purple for Spirit Day on October 19.

Hosts of ‘Good Morning America’ will wear purple on the October 19 show. ‘Watch What Happens Live’ host Andy Cohen will also wear purple for Spirit Day on the October 18 program. Hosts of “Access Hollywood,” CNBC, “Chelsea Lately,” “E! News,” “Extra,” “The Talk,” “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” and “The Wendy Williams Show” will also wear purple on the air for Spirit Day. Host of ‘Extra,’ Maria Menounos, will join previously announced celebrity participants including Dianna Agron, Perez Hilton, Avan Jogia, Shay Mitchell, Shaquille O’Neal, George Takei and Wendy Williams as a Spirit Day Ambassador.

American Apparel, the vertically integrated clothing manufacturer based in downtown Los Angeles, launched a Spirit Day store featuring the company’s purple clothing items. Spirit Day supporters will receive a special 10% discount on the purple items by using the promo code ‘SPIRIT’ at check out. American Apparel will also donate 10% of all ‘purple proceeds’ to GLAAD.

Each year GLAAD coordinates hundreds of national and local organizations, schools, celebrities, media, sports leagues, corporations, parishes, faith groups and landmarks. GLAAD is also working with gay teen Katy Butler who is calling for President Obama and Governor Romney to wear purple on Friday. Her Change.org petition has garnered thousands of signatures: glaad.org/purple2012. Earlier this year, Katy launched a Change.org petition to call on the MPAA to change the rating of the documentary BULLY.

Additionally, celebrities including Chad Allen, Juliette Angelo, Louis Van Amstel, Bryan Batt, Kristin Bauer van Straten,  Chaz Bono, Brandy, Bailey Buntain, Keenan Cahill, Kristin Cavallari, ‘Quan T. Chanteur, Crystal Chappell, Preston Charles, Christian Chavez, Derek Chavez, Margaret Cho, Mario Cimarro, Andy Cohen, Ron Corning, Andres Cuervo, Bianca and Chiara D’Ambrosio, the cast of Days of Our Lives, the cast of Degrassi, Heather Doerksen, Fran Drescher, Elvis Duran, Carmen Electra, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Craig Ferguson, Ray Ford, Fun., Stephen Fry, Rose Garcia, Teresa Giudice, Tony Goldwyn, Greer Grammer, Renee Graziano,  Kathy Griffin, Melanie Griffith, Damien Haas,  Randy Harrison, Paris Hilton, Perez Hilton, Lisa Hochstein, Cheyenne Jackson, LaToya Jackson, Peter Marc Jacobson, Avan Jogia, Kaya Jones, Tamala Jones, Jarod Joseph, Keahu Kahuaui, Josh Kilmer-Purcell, Jennifer Knapp, C.J. Koegel, Kara Laricks, Laura Leon, Bubba Lewis, Judith Light, Mario Lopez, Katie Lowes, Jessica Lu, Lilia Luciano, Desi Lydic, Sean Maher, Marlee Matlin, Edith Marquez, Katlin Mastandrea, Lucia Mendez, Dean McDermott, Reba McEntire, Joel McHale, Sir Ian McKellan, Maria Menounous, Paula Meronek, Windell Middlebrooks, Andy Mientus, Justin Mikita, Cesar Milan, Dannii Minogue,  Alicia Minshew, D.W. Moffett, Rita Moreno, Sarah Mitchell,  Shay Mitchell, Sonja Morgan, Jessica Morris, Mary Murphy, Brandon Nelson, Matt Nordgren, Tyler Oakley, Shaquille O’Neal, JD Ordonez, Terrell Owens, AJ Pagan, Ian Patrick, Marysol Patton, Zack Pearlman, Bernadette Peters, Melissa Peterman, Pauly D, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Joey Pollari, Marisa del Portillo, Stephanie Pratt, Cierra Ramirez, Emilie de Ravin, Jasmine Reynaud, Jillian Rose Reed, Shonda Rhimes, Ashley Rickards, Brent Ridge, RoBA, Chef Jason Roberts, Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, Sara Rue, Thomas Sadoski, SallyAnn Salsano, Erin Sanders, Helenna Santos-Levy, Kenny Santucci, Robb Schreiber, Diego Schoening, Benji Schwimmer, Ryan Serhant, William Shatner, Lindsey Shaw, Christina Sicoli, Gail Simmons, Freddie Smith, Evan Starkman, KaDee Strickland, George Takei, Molly Tarlov, Lea Thompson, Shannon Tweed-Simmons, Kirsten Vangsness, Vanessa Villela, Michelle Visage, Bruce Vilanch, Kathy Wakile, Stephen Wallem, Kerry Washington, Trey Weatherholtz, Jill and Nikki Weiss-Goldstein, Wendy Williams, Henry Winkler, Marissa Winokur and Kyra Zagorsky will also participate by going purple on October 19.  For a full list please visit: www.glaad.org/spiritday/entertainment

Celebrity participants and Spirit Day Ambassadors are also encouraging fans and supporters to donate to GLAAD, GLSEN and The Trevor Project by texting ‘PURPLE’ to 80888 to make a $5 contribution. AT&T is the exclusive underwriter of the Spirit Day Text Purple campaign.

