Steve Clawson and James Collector talk about homophobia and the future of the GLBT community
On April 26 the Campus Press sat down with Steve Clawson, a representative from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, to talk about GLAAD’s role in Boulder and the nation as a whole.
Campus Press: What are you going to be doing in Boulder?
Steve Clawson: Doing a few different things. Doing some media outreach. Doing a speaking engagement for the GLBT resource center here at the University of Colorado. They have a Thursday “Let’s Talk” series on various issues and things like that. So, I’m going to talk to them about what GLAAD does and the role of the media; you know, some of the different aspects they need to keep in mind. So, just really some media outreach and introducing myself as the southwest media field strategist for GLAAD
CP: When you come to Boulder is your approach different? It has a reputation for being generally liberal and tolerant. Does it deserve this reputation?
SC: This is actually my first trip to Boulder. I’ve been to Denver before but I’ve never been up to Boulder. Yeah, I’ve heard that reputation that Boulder is generally a little more liberal, little more lenient. And I think that’s probably true of a lot of college towns across the country, whether its Boulder or Madison or Berkeley. I think those college towns generally have a more open attitude. But I usually come to these things with an open mind myself; never really sure what I’m going to find or expect. But most people, no matter where I go, are pretty nice.
CP: Right. But as you initially mentioned there have been a couple hate crime incidents that have happened in Boulder recently.
SC: There have and that’s something we have followed here at GLAAD, and it certainly is a concern, and its something I think maybe caught a lot of people by surprise here at Boulder because they have the reputation that “Hey, this is a safe community, this is a good place to be.” It’s a very nice town and this kind of thing just should not happen here. I know the mayor of Boulder spoke out against it and I know after the first hate crime in late February there was actually a big rally in town in support of the victim. It’s unfortunate but these kinds of bad things can happen in good communities.
CP: As the GLAAD mission statement mentions, homophobia is a big problem today. What has GLAAD done most recently to combat it?
SC: Oh, we’ve been involved in a lot of things. 2007 has been a very busy year for GLAAD. Some of the more high-profile, national issues that we’ve been involved in: the Snickers commercial in the Super Bowl, General Peter Pace and his “homosexuality is immoral” comments, the Ann Coulter “Faggot” comment that she used against John Edwards, the Tim Hardaway “I hate gays” comment. Those are just a few of the big issues that GLAAD has been involved in. So, we try to raise awareness that these things are inappropriate, that they don’t belong out there. We try to change the culture and we do that not only on a national level but also on a local level. We try to educate. We try to train. We try to make people aware that these things are more than just words. They’re very hurtful situations. Like Ann Coulter tried to dismiss what she said as just a schoolyard taunt, a little bullying taunt. But as Neal Juliano pointed out: many times that’s the last word victims hear before they’re struck and assaulted.
CP: The Los Angeles Times described GLAAD as “possibly the most successful organization lobbying the media for inclusion.” Why is it important to focus on the media?
SC: Well, that’s GLAAD’s mission. GLAAD actually got its start in 1985 over the New York Post and its defamatory coverage of the AIDS crisis. Through that time it’s evolved and changed. Now we have offices in New York and Los Angeles. Our focus is on the media, not only with the media coverage of stories but also Hollywood itself. GLAAD is a resource for movie studios, for TV networks to come to and find out “Are we doing this the right way? Is there a way to do this better?”
CP: So you feel you’re making an impact?
SC: Absolutely.
CP: Do you have any predictions for the futures of gays and lesbians in America?
SC: I think it’s getting better. Obviously, there is still a long way to go. When you have people like Tim Hardaway saying “I hate gay people, they shouldn’t belong in the United States or in the world,” that’s simply unacceptable. And what you’re finding is, with each passing year there are more and more laws to protect gays and lesbians. Certainly it’s a more friendly Congress now and some of the legislation going through has got a pretty good chance of passing. Here in Colorado you’ve got a couple of bills going through, the Second Parent Adoption Bill and the Employment Non-Discrimination Bill, which I think has got a pretty good chance of passing. So the laws in society as a whole is changing and moving towards a more favorable world for gays and lesbians.
CPWhat can people do to get involved in GLAAD or other similar organizations?
SC: You can always volunteer. GLAAD has volunteer opportunities throughout the course of the year. For college students we actually offer internships in both New York and Los Angeles. It’s actually a paid internship. We also look for people to be media monitors around the country. If they see or hear defamatory coverage on their local TV stations, or on radio stations or in the newspaper, report it to us. We’ll take a look at it.
CP: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
SC: I think what you find is that as people get to know gays and lesbians as members of their family come out, or maybe friends come out, or maybe they go to a work place and there’s somebody who’s a gay or lesbian, it changes the attitudes. Because for the first time it’s not somebody they’re hearing about on TV or reading about in the newspaper, it’s somebody they know personally. It’s like “Hey, you know what, you’re a pretty good person. I like hanging out with you.” And it makes it a more complete picture for people.
For more information e-mail Steve Clawson at clawson@glaad.org or visit www.glaad.org.
