By Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks, Executive Director of National Black Justice Coalition
This week,Black Enterprise(BE) magazine, the most respected business journal for Black America, released an eight-page article on being Black, Gay and in Corporate America that is sending shockwaves through Black communities. Theteaser articlestarted with:
“We’re not going to pretend this was an easy topic forBlack Enterpriseto consider. Let’s face it—the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community is one of which our society whispers, mocks, ignores, and, in extreme cases, vehemently rejects. For Black members of this community, the emotional backlash can be even more intense.” -Sonia Alleyne, Editorial Director,Careers/Lifestyle, BE
CALL TO ACTION…We need our members and supporters to:
·Purchase a Black Enterprise magazine today (it will be a piece of history)
Today marks the Seventh Anniversary of the National Black Justice Coalition. Through trials and triumphs, NBJC has provided leadership at the intersection of race and sexuality, advocating for a world free from racism and homophobia. I reflect with gratitude on what we've achieved together over these years. We have made real progress towards a better future for Black LGBT people, evidenced in the OUT on the Hill Black LGBT Leadership Summit and One Nation, Working Together and that simply couldn’t have happened without supporters like you.
NBJC’s next chapter starts now. In recognition of NBJC’s years of advocacy and leadership empowering the African American LGBT community, we need you on the frontline as a stakeholder to embolden our movement. We invite you to join theJustice Society, whose members are a driving force behind NBJC's educational, organizing and advocacy programs. They are the core of our work creating a diverse alliance of LGBT people and allies dedicated to nurturing the next generation of LGBT African American leaders. It only takes a few minutes at NBJC.org/justicesociety to register your monthly donation and pledge your support toward Building Stronger Black Families.
I’ve met many of you at conferences and meetings, and your passion for justice is inspiring. As we look towards 2011, I am requesting your help to foster the next generation of Black LGBT leadership. Let’s focus that passion towards lifting up our Black LGBT brothers and sisters who are the future of this movement!
All of us are struggling during these hard economic times, even as our fight for equality goes on. NBJC will continue advocating for Black families, and we hope that you will join us. We’ve worked hard to prove ourselves, and we ask that your gift reflect your belief in NBJC. Please make your donation to NBJC today—this time is a pivotal one, and your investment in the African American LGBT movement is needed now.
Weeks after Perpetuating Falsehoods About African American Gay and Bisexual Men, ABC and The View Still Refuse to Share the Facts
Full Page Variety Advertisement Calls on ABC and The View to Take Responsibility for Spreading Inaccurate Information about HIV/AIDS
In a full-page ad running in today’s Variety Magazine, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the Black AIDS Institute and the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) call on the ABC Television Network and The View, its popular morning program, to correct misinformation put forth on the June 22 edition of the show.
The ad reads in part, “On June 22, ABC’s The View aired inaccurate information about HIV, blaming African American gay and bisexual men for increased HIV rates among straight African American women. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has publicly disproved this myth. And since June 22, thousands of people have written to ABC, asking that The View provide correct information to viewers. Unfortunately, those requests have been greeted with silence from both ABC and The View.”
In response to The View’s refusal to address the issue, the National Black Justice Coalition’s Executive Director Sharon J. Lettman made this statement:
“We stand by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) years of research, which concludes that there is no evidence supporting the myth that Black women are disproportionately infected by men who have sex with men, and that there are several factors that contribute to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among Black women. Dr. Kevin Fenton, the director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention at the CDC, a well-regarded expert in the study of HIV/AIDS, has repeatedly debunked this myth.
Lettman continued: “We are calling for an informed dialogue around the truths about HIV/AIDS in the Black community, void of stereotypes about Black LGBT people. This means facilitating conversations about safe sex, prevention, education, and living with HIV/AIDS, among other things. Because of the misinformation that The View has irresponsibly promoted about the ways HIV is spread in Black communities, they have a responsibility to broadcast a correction and to then go one step further by featuring HIV/AIDS experts on the show who can better illustrate how deeply this disease is devastating our communities.”
The Variety ad placement comes nearly three weeks after inaccurate comments during The View’s “Hot Topics” segment. That day’s discussion centered on the Food and Drug Administration’s ban that prevents gay and bisexual men from donating blood.
See the segment, view transcript excerpts and read about GLAAD’s Call to Action on this issue here. Over three thousand people have sent letters to ABC urging an apology and correction.
See more information on The View’s fact checking double standard here.
The Variety Magazine ad concludes by saying:
“When The View talks about these kinds of issues, people listen. And there’s a responsibility that comes with that. We want The View to do what it does at its best: Talk about the tough issues with a commitment to honesty, accuracy and fairness. We ask ABC and The View to keep the conversation going by correcting the record and elevating voices that can provide accurate information about HIV/AIDS for African American gay and bisexual men, African American women, and all viewers.”
The kind of misinformation espoused on The View fuels stigma and undermines efforts to end the AIDS epidemic in our communities. AIDS is too important an issue to allow myths and isinformation to go unaddressed. According to the Black AIDS Institute, every nine and a half minutes someone in this country is infected with HIV. Nearly 50 percent of the new HIV/AIDS cases, 50 percent of people living with HIV, and 50 percent of the annual AIDS related deaths in the U.S. are Black. AIDS is the third leading cause of death for Black men and women aged 35-44 in the U.S.
About GLAAD: The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org.
About the Black AIDS Institute: Founded in May of 1999, the Black AIDS Institute is the only national HIV/AIDS think tank focused exclusively on Black people. The Institute's Mission is to stop the AIDS pandemic in Black communities by engaging and mobilizing Black institutions and individuals in efforts to confront HIV. The Institute interprets public and private sector HIV policies, conducts trainings, offers technical assistance, disseminates information and provides advocacy mobilization from a uniquely and unapologetically Black point of view. Our motto describes a commitment to self-preservation: "Our People, Our Problem, Our Solution." For more information, please visit http://www.blackaids.org/
About NBJC: Since 2003, The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. NBJC has provided leadership at the intersection of mainstream national civil rights groups and mainstream LGBT organizations, advocating for the unique challenges and needs of the African-American LGBT community that are often relegated to the sidelines. NBJC's mission is to eradicate racism and homophobia. For more information, please visit www.nbjc.org.
