GLAAD, formerly known as Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has just defamed the independent LGBT journalists that have helped them for many years by removing the “Outstanding Blog” category from this years 27th. Annual Media Awards claiming that “the definition of “blog” became insoluble” (Yes that’s right. GLAAD could not figure out what a “blog” was after all these years.) and that anything “previously considered in the Outstanding Blog category would now be considered in other categories, including Outstanding Digital Journalism Article, Outstanding Digital Journalism – Multimedia, and Special Recognition.” Meaning that independent blogs would have to go up against outlets like this years nominated VICE, NewYorkTimes.com, MSNBC.com, and Buzzfeed.com
Most shameful is the fact that the very people that GLAAD are marginalizing are the same people that for years promoted their causes and brought LGBT news, opinion and information to millions of readers on the internet.
Pam Spaulding former Blog Mistress of Pam’s House Blend:
“It’s shameful, considering independent voices (including Pam’s House Blend, nominated once), helped shape the political gains over the last decade.
It seems like this is just another sign of what we’ve seen in the past few years in independent citizen journalism. It is on the slow fade out. There isn’t a sustainable financial model and the lack of attention in cases like this seals the fate. GLAAD’s position is part of the problem and a reflection of it. Sad. Our voices are needed out there.
PHB was a nominee, never a winner. But ultimately unless one has a day job/indy $ or partner to support the effort to do real commentary and journalism, attend pressers and conferences, blogs have a limited shelf life to entities like GLAAD.”
Bil Browning of Billerico
“GLAAD has dumped the Outstanding Blog category this year after we fought so long to have it included. Instead, they say independent bloggers should compete with mainstream paid news outlets like the New York Times because it’s all “online journalism.” What horse shit. The award was meant to honor the smaller folks who put their heart and soul into doing the work without all the monetary rewards of paid journalist.”
Alvin McEwan of Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters:
“I have been blogmaster for Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters for over nine years and my goal is simply – to educate the public on anti-gay propaganda and the groups who use this propaganda to exploit ignorance, fear, and religious opposition to LGBT equality.
being honored by GLAAD as a nominee for ‘Outstanding Blog’ on two occasions meant a lot to me. It increased my profile and sent the message that anyone in our community with enough heart, skill, discipline, and patience can make a positive impact in pursuit our equality.
However, this year, GLAAD has chosen to eliminate the ‘Outstanding Blog’ category, probably permanently. And this sends a negative message to grassroots and non-celebrities like myself. The GLAAD Media Awards should help to elevate new leaders, not push them away because lack of notoriety or fame. It’s not just solely about visibility, but also acknowledging and cultivating new spokespeople and leaders. And you can’t do that by focusing specifically and only on prominent celebrities and national media.”
Mark S. King – of My Fabulous Disease and contributor at POZ Blogs
“The Outstanding Blog category has been eliminated from the newly announced GLAAD Media Awards, and along with it the grassroots first-person voices of writers across the entire LGBT spectrum, including those of us living with HIV.
Folding blogs into the online journalism category is a disingenuous ploy; not a single past nominee or winner for Outstanding Blog is present anywhere on the 2016 list of award nominees.
GLAAD hasn’t simply marginalized the unique voice of bloggers. They have rendered us dispensable and ultimately invisible. It’s shameful that a national organization that purports to lift up LGBT voices has dismissed the very people and outlets that deserve encouragement and recognition.
But hey, won’t the GLAAD award race between Carol and The Danish Girl be a tight one? Maybe Eddie Redmayne will show up to the awards. That would be just the sort of evening GLAAD is hoping for.”
Seth Adams, the Director of Communications at GLAAD (646) 871-8018 – seth@glaad.org
“Every year, GLAAD looks at our competitive categories to ensure as best we can that they reflect the current media landscape. We have retired several categories in the past (including our Theater categories), and added others as new media continue to evolve. GLAAD remains unequivocally committed to lifting up the voices of individuals and independent media within the LGBT community, and I can assure you that the feedback here will inform that process later this year as we begin work on the 28th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.
Thanks again for engaging us in this important conversation and holding us accountable. I promise we’re listening.”
I promise they’re not. GLAAD has been talking about removing this category for years and according to my sources had made this decision well over 9 months ago and told no one because they know that there would be a blowback.
A few of us have called upon GLAAD to hold a special late 2 week open submission for “Outstanding Blog/Independent Media” category and announce those nominated and present whuile there is still time this year and tweak the category for next year. (We’d even help them figure out what a “Blog” is. ) But so far Seth Adams, GLAAD Director; Sarah Kate Ellis, and the GLAAD team has been silent,
Funny thing about silence. If GLAAD can be silent to our needs. Then we in turn can also be silent to theirs.
#LGBTBloggersAndIndiMediaBoycottGLAAD