The Bilerico Project

'Two Spirits' Wins PBS Audience Award

Cathy Renna — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:00:00 -0500

PBS-Independent Lens announced yesterday that Two Sprits has received the Audience Award as the highest-rated film of the 2010-11 season by online voting and other measures of audience support. As a member of the advisory board that help the film become a reality, I could not be more proud of the support and positive feedback we have gotten and how the story of Fred Martinez and the Native American tradition of celebrating gender diversity was accessible to millions.

We could not have done it without the support of the many diverse communities touched by this film and an amazing social media presence.

After the break: statement from the director and some interesting next steps for the film.

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History at the Stonewall Inn

Cathy Renna — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 08:00:00 -0500

Updated: Video below!

It was only by coincidence that I was in Manhattan overnight, working on a press conference announcing a new coalition and campaign for homeless LGBT youth, ironically at the Stonewall Inn with Stonewall veterans who were homeless youth in 1969. It also became clear this afternoon that the vote would be happening on marriage equality in New York. So I found myself back at the Stonewall Inn just a few hours later to witness history.

As a life-long New Yorker, I am so proud that my home state has joined the other states and D.C. that give same-sex couples the right to marry. It was a huge celebration in front of the Stonewall Inn on Friday night - the annual drag march was ending in front of the bar as it always does and everyone stayed as we heard the vote was happening. The crowd grew. And grew. And grew. I knew I was standing in the right place at a moment when history was about to be made.

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Two Spirits: The Last Thing Fred Saw

Cathy Renna — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 15:00:00 -0500

It is hard to believe that a decade has passed since the brutal murder of Fred Martinez. It sounds cliché but it still feels like yesterday that I got off the plane to Cortez after being invited by local activists to help deal with the aftermath of his death on this small town in the Four Corners region of Colorado. A new film could not be airing at a better time.

As I say in Two Spirits, airing on PBS's Independent Lens next week, all I could think to myself as the plane landed was "why do I keep going to such beautiful places for such awful reasons?" What I inevitably think is also "Why do such terrible things happen to good and beautiful people?"

This June 16th, 2011 will mark 10 years since his brutal murder at the hands of someone who targeted him simply for being different. For being himself. For being honest and true to his spirit. Attacked seems like an inadequate word. He was bludgeoned to death with a rock, fighting for his life, trying to climb a rock wall over which he could see the trailer park he called home.

One of the first things I did in Cortez was view the murder site. There was the outline in the shape of a body, made by the blood that had pooled as Fred lay there dying for who knows how long. I climbed the rock wall myself and saw what Fred saw just before he was pulled down and beaten to death. Unimaginable to think the last thing he saw was his home. With local activists and others who had come from around the country to help, seeing the spot where he was killed was a gut-wrenching sight, even for those of us with experience dealing with the horror of a hallmark of hate crimes called "overkill."

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NYC Subway: Family Guy Does It Again

Cathy Renna — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:00:00 -0500

I am not sure if this is also in other cities - I am guessing so. After all the controversy around their transgender story lines this seems especially insensitive (to say the least).

When I posted this on my Facebook page I got a few "This is funny" responses and continue to be perplexed. To me, this kind of image and the "humor" on this show around transgender people is pretty offensive. I know humor is a subjective thing but like a lot of this kind of extreme humor there is the "We make fun of everyone" excuse. But the intent and context seem anti-trans and sexist and those are the deciding factors when I make a decision about any LGBT representation.

What do you think? Check out this ad from the New York subway after the jump.

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How Many LGBT Angels Can Dance on the Head of a Pin?

Cathy Renna — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:00:00 -0500

Full disclosure: The Williams Institute is a client of Renna Communications but the opinions expressed by me are mine and mine alone. Any agreement on the part of anyone is purely coincidental. Even my wife's. Trust me.

