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from Political News
GLAAD Media Reference Guide
Seeks To Skew Coverage Of
Gay/Transgender News
April 19, 2005 -
A media reference guide published by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation (GLAAD) attempts to debunk the idea that individuals with same-sex
attractions can change--and labels organizations such as Exodus International and
NARTH as "anti-gay" groups.
According to GLAAD's reference guide, "Anti-gay activists have argued for years
that sexual orientation is a choice and changeable--but only for lesbians and gay
men, not heterosexuals. They claim homosexuality is a form of mental illness or
an emotional disorder that can be 'cured' through psychological or religious
intervention." (page 26)
The reference guide states that the American Psychiatric Association has
condemned the treatment of homosexuality, saying that the potential risks of
reparative therapy are great, including "depression, anxiety and
self-destructive behavior."
The guide targets the study by Dr. Robert Spitzer of 200 ex-gays and observes:
"Many in the scientific community have dismissed Spitzer's study because of its
serious methodological flaws, among them: Spitzer recruited most of his subjects
through two anti-gay activist groups: Exodus and the National Association for
Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH)." (page 26)
By implication, the reference guide suggests that any belief that homosexuals
can change is illegitimate, dangerous, and "anti-gay" and that only a pro-gay
viewpoint should be presented in news stories. The guide notes: "When reporting
on scientific opinions or research on sexual orientation/gender identity issues,
please solicit information and opinions from qualified experts in the
appropriate scientific discipline." It includes a list of pro-gay or gay
organizations to use as sources for news stories. (pages 29-32)
The GLAAD reference guide also suggests to journalists how they should handle
reporting on individuals who consider themselves to be transgendered. The guide
says: "A person who identifies as a certain gender, whether or not they have
taken hormones or had surgery, should be referred to using the pronouns
appropriate for that gender .... Note: It is never appropriate to put quotation
marks around either a transgender person's chosen name or the pronoun that
reflects his or her gender identity." (page 7) The report also urges
journalists to avoid using the term "hermaphrodite" to describe someone with
ambiguous genitalia. The term "intersexed" is to be used. (page 6)
Updated: 13 March 2008
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