The Miami Herald's Steve Rothaus reports on the discrimination lawsuit and subsequent firing of WPLG-ABC's Charles Perez, who alleges that the station demoted him to weekend anchor/reporter "because of their discomfort over the increasingly high profile of my sexual orientation."The station's POV:
Station executives recently told Miami Herald columnist Joan Fleischman their decision was driven by economics.The red flag in this story is the appearance of station's discomfort with Perez's increasingly messy private life. The MIami-Dade anchor's name has been in the local news because of abuse charges against his partner Dennis Ricardo Pe?a, whom Perez filed a injunction against for protection against domestic violence for being ''stalked, harassed and threatened'' by Pe?a. There are also charges and counter charges about whether Perez's email was hacked and confidential information disclosed that the anchor felt could damage his professional rep.WPLG Vice President and News Director Bill Pohovey denied Perez's claims: ``This is an outrageous accusation," Pohovey said Monday in a statement to The Herald. ``As a gay man myself, I can safely say the Station does not discriminate against gay people. Charles' claim that the Station discriminates against gay people is untrue and offensive."
You won't believe what else was released. It's below the fold.
I can only imagine the squeamishness of station officials (always concerned more about ratings, advertisers and "community relations" when this hit the papers:
Pe?a filed a 12-page motion to dismiss Perez's petition. The motion mentions Perez's co-anchor Laurie Jennings and her contract negotiations; details of the Perez-Pe?a sexual relationship; and Perez's relationship with a new partner, accountant Keith Rinehard. In the motion, Pe?a claims that Pereat Perez reached out to the therapist 'for counsel with his `gender identity issues.' ''Wow, talk about trans-bashing. It wasn't enough to say the charges were simply false and move on, but he clearly feels the need to defend his manhood in an aggressive manner. Oh, and Pe?a also lobbed charges of prescription and non-prescription drug and alcohol abuse against to boot.
Perez issued this statement: "Integrity, professionalism, and privacy are three principles that I have lived by. This is a situation that is overblown, misunderstood, taken out of context, and misused. The real issue surrounds the interpretation of language in an e-mail. I have never questioned my identity as a male. There is nothing else to say about the attempt by a former partner to malign me and my reputation by spewing out baseless statements and allegations.''Pe?a says in his domestic violence petition that Perez would ``throw household items, punch[ed] walls and use demeaning and vulgar language.''
Once you toss chum like that into the water for media sharks as Pe?a did, it's no surprise that Perez was cut loose. Not because Perez is gay, straight, or questioning, but local stations are so paranoid; they depend on anchors (for right or wrong) to be the wholesome face of the station. The world of on-air news talent is still incredibly closeted. For a look at how the bias and discrimination promotes the closet, read Perez's self-flagellating in a piece in The Daily Beast, "Why I Committed Career Suicide."
My ex-employer will never admit this, but if the past decades have taught us anything, it is to be much more subtle about our prejudices. Getting rid of "the black guy" or "the woman" or "the gay guy" or "the Jew"-not to mention many other select groups-has given way to "we really should go in a different direction." Or "we've really got to consider what's the least objectionable choice."Lord have mercy, this is what I'm talking about -- this pandering to bigotry and paranoia by the station only encourages the closet doors to remain shut. But in some ways Perez is right -- this is a bigger issue about industry blackballing merged with a discrimination case. Lyndon Evans has written a response, "One small step for Charles Perez, one giant leap for lgbts in media", to Perez's piece, taking the tack that this is not necessarily career suicide, and it's a boost to the movement and ENDA.I'll probably never work in the news business again. Honestly, who's going to hire a newsman, as good as he may be, who litigates against his employer? It's not exactly a career builder. The good news, as my dentist told me August 6, the day I was fired, is: "They can only take your job. They can't take your talent."
...In fact, over the previous five months, I'd been told, "Don't get married, Charles. We don't need that." I'd also been told not to have children. In essence: "You're the main anchor and you're gay, but let's not push it."
...I understand there are those who believe that my actions will actually make it harder for gay men and women to rise up, for fear they'll start trouble. But that is no reason not to do the right thing. In the words of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "The arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice." Barack Obama, in his acceptance speech on November 4, 2008, added that we play a part in that history and must put our hands on that arc and "bend it once more toward the hope of a better day."
How many "straight" men or women in the media would have put up with such suggestions? [Over the "You're th e main anchor and you're gay, but let's not push it" remark.]There's a lot we cannot know since personnel matters are involved. But I think a lot depends on what kind of clauses there are regarding "image" in on-air talent's contracts that the station could use to skirt the issue.The very idea that it would even be said harkens back to the old Studio System in Hollywood where the heads of MGM, 20th Century Fox, Paramount and others kept their stable of stars on a tight leash.
It is just unbelievable that this can and does go on in today's media.