New analysis coming out of the Williams Institute at UCLA Law School today about the LGBT population, based on the data we actually have, is that there are about nine million of us - roughly the population of the state of New Jersey (let the jokes begin). Nowhere near 10% - a number taken from a passage in a 1948 Kinsey book that reads, "Ten percent of males are more or less exclusively homosexual for at least three years between the ages of 16 and 55." This information was not based on population-based data, so it doesn't really address the issue of how many people identify as gay (never mind the B and T).

The headline in the Washington Post piece about the new report this morning is "9 million Americans estimated to be gay or bisexual, but solid figures elusive." Elusive. That's a mouthful, but an accurate one. For so many reasons.

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Happy First Anniversary Washington, DC

Cathy Renna — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:00:00 -0500

A year ago today, the District of Columbia became the first jurisdiction south of the Mason-Dixon line to legally marry same-sex couples.

As I write "Happy First Anniversary" emails to the three couples I had the honor and pleasure of working with and seeing marry that day, it strikes me how far we have managed to come and of course how much further we need to go as a community on this issue and many others. And of course, for them is it only the first anniversary of being legally married, as they were couples long before standing in front of over a hundred people (and dozens of cameras) a year ago today.

Let's take a moment to celebrate these three couples and all the other who came after them. I know there are several images burned into my memory that will always warm my heart and give me hope and energy to do all of the work we need to do until the LGBTQ community has full equality.

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Jane's Story: One of Challenge and Resilience

Cathy Renna — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:30:00 -0500

As I hit the road for this year's annual Creating Change conference, I go with no plans for moderating a panel or doing a training. Instead, Renna Communications has an even greater responsibility and challenge. We will be helping with the release of a groundbreaking survey, the first of its size and scope about the real lives of transgender people: "Injustice at Every Turn." Like a lot of research we see about LGBT people, the results are not surprising, but they are shocking and vital to advocates. Look for it tomorrow on TheTaskForce.org.

One of the most important and moving parts of my work is to help get the real stories of transgender people out there - stories of struggle and resilience, of hate and hope - and I consider it a great privilege and responsibility. What follows is one of them - but you will be seeing many more as this survey begins to hit the internet, media and community.

Meet Jane Ireland, a new friend, a new hero and a transgender woman with a story to tell.

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A Day with HIV in America

Cathy Renna — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:00:00 -0500

Much of the media coverage and focus of World AIDS Day seems to be on the global pandemic. While of course absolutely justified, it seems that the epidemic here in the US gets short shrift. I know I am not alone in thinking the primary reason remains who is affected by this disease - MSM, men who identify as gay or bisexual, women of color and others.

A pictorial in the HIV focused magazine Positively Aware take the issue head-on in their most recent issue in a moving, beautiful and inspiring pictorial called "A Day with HIV in America.

The printed pictorial and dozens of more photos can be seen here. There are three galleries, morning, afternoon and evening, all worth a look.

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Family Acceptance in China: Finding the Rainbow

Cathy Renna — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 13:00:00 -0500

Editors' note: Dr. Caitlin Ryan is the Director of the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University, a community research, intervention, education and policy initiative that studies the impact of family acceptance and rejection on the health and mental health of LGBT youth. She has been working with providers, families and community groups to develop an international movement of family acceptance to promote wellness and healthy futures for LGBT children, youth and young adults.

The students penciled these words in careful calligraphy in English on the wall of their tiny LGBT center in the mega university complex so the landlord wouldn't understand that this is a center for LGBT students:

"We are gay and lesbian youth in our 20s studying in Guangzhou colleges and universities. We came together and became friends with a common goal to make a better environment for ourselves. We hope to make a better future.

All human being are born free and equal for dignity and rights. We have courage and we are proud to embrace diversity. We will continue to fight against injustice against people because of their sexual orientation and gender identity."

