On Saturday night, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) CEO Sarah Kate Ellis warned that the entire entertainment industry the time for sitting on the fence is over.
Ellis spoke at the ceremony dedicated to praising LGBTQ representation within Hollywood and said:
“Don’t wait until you’re in the hot seat.”
“There’s no more time to sit on the sidelines. We need Hollywood on the front lines, fighting for our rights and telling our stories.”
During her statement, she called the industry to take more action to add LGBTQ content to children’s programming.
“Hollywood must take meaningful action and will soon convene the biggest brands, agencies, studios, and streamers together with two goals: one, to commit to improving the quantity, quality, and diversity of LGBTQ images, especially in kids and family programming. And, two, to speak out against anti-LGBTQ legislation in favor of rights like the Equality Act,” she stated.
“In just one day, on March 8, the Florida Senate passed the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, which was signed into law this past week,” she continued.
“The South Dakota Senate passed a bill that bans discussion of ‘divisive concepts’ like race and sex in college courses. The Idaho House of Representatives passed a bill that would send librarians to jail if they let minors check out books that include LGBTQ topics. And the New Jersey Supreme Court denied an appeal that would bar a religious organization from offering so-called ‘conversion therapy.’ This all happened not in one month, not in one week, but all in one day.”
“I expect every industry executive in this room to join us. GLAAD will give you the playbook. But we won’t give you a pass,” Ellis said as she closed out her speech.
Ellis’ remarks about Hollywood LGBT representation in the media come after leaked videos from a Disney all-hands meeting showcased their goals for kids’ content.
The Daily Wire previously reported footage of Disney Executive Producer Latoya Raveneau referring to what she described as her “not-at-all-secret gay agenda,” plus Disney Corporate President Karey Burke urging the company to add more LGBTQIA lead characters to upcoming projects.
“We have many, many, many LGBTQIA characters in our stories and yet we don’t have enough leads, a narrative in which gay characters just — just get to be characters and not have to be about gay stories,” she said.
Source: Daily Wire
