National
Dan Savage pulls 49ers ‘It Gets Better’ video
Players denied participating in project
Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo is an ally and vocal LGBT advocate, and hopes to use the Super Bowl to raise awareness of issues important to the LGBT community. His comments differ greatly from some recent comments from players for the San Francisco 49s, some of whom participated in an ‘It Gets Better’ video. (Photo by Thibous via Wikimedia Commons)
Dan Savage, founder of the “It Gets Better” video project, removed from the project’s website the first contribution to the series by a professional football team after two of the four players denied involvement.
We've removed the #49ers #ItGetsBetter video from our website. http://t.co/ZI2Vr6Nt#homophobia #NFL #horseshit
— Dan Savage (@fakedansavage) February 1, 2013
“We’ve removed the #49ers #ItGetsBetter video from our website,” Savage tweeted Thursday after USA Today published an account of the confusing exchange between a reporter and linebacker Ahmad Brooks and nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga, in which they first deny taking part in the project before being shown the video. Both men will face off against the Baltimore Ravens in New Orleans on Sunday with the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII:
“I didn’t make any video,” Brooks said. “This is America and if someone wants to be gay, they can be gay. It’s their right. But I didn’t make any video.”
When told USA TODAY Sports had seen the video and he was in it, Brooks replied, “I don’t remember that. I think if I made a video, I’d remember it.”
He was shown the video on an iPhone.
“Oh, that. It was an anti-bullying video, not a gay [rights] video,” he said.
When told that studies show that the majority of teens who are bullied are harassed over sexual identity issues, Brooks thought for a second.
“I know that. I know that,” he said. “Okay, you’re right and I’m wrong. Are you from one of those New York newspapers?”
Brooks’ teammate Sopoaga also denied being in the video before backtracking after being shown the video.
“Yeah, you made that video, remember?” [teammate Will] Tukuafu said.
“No,” Sopoaga said. “I never went. And now someone is using my name.”
Sopoaga was shown the video.
“What was that for?” he asked.
To ask teens to stop bullying other teens because of sexual identity, he was told.
“Yeah, OK,” he said.
Would you like to comment on it, he was asked.
“No,” he said.
The controversy comes just days after 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver told radio personality Artie Lange that a gay player would not be welcome in the 49ers locker room, according to Yahoo Sports.
“I don’t do the gay guys man,” said Culliver.
“I don’t do that. No, we don’t got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do.
“Can’t be with that sweet stuff. Nah…can’t be…in the locker room man. Nah.”
Later, when Lange asked if gay football players should stay in the closet while active in the pros, Culliver continued, “Yeah, come out 10 years later after that.”
Culliver has since issued an apology:
“The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head, but they are not how I feel,” Culliver said in a statement released by the 49ers. “It has taken me seeing them in print to realize that they are hurtful and ugly. Those discriminating feelings are truly not in my heart. Further, I apologize to those who I have hurt and offended, and I pledge to learn and grow from this experience.”
Former and current 49ers denounce Culliver’s statement
Culliver’s statements were denounced by recently outed former-49er Kwame Harris, who has been charged with domestic violence and assault causing great bodily harm, after allegedly attacking his boyfriend, Dimitri Grier in a restaurant parking lot during an argument.
“It’s surprising that in 2013 Chris Culliver would use his 15 minutes to spread vitriol and hate. I recognize that these are comments that he may come to regret and that he may come to see that gay people are not so different than straight people,” Harris told NBC. Harris’ ex-boyfriend Grier suffered broken bones around his eye sockets after the attack. Harris had not been revealed to be gay before the story came to light.
According to gay sports site Out Sports, the team was also quick to release a statement denouncing Culliver’s words.
“The San Francisco 49ers reject the comments that were made yesterday, and have addressed the matter with Chris,” the statement reads. “There is no place for discrimination within our organization at any level. We have and always will proudly support the LGBT community.”