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Families of LGBT Children gather in China

Cathy Renna — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:00:00 -0500

Renna Communications has the pleasure and honor of working with the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University, a community research, intervention, education and policy initiative that studies the impact of family acceptance and rejection on the health and mental health of LGBT youth. Given the national conversation we are having about LGBT youth suicide and bullying, this research is a vital part of how we could all be better informed and armed to help youth and families

In addition to recent trips to Mexico and Spain, Dr. Caitlin Ryan, the Director of FAP, was invited to China to speak at various conferences, universities and community agencies on the importance of family acceptance for the well-being and health of LGBT youth and their families.

You read that correctly. China.

Read on for her take on the beginning of the trip and look for more postings as she continues her amazing journey to an unlikely and sometimes dangerous place to be LGBT or even an LGBT ally.

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What Dr. Laura Taught Me

Cathy Renna — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:00:00 -0500

This week, the notorious "Dr." Laura said she is leaving her radio show after once again shooting her mouth off. But this time it was by using the "n" word and prompting a coalition of groups including Unity: Journalists of Color, the Women's Media Center, and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to get her to apologize and retire from radio. For me, it was déjà vu all over again.

And you want to read this to end, trust me.

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Pride through a dark, light, or rose-colored lens

Cathy Renna — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:00:00 -0500

I have become so accustomed to the "post-Pride" debate that it truly feels like Groundhog Day. For the last 2 decades (for my part) it always goes like this:

Accusation: too many pictures of white hunky men on floats, drag queens, sensational and outrageous characters.

I say still guilty as charged, for the most part.

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Gary and Tony have a baby, Bil Browning has a cow and I have some things to say

Cathy Renna — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:00:00 -0500

A lot is being written about the CNN documentary airing tonight, kicking off their "Gay in America" series, called Gary and Tony Have a Baby. It premieres on CNN tonight, June 24 at 8pm ET & PT and on CNN International on Saturday, June 26 at 8am ET. As they say, check your local listings.

First of all, some disclosure on my part. I know Gary and Tony. I also know and work with many of the people involved in the production, some of whom are friends as well as producers I work with professionally. This makes for challenges when pitching - and reacting - to stories, but is a by-product of the kind of work I do. And it never stops me from being honest and forthright about all sides of this kind of coverage.

As most Projectors know, Bil wrote a pretty scathing review here and there was a lot of comment and reaction. There have also been a number of complimentary reviews, including one by the Washington Post's Tom Shales, who had some interesting back and forth with readers online.

The truth, as usual, lies somewhere between the lit torches and the Emmys.

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Standing on the Side of Love in Uganda

Cathy Renna — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:00:00 -0500

We have been working with some of the bravest souls I have encountered this past week, as over 200 LGBT and allied people (primarily youth) gathered in Kampala, Uganda, to stand in solidarity and express their faith and love in the face of government oppression.

Rev. Mark Kiyimba, the minister serving the two Ugandan UU congregations, was the key organizer of the gathering. The reverend was well aware of the personal risks facing members of his community for speaking out, but he believes that if the Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009 passes the consequences would be devastating, both for his church and his country. He accepts the risks; "Breaking the barriers of inequality has never been the safe or easy thing."

The only media present at the conference was a CNN International reporter we worked with closely and who provided live coverage and also had Rev. Kiyimba on air briefly.

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Come create some change

Cathy Renna — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:00:00 -0500

Do you like complex conversations? Do you enjoy talking about the intersections of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, class etc? Do you celebrate and thrive in a diverse, unapologetically queer setting? If so, keep reading. I've got the perfect weekend (ok, week-long) getaway for you.

For anyone who works in the LGBT/progressive movements, there is one place we know we can go every year to get our batteries recharged, have our assumptions and idea challenged, see longtime friends and fellow activists and even better, make new ones.

It's a "who's who" without pretense, something lesbian comic Marga Gomez once called a "queer MENSA circuit party." She was not far off (although the last part has escaped me). I am talking about Creating Change aka The National Conference on LGBT Equality. Given the "movement moment" we are in it seems like the 2010 conference in Dallas will be interesting, challenging, maddening and fun. The Bilerico Project will have a huge presence there and I am hoping to create some change myself, with a little help from some friends....

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