GLAAD Snubs Outrage

The announcement of the GLAAD Media Award nominees on Tuesday presented a glaring omission for some gay activists and cinephiles in the blogosphere. Where, they wondered, was the nomination for Outrage, the acclaimed documentary by Kirby Dick that exposes the antigay voting records of closeted politicians?

Michelangelo Signorile, who reconsiders GLAAD in a new article for The Advocate(GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios responded the following day), tweeted Friday morning: "HBO submitted Kirby Dick's Outrage, for sure most important LGBT film this year, and @glaad snubbed it."

HBO, which acquired the broadcast rights for Outrage last fall, could not be reached immediately for comment on Friday.

But activist Signorile was not alone in his observation.

Seth Abramovitch, editor at Movieline, wrote Wednesday, "Now comes a snub from the GLAAD Media Awards, who ignored Outrage in the Outstanding Documentary category in favor of films like Be Like Others, about enforced sex-changes in Iran, and Ask Not, about the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy." Even lesbian yodeling sister act The Topp Twins got a nod," wrote Abramovitch. "So why not Outrage, a film brave enough to call out the same Conservative establishment swatting down gay marriage legislation over and over again across the country?"

Outrage, directed by the Academy Award-nominated Dick, delivers an 86-minute indictment of politicians, nearly all Republicans, who vote against LGBT interests although they privately engage in gay sex. The behavior of some politicians who are alleged to be gay, such as former U.S. senator Larry Craig of Idaho, is well known to Americans thanks to headline-grabbing scandals. Others, such as Florida governor Charlie Crist, remain under most constituents' radar, the subject of insiders' chatter.

The film, which earned a slight $287,198 at the box office in the spring, became noteworthy not only for its content, but also for the way that mainstream media chose to handle the material. In one high-profile incident, National Public Radio censored its review of the film on the grounds of protecting politicians' privacy.

Now, some are asking whether GLAAD snubbed Outrage for similar reasons.

On Friday afternoon, GLAAD issued the following statement.

"The GLAAD Media Awards are about elevating and promoting the fair, accurate and inclusive stories of LGBT issues, people and allies that have increased awareness, understanding and respect for our lives and our pursuit of equality.

Outrage is a fine movie and an important one that focused attention on anti-LGBT politicians whose efforts put our community and our families in harm's way. But the GLAAD Media Awards aren't the Academy Awards, they are about highlighting media that move America by telling the stories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people - not those who run from who they are.

The decision to come out as LGBT is an extremely personal one that benefits the individual and the people who know them. While there is certainly an argument that is made for speculating on the sexual orientation of anti-LGBT politicians in an effort to hold them accountable for the harms they inflict on our community, that sort of speculation doesn't promote awareness, understanding and respect for our lives and thus does not fit the criteria for the GLAAD Media Awards."