NBJC and GLAAD to Host “Knocking Down the Door: Black LGBT Images in Media”
Los Angeles, CA, February 04, 2009 – On the eve of the 40th NAACP Image
Awards, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) and the Gay &
Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) will host a forum on the
infrequent intersection of African American and lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender (LGBT) images in media, and the importance of these
stories being told, particularly in the wake of California’s
Proposition 8. The panel will explore the historical
under-representation of these images, the ongoing advocacy efforts to
promote the telling of these stories and the professional issues and
challenges facing openly gay African American artists.
The Screen Actors Guild LGBT Actors Committee and the Beverly
Hills-Hollywood Branch of the NAACP will co-sponsor the forum on
Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 7pm at the Screen Actors Guild James Cagney Board
Room.
Confirmed panelists include:
Willis Edwards, Member, National Board of Directors, NAACP; Vice Chair of the NAACP Image Awards Deondray Gossett, Writer/Producer/Director, “The DL Chronicles”
Sonja Sohn, Actor, "The Wire", Maurice Jamal, Writer/Producer/Director, “Dirty Laundry,” “The Ski Trip”, J. Karen Thomas, Actor; Founding Member SAG LGBT Actors Committee, Marcellas Reynolds, TV Host, "Shop Like A Star"
Moderated by:
Rashad Robinson, Senior Director of Media Programs, GLAAD
“For the first time we have four openly gay individuals and one gay-themed
project nominated at the NAACP Image Awards,” said Jasper Hendricks,
NBJC Director of Field Operations. “We are hopeful this historic
achievement will begin to break down barriers to openly LGBT arts and
entertainment professionals in getting roles and jobs in the industry.
We need to continue to highlight our successes and this forum will be a
part of educating the media and the industry as to the issues LGBT
people face.”
“This year’s nominees for the NAACP Image Awards
demonstrate significant progress at a time when LGBT African Americans
continue to be underrepresented in the media and those representations
are often based on stereotypes,” said GLAAD Senior Director of Media
Programs Rashad Robinson, who will serve as moderator of the panel. “We
hope that through open dialogue with industry leaders at forums like
this, we can continue to open doors for stories and images of our lives
and our communities. These stories – when told in a fair, accurate and
inclusive way – have the power to change hearts and minds.”
WHAT: “Knocking Down the Door: Black LGBT Images in Media”
WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009; 7pm – 9pm
WHERE: Screen Actors Guild
James Cagney Board Room, First Floor
5757 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036-3600
PARKING WILL BE VALIDATED
RSVP ESSENTIAL: entertainment@glaad.org
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Damon Romine, GLAAD, 323/634-2012
About NBJC
The National Black Justice Coalition, www.nbjc.org <
http://www.nbjc.org>, is a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Our mission is to end racism and homophobia.
About GLAAD:
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media
as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender
identity and sexual orientation. For more information, please visit
www.glaad.org <
http://www.glaad.org>.
About SAG LGBT Actors Committee:
The purpose of the Committee is to educate the Screen Actors Guild
membership, entertainment industry and general public about lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) actors’ issues; end discrimination
against LGBT actors in the workplace; and expand work opportunities for
LGBT actors.