In addition to the ‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas’ sign, Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands Corporation, Treasure Island, The Tropicana Las Vegas and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will also turn their resort marquees purple along the Las Vegas Strip 11 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. and then again 10 p.m. 10:15 p.m. The Fremont Street Experience will also go purple for Spirit Day at 10 p.m. and again at 11 p.m., lighting its famed Viva Vision canopy, which consists of more than 12 million LED lights and spans four city blocks. Organized by The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada (The Center), a meet-up for teens and young adults will take place that evening at the Fremont Street Experience. Marquee Nightclub, located in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, will host a Spirit Day after-party with special celebrity host NHL star Sean Avery.

Other Las Vegas-area participants include Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA); Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN); Golden Rainbow; Hilton Garden Inn; Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce; Las Vegas Pride; Nevada State Senator David Parks; QVegas; and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

GLAAD and Toyota Financial Services last week announced the release of the “Go Purple for #SpiritDay powered by Toyota Financial Services” apps for iPhone and Android. The app provides users with anti-bullying resources, calls to action, and a tool that can turn photos purple and share to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The free app is now available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play. To download, visit: glaad.org/spiritday/app

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the nation’s second largest school district with more than 640,000 students in over 900 schools, will participate by sharing information about Spirit Day with students on its website and through its social media channels.

Corporations including AMC Entertainment, American Airlines, American Apparel, AT&T, atelier-lb, Caesars Foundation, Carat, Citi, Comcast, CreagerCole Communications, Delta Air Lines, Draftfcb, Digitas, Ernst & Young LLP, Facebook, Hewlett-Packard Company, Hyatt, Johnnye’s East Texas Soul, LBNY, Leo Burnett Business, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Marquee Las Vegas, MediaVest, MetLife, MSL New York, Mobli, NBCUniversal, Nielsen, Omnicom Group, PepsiCo, Publicis Groupe, Publicis Kaplan Thaler, PwC, Saatchi & Saatchi, Seventeen Magazine, Southern California Edison, StumbleUpon, Thomson Reuters, Toyota Financial Services, tumblr, Viacom, Warner Bros., Wells Fargo, Yahoo! and Zenith Optimedia will also participate in Spirit Day. Participating companies will distribute information to employees about wearing purple and/or turn their logo purple on October 19.

Local and national groups and organizations including All Out; The Alliance for GLBTQ Youth; American Federation of Teachers (AFT); Athlete Ally; Bienestar; bklyn boihood; Broadway Impact; The Brown Boi Project; Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization; the BULLY Project; Campus Pride; CenterLink; Circle of Voices; Courage Campaign; Empire State Pride Agenda; Equality California; Equality Florida; Equality Illinois; Equality Maryland; Equality Matters; Equality Michigan; the Equality Network; Equality North Carolina; Equality Ohio; Equality Texas; Equality Utah; Fair Wisconsin; FALGBT; Familia es Familia; Fierce; Forty to None Project; Forum for Equality; Freedom to Marry; FriendFactor; Forum for Equality; Garden State Equality; Georgia Equality; Gay Asian and Pacific Islander Men of New York (GAPIMNY); Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD); the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN); Gay Men of African Descent (GMAD); Give a Damn Campaign; GMHC; GSA Network; Hetrick-Martin Institute; Hispanic Black Gay Coalition (HBGC); Human Rights Campaign (HRC); Immigration Equality; Indiana Equality; It Gets Better Project; Latino Equality Alliance; Latino GLBT History; LGBT Faith Leaders of African Descent; Log Cabin Republicans; the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC); Mass Equality; Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC); MOVILH; National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC); the National Bullying Prevention Center by PACER; the National Council of La Raza (NCLR); National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR); National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE); National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP); the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC); One Colorado; One Iowa; OutFront Minnesota; Out & Equal; OutServe; Palm Beach County Human Rights Council; Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG); Point Foundation; promo; Progress Florida; Reaching Out MBA; Safe Schools of South Florida; SAGE; Save Dade; Sean’s Last Wish;  Service Members Legal Defense Network (SLDN); Straight But Not Narrow; Sun Serve; Sylvia Rivera Law Project; The Task Force; Tennessee Equality Project; Transgender Law Center; Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF); Trans People of Color Coalition (TPCC);Tennessee Equality Project; Trans Ohio; Trans People of Color Coalition; Trans Youth Support Network (TYSN); The Trevor Project; True Colors Fund; Truth Wins Out; The Village Family Services; We Are Family; WikiQueer; and Youth Empowered to Act (YETA) will all participate by wearing purple on October 19, turning their social media channels purple, and encouraging members to participate.

