GLAAD Action Memo

Glaad is calling us to action against the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, over their ad in the New York Times. They are claim this type of Ad/opinion piece shouldn't be in the New York Times Paper. No matter what Glaad thinks or I this Group has the right to post this opinion if they wish. Yes, if they want to make their bigotry known to the world so be it.

Many could same about many of our community ads, and opinions. Which by way almost always contain half naked men and women, which are suggestive in a sexual nature? Who is really to judge what is right and what is wrong, is any body's guess.

Personally Glaad has stuck their noses in where is doesn't belong so many times it's not funny.

Now for the "what if"?

What if they applied this standard to us, when we place ads and opinion in national newspapers and local ones as well.

Contact: Richard Ferraro, Director of Public Relations
Phone: (646) 871-8011 Email:
ferraro@glaad.org

In the December 5, 2008 edition of The New York Times, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty published a full page advertisement that makes inaccurate and unsubstantiated claims about supposed "violence and intimidation" against religious groups by "mobs" since the passage of Proposition 8. You can see the ad here: http://www.nomobveto.org

When GLAAD learned about the ad earlier this week, we contacted The New York Times, and after repeated back and forth, they said that while they recognized our strong concerns about publishing misleading assertions, "we do not require opinion advertisers to document them unless we believe they are potentially libelous or otherwise legally actionable."

"The factual inaccuracies made by the Becket Fund in this grossly misleading ad have no place in The New York Times or any credible media outlet," said Neil G. Giuliano, President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). "Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and allies across the country have worked to make our voices heard in the face of laws that strip away vital protections for members of our community. The peaceful marches and rallies that have occurred since the passage of Prop 8 have given us an opportunity to become more visible and make our voices heard, and it is unacceptable for media platforms, particularly ones as respected as The New York Times, to provide space for groups to make misleading and false attacks that would only seek to silence us."

It is unacceptable to publish these kinds of dishonest claims. The New York Times needs to hear from you. Contact them TODAY and demand that they discontinue allowing inaccurate claims in their advertising: letters@nytimes.com.