Yes media outlets, if written into contracts or employee policies do have the right to protect their organization from "undue embarrassment", however when that is being extended into one's lifestyle, NO, that is totally unacceptable.
Anyway...
1. Do you think that Perez has a winnable case?
2. Is part of the bias problem the closet itself and thnd the gay and lesbian anchors affirming the biases of the stations to rise professionally?
As we continue the discussion about the LGBT-related legislation before this Congress the one that will have the most impact on the most people is the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2009 (H.R. 3017 and S. 1584), which will protect LGBTs in states and municipalities that have yet to join the 21st century in recognizing that prejudice and bigotry have no place in the employment process and policies when it comes to LGBTs. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is collecting your stories about discrimination in the workplace:We and our coalition partners (Human Rights Campaign, National Lesbian and Gay Task Force and statewide LGBT groups that are working on this issue) will use your answers to convince the new Congress that LGBT workers need to be protected. We are looking for people from all walks of life and who have held all kinds of jobs: from fast food to brain surgery. What matters is that you were fired or refused a job for being LGBT - and that that should never happen again.You can submit your info here. Hat tip to HRC Back Story. This is a good Blend Q of the day as well -- Have you ever faced workplace discrimination? And I want to broaden this to include based on gender and race, since we all know that this country is neither post-feminist or post-racial. Note: we're on the internets, so don't post anything you don't want to be read by the entire planet -- and the Blend is not a legal forum for any kind of advice. This is just to spur a discussion of the wide-ranging ways discrimination affects the community.
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To help get your legislators on the right page, join the Inclusive ENDA Facebook page, moderated by Dr. Jillian Weiss and its related U.S. Legislator of the Day page to tell undecided legislators in your district to vote for job equality.
Today's Legislators of the Day are Ohio's Voinovich, Austria and Tiberi. We are coming into the second week of August, and support for ENDA among legislators is slowly inching up. Here&amre's the status.
**HOUSE**
In the House, where we need 218 yes votes, there are 171 confirmed yes, and another 36 who will probably vote yes, though they have not yet confirmed this, making a total of 207 likely yes votes. Not enough. 76 Representatives are unconfirmed either way, and these need to be persuaded by you. You can see the spreadsheet with this info at http://bit.ly/Q5YMJ
**SENATE**
In the Senate, where we need 60 yes votes because of the likely Republic filibuster that requires 60 votes to stop, there are 46 confirmed yes votes, and another 11 likely yes votes, making a total of 57 likely yes votes. Not enough. 53 Senators are unconfirmed either way, and these need to be persuaded by you.
You can see the spreadsheet with this info at http://bit.ly/14TDll
**WHAT YOU CAN DO**
The key fight is going to be in the Senate. Please take whatever time you can to call the Senate swing votes, which you can find here: Senate - http://bit.ly/45WGMc
"I am very pleased to begin my support of The Trevor Project, which saves lives every day through its critical work," said Daniel Radcliffe. "It's extremely distressing to consider that in 2009 suicide is a top three killer of young people, and it's truly devastating to learn that LGBTQ youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. I deeply hope my support can raise the organization's visibility so even more despondent youth become aware of The Trevor Helpline's highly trained counselors and Trevor's many other resources. It's vitally important that young people understand they are not alone and, perhaps even more important, that their young lives have real value."
-- Daniel Radcliffe
This young man is stepping up to the plate for LGBT rights. Twenty-year-old Daniel Radcliffe, the star of the "Harry Potter" films and who has appeared in the latest production of "Equus" on Broadway is now part of The Trevor Project's Circle of Hope, a coalition of major donors that play an important role in sustaining the organization's mission to fight teen suicide, which includes a 24-hour hotline for LGBT youth, which is up 300% in the last year. From the release:In additi addition to The Trevor Helpline, the organization operates a number of other important programs, including "Dear Trevor," an online question-and-answer forum for young people with questions surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity; The Trevor Survival Kit, an educational kit distributed to schools and youth service providers to help educators facilitate discussions about suicide, gender identity and sexual orientation; and TrevorSpace, an online social networking community for LGBTQ youth, their friends and allies. Radcliffe's gift will help fund these efforts as well as the organization's national education and advocacy work.UPDATE: Waymon Hudson also has a diary on this."We're incredibly grateful to Daniel for his truly inspiring and historic generosity and support," said Charles Robbins, executive director and chief executive officer, The Trevor Project. "He is setting a meaningful example for millions of young people around the world by embracing diversity and demonstrating that he cares deeply about the well-being of LGBTQ youth."
After becoming aware of The Trevor Project and its mission, Radcliffe decided to become involved with the organization. His involvement began with financial support to assist The Trevor Project's programmatic efforts. Moving forward, Radcliffe anticipates taking additional steps to help further broaden awareness of the organization.
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