Culliver’s comments are a far cry from much more supportive remarks made in December by 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh — brother of Ravens coach John Harbaugh — who told the team’s magazine he would welcome a gay player to San Francisco:
“I ask all players to play through their own personality and be who they are. What you ask of a player is to be a great teammate and be a good player. My expectations would be the same.”
Harbaugh went on to say, “Personally, there’s no discrimination in my heart.”
He also said that he believes most of the team would welcome a gay player, and his comments were echoed by 49ers players Larry Grant and Tarell Brown.
“At the end of the day, we are all family in this locker room, and we accept each player for whoever they are,” linebacker and San Francisco native Grant told the magazine.
“Whatever makes you happy, do it,” cornerback Brown said. “I just feel like, you shouldn’t hide it. At the end of the day don’t be embarrassed with what you are, or what you do. If you are that way, that’s you.”
National
Queen Jean is Tony’s first transgender winner
Designer/activist wins for work on ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’
It was a historic night at the 79th annual Tony Awards on Sunday as Queen Jean won the award for Best Costume Design of a Musical, making her the first out transgender person to win a Tony.
“This experience has been monumental. We are here for the legacy of queer people, trans people,” she said. “We are taking up space in ways we have to take up space. We have to shift the paradigm. So I just want to say, thank you all so much for this incredible honor. The world right now is deeply, deeply combating so many ailments, and we know as a society that when we come together, we can make real, permanent change.”
She won the award for her work on “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” and was also nominated for best costume design of a play for “Liberation.”
In addition to her stage work, Queen Jean is the founder of Black Trans Liberation, an organization that supports trans and gender-nonconforming people in New York City.
National
Madonna turns Times Square into massive dance floor
Pop icon celebrates Pride month with surprise performance
Pop icon Madonna celebrated Pride month with a pop-up performance in New York City’s Times Square on Thursday to the delight of 50,000 fans.
She performed for about 15 minutes high above street level, including several songs from her new album “Confessions II” due on July 3, along with a trio of songs from the first “Confessions on a Dance Floor.”
In addition to the brand new “Love Sensation,” she performed “I Feel So Free” and “Bring Your Love,” plus “Hung Up,” “Get Together” and “I Love New York.” She wished the crowd a happy Pride season; the event was shared with audiences through Grindr’s first-ever livestream.
National
Gallup finds LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping
Marriage equality support lowest since 2016
Gallup, one of the leading organizations in public opinion polling, has found that LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping.
The poll, whose data was collected using Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey, was conducted in May and was published on Wednesday. The data was collected through telephone interviews from a sample of more than 1,000 adults living in all 50 states and D.C. using random digit dialing.
It highlights declining attitudes surrounding LGBTQ issues in multiple areas — from support for same-sex marriage to views on gender identity and the morality of one’s sexuality.
One of the most striking findings was that support for marriage equality fell six points from its 2022-2023 high.
The survey also found that 62 percent of Americans view gay and lesbian relations as morally acceptable, the lowest level since 2016 just after same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide by the U.S. Supreme Court.
One newer question on the poll found that the perceived morality of changing one’s gender has dropped eight points since 2021, indicating the American public is less supportive of transgender people.
The data attributes much of the decline to shifting Republican views alongside the party itself. Conservative leaders have pushed back against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that were intended to foster greater acceptance of LGBTQ people and other historically disadvantaged groups.
President Donald Trump has been a guiding force behind waves of anti-LGBTQ sentiment, particularly when it comes to trans rights. The president has enacted multiple executive orders, including Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which mandates that gender be defined by one’s sex assigned at birth. He also signed Executive Order 14183, “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” which barred qualified trans applicants from joining the military and led to the removal of trans service members already serving in the armed forces.
Additionally, he signed Executive Order 14201, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which prohibits trans female athletes from participating on women’s and girls’ sports teams.
In February, Gallup found that an estimated 9 percent of Americans identified as part of the LGBTQ community in some form.
The organization also found that 23 percent of adults under age 30 identify as LGBTQ, compared with 10 percent of those ages 30 to 49 and 3 percent or less among those ages 50 and older.
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