Category Archives: CNN

What a difference a tweet makes

By RETINA BROUSSARD

It’s been more than a year since the national uproar ignited by CNN’s Roland Martin — my first cousin — over those infamous Super Bowl tweets perceived by some as insensitive and allegedly promoting violence against gay men.

(During the 2012 Super Bowl, Martin sent several tweets, including, “If a dude at your Super Bowl party is hyped about David Beckham’s H&M underwear ad, smack the ish out of him!”)

The tweets caused the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) to pounce on Martin like Broadway cats on a hood dog, and it left me thinking, “Wow what a difference a tweet makes.”

When the news broke that GLAAD called for the firing of Roland from CNN and demanded an apology, as a “gay” relative, I asked myself if I should speak out about this and then wondered if anyone would listen. It took me about a day or so to decide to share my initial opinion with a few close friends. Admittedly some of my thoughts were emotional reactions in my social media arena, which were probably perceived as leaning in Roland’s defense. Back then I wasn’t sure on which side of this social and political madness I really stood.

However, in response to a recent “Washington Watch” video from RolandMartinReports.com, I am clear about where I stand now and I believe (as a black woman and an advocate for equality for all people and openly LGBTQ), that black people — gay or straight — have no business speaking out against their white counterparts until “the collective” steps up and truly takes care of their own in ALL human rights agendas.

We have the worst history of shunning and ostracizing our own people. I firmly believe the real problem is a racial issue within the black community for not taking full responsibility for this cause.

Advocating for human rights from a global perspective is extremely important and changing the culture of discrimination and violence against the black LGBT community within my own race, within our own families is critical and concerns me the most.

I have been known to support Roland’s political views, but obviously, I am not his typical demographic and I seldom follow his off-color twitter updates.

I will never discount the fact that words can be harmful, I just think we make way too much about what some people say and tweet and end up bringing more attention to that which may otherwise go unnoticed. Ironically, Roland’s twitter following has doubled since those infamous Super Bowl tweets that GLAAD apparently thought were going to start a gay bashing epidemic.

In a Washington Watch segment on TVOne, entitled, “Perspective: At The Table Of Brotherhood, Discussing Differences And Gaining Understanding,” Roland said, “Now, if you’re gay or straight, your voice matters.” Well, I agree, my voice does matter and I would like to hear from more voices that genuinely and actively advocate for me and my sisters and brothers in the entire LGBT community.

If Roland really wants to gain an understanding and help stop violence against gays, he should work more on eradicating homophobia at home before doing a show that appears to demonize GLAAD and others as racist. Really get at the grassroots level in black communities and encourage each he encounters to first understand and accept their own family members, then perhaps collectively we will all have a different perspective and understanding of the LGBT community.

Initially, during the “tweet scandal,” I was a bit harsh on GLAAD, accusing them of being overly sensitive as did many. In the past, I’ve also quietly questioned what, if anything, GLAAD has done for the black LGBT community. In hindsight, I realize GLAAD may have its problems, but so do most black organizations advocating for any community related issue. So who are we to judge GLAAD?

Who’s really to blame here? And who’s really responsible for changing it? I believe since we continue to judge each other, we are all at fault and responsible for changing it. Surely, it’s going to take a whole lot more than surface conversations on a TV talk show to break this perpetual cycle of mistreating those we are called to love. And until then, it is and will always remain just talk.

ReTina Broussard — aka “The Lifeologist” — is a writer, speaker, performer and proud mother of two. She works to inspire, educate and entertain by sharing her real life experiences. Reach her via retinabroussard.com.

Gay sex scandal rocks Vatican

Benedict XVI, Pope, Rome, Catholic Church, gay news, Washington Blade

Pope Benedict XVI (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

One of Italy’s most respected daily newspapers has reported that Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation on the same day he learned that an underground network of gay priests assigned to the Vatican organized meetings for sex and may have been subjected to blackmail.

In a development that has caused an uproar at the Vatican, the Rome based newspaper La Repubblica reports it received detailed information about a 300-page Vatican report on the conclusion of a nine-month internal Vatican investigation that uncovered a “faction” within the Vatican “united by sexual orientation.”

The newspaper said it had no confirmation that Benedict based his decision to resign solely on the explosive findings of the investigation. But it reported sources as saying Benedict planned to keep the findings confidential and planned to leave it up to his successor to decide how to address the matter.

“It was on that day, with those papers on his desk, that Benedict XVI took the decision he had mulled over for so long,” La Repubblica reported in its Feb. 21 edition while discussing Benedict’s resignation.

According to La Repubblica, the investigation was conducted by a panel of three cardinals and was launched last May after one of the Pope’s butlers was arrested for allegedly stealing Vatican correspondence and leaking it to the media.

A Vatican spokesperson, Rev. Federico Lombardi, would neither confirm nor deny the reports by La Repubblica and at least one other Italian publication, the news magazine Panorama, about the internal investigative report.

CNN reported on Saturday that another Vatican spokesperson denounced the media for reporting sensational claims that could not be substantiated and were, according to the spokesperson, an attempt to improperly influence the process for selecting a new Pope.

The report prepared by the three cardinals said their investigation uncovered an underground network of gays working at the Vatican who organized “sexual meetings” in several locations, including a sauna in Rome, a private villa just outside Rome, and a beauty salon inside the Vatican, according to La Repubblica.

The newspaper identified the cardinals who conducted the investigation as Julian Herranz of Spain; Jozef Tomko of Slovakia; and Salvatore De Giorgi, the former archbishop of Palermo.

Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, a Maryland based group that advocates for LGBT equality within the Catholic Church, said the unfolding scandal is due, at least in part, to the Vatican’s harsh position on homosexuality.

“They have created a situation where people can’t express their sexuality in healthy ways,” he said. “They can’t even deal with their sexuality in the open. So it creates a climate of suspicion and a climate of fear.”

Year in review: Better late than never: Anderson Cooper comes out

Anderson Cooper, CNN, gay news, Washington Blade

Anderson Cooper (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

A number of celebrities, politicians and other officials came out during 2012.

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper publicly acknowledged being gay for the first time in a statement gay commentator Andrew Sullivan posted to his blog on July 2. Sam Champion, weather anchor for “Good Morning America,” announced on-air in October that he was engaged to his long-time partner, photographer Rubem Robierb. (The couple attended a Freedom to Marry fundraiser in Miami Beach, Fla., a few days later.)

Gay singer Ricky Martin was among those who applauded Puerto Rican boxer Orlando Cruz after he came out on Oct. 3. R&B singer Frank Ocean in July acknowledged his homosexuality, while Jamaican singer Diana King came out on her Facebook page in June. British singer Mika told Instinct Magazine in August he is gay.

Pennsylvania state Rep. Mike Fleck, a Republican who attended Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., earlier this month came out during an interview with a local newspaper. Stefany Hoyer Hemmer, daughter of House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.,) came out as a lesbian during an exclusive interview with the Washington Blade in June.

“My father, as you know, just came out in support of gay marriage,” she said. “The momentum in Maryland right now for the adoption of the gay marriage law is fast-paced. I’m 43 years of age, and I’ve been gay my whole life and I just figured this is a good time to lend my name to the cause.”

DC Comics in June announced the Green Lantern is gay as part of its effort to reinvigorate the “Earth 2” series.