Additional media partners include 495 Productions, The Advocate, AutoStraddle.com, Boy Culture, Diversity News Magazine, Edge Media Network, Frontiers in L.A. Magazine, Gay.com, Gay.net, Here TV, HIV Plus Magazine, HollyScoop.com, HollywoodLife.com, HuffPost Gay Voices, Hulu, Instinct Magazine, JoeMyGod.com, MicahJesse.com, Mombian.com, Next Magazine, OUT, OUT Traveler, Queerty.com, RumorFix.com, Seventeen, The Seattle Lesbian, SheWired.com, Think Progress and The Washington Blade.

This year, more than 50 faith organizations, congregations and synagogues are going purple for Spirit Day. Notable faith leaders like Bishop Gene Robinson, Christian music artist Jennifer Knapp, and YouTube theologian, Matthew Vines have all encouraged their followers to go purple for Spirit Day. Faith-based organizations include the United Church of Christ, the Unitarian Universalist Association, Metropolitan Community Churches, Believe Out Loud, Sojourners, Muslims for Progressive Values, Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, Dignity USA, Fortunate Families, the Church of St. Francis Xavier, Holy Angels Catholic Community, Archdiocese of Los Angeles Ministry with Lesbian and Gay Catholics, Catholic Association for Lesbian and Gay Ministry, Catholic Association of Students for Equality, New Ways Ministry, Keshet, the Institute for Judaism, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, Nehirim: GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality, Star of Davida, Congregation Sha’ar Zahav, Beth Chayim Chadashim, He’bro, The Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard, Eden Theological Seminary Common Grounds, Auburn Seminary, Affirmation United Methodists, Reconciling Ministries Network, Druid Hills United Methodist Church, Travis Park United Methodist Church, Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry, Pacific School of Religion, Coalition of Welcoming Congregations in the Bay Area, Covenant Network of Presbyterians, More Light Presbyterians, Presbyterian Welcome, Religious Institute: Faithful Voices on Sexuality and Religion, Human Rights Campaign Religion & Faith Program, ReconcilingWorks, St. James Lutheran Church, Journey Fellowship, BJUnity, Canyonwalker Connections, Groundswell, Inside, Owldolatrous, The Evangelical Network, The Marin Foundation, The Naming Project, and LGBT Faith Leaders of African Descent. Congregations and faith organizations are encouraged to visit the faith page of the Spirit Day web site (www.glaad.org/spiritday/faith) to participate in Spirit Day.

In 2010, teenager Brittany McMillan called on her friends to wear purple as a way to memorialize those who lost their lives to bullying. With GLAAD’s help, Spirit Day has since garnered widespread support from celebrities, TV news and entertainment programs, corporations, organizations, schools, local communities, and even national landmarks. Spirit Day coincides with GLSEN’s Ally Week, as well as National Bullying Prevention Month.

“Showing support for your friends, family and teachers can make all the difference in the world to young LGBT people, whether they are going through a tough time or not,” said 17-year-old McMillan. “This year, Spirit Day is going to be bigger and better than ever, and I’m so thrilled to be going purple alongside some of my favorite celebrities, as well as millions of others in a united stand against bullying.” For more information visit glaad.org/spiritday

About GLAAD: The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.

Source: GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation)

Editor’s Note: Diversity News Magazine, Diversity News Publications and Steven Escobar are proud to be media partners with GLAAD for Spirit Day! (wear purple on Friday, October 19th) http://www.glaad.org/spiritday/media

Millions Of Americans To Wear Purple On Spirit Day In A Stand Against Bullying On October 19, 2012

Perez Hilton, Avan Jogia, Shay Mitchell, Shaquille O’Neal, George Takei, Wendy Williams join LGBT advocates Jordan Addison, Shane Bitney Crone, Brittany McMillan, Tiq Milan, Janet Mock, Jennifer Tyrrell and Zach Wahls in a national call to action.
AMC Entertainment, AT&T, CNBC, Caesars Foundation, Carat, Citi, Delta Air Lines, Draftfcb, Facebook, Hewlett-Packard Company, The McGraw-Hill Companies, National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), Omnicom Group, Publicis Kaplan Thaler, Publicis Groupe, Toyota Financial Services, Warner Bros., and Yahoo! to ‘go purple’ on 10/19.

NEW YORK, NY - Wednesday, September 19, 2012 , Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, Nickelodeon’s Avan Jogia, Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mitchell, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, TV icon George Takei, and daytime talk show host of The Wendy Williams Show, Wendy Williams, will join GLAAD, hundreds of corporations, national landmarks, schools, local communities and millions of Americans in wearing purple for Spirit Day on October 19, 2012 in a stand against bullying and to show their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth, it was announced today.

Supporters are encouraged to take the Spirit Day Pledge at glaad.org/spiritday

College student Jordan Addison, who recently shared his experience with anti-gay bullying on The Ellen DeGeneres Show; Shane Bitney Crone, whose web video about the tragic death of his partner has garnered millions of views; anti-bullying advocate Brittany McMillan; advocate and writer Tiq Milan; transgender advocate, author of Fish Food: A Memoir and former People.com editor Janet Mock; Ohio mom Jennifer Tyrrell, who was ousted as leader of her son’s Boy Scouts troop because she’s gay; and Scouts for Equality founder and author of My Two Moms, Zach Wahls will participate alongside Hilton, Jogia, Mitchell, O’Neal, Takei and Williams as Spirit Day Ambassadors.

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the nation’s second largest school district with more than 640,000 students in over 900 schools, will participate by sharing information about Spirit Day with students on its website and through its social media channels. The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) will also participate through social media.

Corporations including AMC Entertainment, AT&T, CNBC, Caesars Foundation, Carat, Citi, Delta Air Lines, Draftfcb, Facebook, Hewlett-Packard Company, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Omnicom Group, Publicis Kaplan Thaler, Publicis Groupe, Toyota Financial Services, Warner Bros., and Yahoo! will also participate in Spirit Day. Participating companies will distribute information to employees about wearing purple and/or turn their logo purple on October 19.

Participating national landmarks include the LAX Pylon Lights and the JFK traffic tower, both of which will turn purple on October 19.

Local and national groups and organizations including the BULLY Project; Campus Pride; FriendFactor; the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN); GSA Network; the National Bullying Prevention Center by PACER; Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG); Reaching Out MBA; Straight But Not Narrow; The Trevor Project; and Youth Empowered to Act (YETA) will all participate by wearing purple on October 19, turning their social media channels purple, and encouraging members to participate.

For a complete list of celebrity participants, media outlets, TV networks, organizations and corporations visit glaad.org/spiritday. Additional participants to be announced.

In 2010, teenager Brittany McMillan called on her friends to wear purple as a way to memorialize those who lost their lives to bullying. With GLAAD’s help, Spirit Day has since garnered widespread support from celebrities, TV news and entertainment programs, corporations, organizations, schools, local communities, and even national landmarks. Spirit Day coincides with GLSEN’s Ally Week, as well as National Bullying Prevention Month.

“Showing support for your friends, family and teachers can make all the difference in the world to young LGBT people, whether they are going through a tough time or not,” said 17-year-old McMillan. “This year, Spirit Day is going to be bigger and better than ever, and I’m so thrilled to be going purple alongside some of my favorite celebrities, as well as millions of others in a united stand against bullying.”

“By going purple for Spirit Day, millions of Americans are helping to send a clear message that no one should be bullied simply because of who they are,” said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick.

Among those who participated in 2011: hosts of the Today Show, Good Morning America, Live! With Regis & Kelly, The View, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, and ABC World News; celebrities including Tyra Banks, Cher, Ellen DeGeneres, Ricky Martin, Julianne Moore, and Oprah Winfrey; corporations like AT&T, Goldman Sachs, Facebook, MTV, and NBCUniversal; and national landmarks including Times Square, LAX, and the White House.

What is Spirit Day?
Millions of Americans wear purple on Spirit Day as a sign of support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth and to speak out against bullying. Spirit Day was started in 2010 as a response to the young people who had taken their own lives. Observed annually, individuals, schools, organizations, corporations, media professionals and celebrities wear purple, which symbolizes spirit on the rainbow flag. Getting involved is easy — participants are asked to simply “go purple” on October 19th as we work to create a world in which LGBT teens are celebrated and accepted for who they are. Learn more & go purple at www.glaad.org/spiritday.

About GLAAD: The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAADon Facebook and Twitter.

Editor’s Note: Diversity News Magazine, Diversity News Publications and Steven Escobar are proud to be media partners with GLAAD for Spirit Day! (wear purple on Friday, October 19th) http://www.glaad.org/spiritday/media

Stonewall Young Democrats 6th Annual HERO Awards 2012: Year of the Women Hosted By Raquel Castaneda

On Saturday, August 25, 2012 The Stonewall Young Democrats and The Honorable Betty T. Yee held their 6th Annual HERO Awards: Year of the Women 2012 at The Westin Bonaventure located 404 South Flower Street in Los Angeles, California 90012.

The awardees were: Hon. Dianne Feinstein, California United States Senator, Hon. Debra Bowen, California Secretary of State, Hon. Cynthia Loo, Referee, LA Superior Court and Susan Dunlap, CEO, Planned Parenthood-Los Angeles.

“I was so proud and honored to serve as the Mistress of Ceremonies at the Stonewall Young Democrats 6th Annual Hero Awards. Thank you to everyone who came out and support me and our honorees!” said Mistress of Ceremonies was Raquel Castaneda.

The event keynote address was done by U.S. Congressmember Henry Waxman and event mistress of ceremonies was Raquel Castaneda, Cast Member, Showtime’s The Real “L” Word.

Some of the people that attended the event were Congresswoman Judy Chu, Congressman Adam Schiff, Assemblywoman Betsy Butler, Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield, Congressman Howard Berman, Assemblywoman Holly J. Mitchell, Assemblymember Mike Feuer, City Controller Wendy Greuel, Assemblymember Steve Bradford, City of West Hollywood Mayor Jeffrey Prang, Trevor Daley (Senator Feintein office) and many more.

(Please click on each photo to view regular size)

The event featured a red carpet arrivals, appetizers, awards presentation, silent auction, and photo opportunities.

About SYD HERO Awards: The SYD Annual HERO Awards, now in its sixth year, recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of the rights of the LGBT Community. Past recipients include: Congresswoman Judy Chu, Maria Elena Durazo, Karina Samala, Fmr. Congresswoman/US Ambassador Diane E. Watson, West Hollywood City Council Member Jeffrey Prang and Jorge Valencia. For more information visit http://stonewallyoungdems.org/heroes

About SYD: Founded in 2004, Stonewall Young Democrats is a community of dedicated youth passionate about political and societal issues. They strive to give voice to LGBTQ youth and take action in a grassroots manner on matters of both local and national significance. For more information visit www.stonewallyoungdems.org.


To order photos of the event visit: http://photo.wenn.com/index.php?action=quicksearch&ppid=180824&version=us&fb_source=message, http://imagecollect.com/events/6th-annual-hero-awards-hosted-by-raquel-castaneda-photos-146829 or http://snapped4u.com/galleries/2479

For more videos visit: http://blip.tv/diversity-news-tv

Editor’s Note: For a second year in a row Diversity News Magazine from Diversity News Publications is again an official and proud media partner of the Stonewall Young Democrats 6th Annual HERO Awards 2012. Our own Special Writer/Reporter & TV Host Kitty Pleasant and yours truly attended to represent us at the event.

Photos credit to: (C) FayesVision/WENN.com, Diversity News Magazine from Diversity News Publications and Clinton H.Wallace/Photomundo International.
Videos courtesy of Diversity News TV on Blip TV and YouTube Channels

Raquel Castaneda Named Host of The Stonewall Young Democrats 6th Annual HERO Awards 2012

West Hollywood, CA — On Tuesday, July 10, 2012, The Stonewall Young Democrats & the Honorable Betty Yee announced that Activist, Philanthropist and TV Personality featured on Showtimes The Real L Word Raquel Castaneda will be host of The Stonewall Young Democrats 6th Annual HERO Awards 2012 Year of the Women.

“I am Honored to be hosting the 6th Annual HERO Awards! Please join us as we celebrate our Victories in 2012-The Year of the Woman!” said Raquel Castaneda.

On prior announcement The SYD 6th Annual HERO Awards 2012 Honorees were announced as:

• Honorable Dianne Feinstein, California United States Senator
• Honorable Debra Bowen, California Secretary of State
• Honorable Cynthia Loo, Referee, LA Superior Court
• Susan Dunlap, CEO, Planned Parenthood-Los Angeles

The T-HOUSE Project Transgender Community across the Nation