PALEYFEST '08

From March 14 to 27, the Paley Center for Media will be presenting its 25th Anniversary PALEYFEST at the Cinerama Dome of the ArcLight in Hollywood, California. Events will include panels on Mad Men and GLAAD Media Award-nominated Dirty Sexy Money; a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reunion (the actresses playing Tara and Willow, seen at right, will both be there! Will anyone talk about the comic book?); and an appearance by out choreographer Bruno Tonioli in a panel devoted to Dancing with the Stars. There will also be a Pushing Daisies panel, where perhaps an audience member can inquire about the mystery gay character! Maybe another audience member can inquire at the Gossip Girl panel about future on-screen appearances by Blair’s gay dad...

Find all details about PALEYFEST here: http://www.paleycenter.org/festivals/paleyfest2008/index.htm

Scroll down to our previous blog posting for details on other LGBT-inclusive Spring programs from the Paley Center.

Road to the Media Awards: Sarah Silverman, GREEK, and Kyle XY

Spring programs at the Paley Center have been announced, and GLAAD Media Award nominees are among those featured!

The cast and creative team behind GLAAD Media Award-nominated The Sarah Silverman Program (Outstanding Comedy Series) will be on hand to discuss the show April 21 at 7 PM. For details, click here.

GLAAD Media Award-nominated programs GREEK (Outstanding Drama Series) and Kyle XY (Outstanding Individual Episode in a series w/o a regular LGBT character) will also get their own dedicated panels. Hear the cast and creators of GREEK at 7 PM on April 28 and the cast and writers of Kyle XY at 7 PM on April 7. For details on either of those two events, click here.

Tickets may be purchased in series subscription packets for a pre-selected grouping of three events (for instance, The Sarah Silverman Program is featured in a comedy series which also includes events for George Carlin and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) for $65 starting March 8 at noon, or tickets to individual events may be purchased for $25 starting March 14 at noon. If you are a member (or choose to become a member!) of the Paley Center, you will get a reduction in ticket cost and will be able to access tickets earlier than the general public.

Once tickets go on sale, you can obtain them by visiting paleycenter.org or by calling 310.786.1091 from 12:00 to 5:00 pm daily. Tickets will also be available at the front desk, Weds to Sun, 12:00 to 5:00 pm. The Paley Center for Media is located in Los Angeles, at 465 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills.

Kenneth Cole launches new inclusive campaign

To mark the 25th anniversary of designing hip, wearable fashion for the masses, Kenneth Cole is launching a new ad campaign, "We All Walk in Different Shoes."

Departing from the typical use of professional models, Cole selected "bold, unexpected people of substance," according to a release.

One of the ads features Joanna and Nicoletta Tessler, a gay married couple, with their daughter, Ruthie (right). Another subject is Patrick Sammon, the President of Log Cabin Republicans (left).

Complete images of the campaign, as well as biographies and interviews with each image's subject, can be found on the official web site of Kenneth Cole.

Women of ABC Unite!

It's Women's History Month, which means it's time to celebrate the women whose accomplishments and efforts make a positive impact on each of our lives.

Six actresses from the most LGBT-inclusive network -- ABC -- recorded a PSA together as part of our "Be an Ally & a Friend" campaign. In the spot, they urge viewers to accept and love their friends and family members, regardless of their orientation or gender identity.

The stars appearing in the spot are as follows (listed in order of appearance): Rebecca Romijn (Ugly Betty), Rachel Griffiths (Brothers & Sisters), Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin (Dancing with the Stars), Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty), Kate Walsh (Private Practice) and Sara Ramirez (Grey's Anatomy). Check it out!



If you live in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, or New Haven, CT, this PSA will be airing on your local ABC affiliate! Keep your eyes peeled!

We are very proud of all the straight allies who participated in GLAAD's PSA campaign, taking a stand for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people everywhere.

How do you say "amazing" in Spanish?

The always lovely and talented Sara Ramirez (Grey's Anatomy) has recorded a new PSA in Spanish as part of GLAAD's ongoing "Be an Ally & a Friend" campaign. The spot has already appeared on Terra.com, the largest internet access provider in Spain and Latin America, and will make its debut next week on mun2 television, Telemundo's very popular music and pop culture network.



Don't speak Spanish? Here's a translation:

"Hi, I’m Sara Ramirez. Discrimination and intolerance affect our families. What happens when that discrimination is against a brother, sister, niece, mother, or uncle who is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender … Would you accept it? For a more inclusive world say ‘no’ to stereotypes and discrimination. For more information, please visit the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation: glaad.org."

Inclusive Dance Show Debuts

On Friday night's series premiere of Your Mama Don't Dance, we were introduced to the father/daughter teams. One of these teams featured professional dancer Celia paired with her openly gay father Silvano. Though they didn't get the lowest score, they ended up in the "drop zone," with their future to be decided by viewers at home.

To help keep them in the competition, cast your vote at Lifetime's website. Ten votes are allowed per person, and voting ends at 11:59 pm ET on Wednesday night. Tune in on Friday night to see if Silvano and Celia make the cut, and to meet the mother/son teams (including out contestants Dante and Jonathan!).

For more information about the show, read GLAAD's Eye on the Media piece here, or visit the show's website here. Catch the clip below for Silvano's "behind the scenes" interview!

Only Four Hours of Splashley Remain!

Confession time: I am a straight 30-year-old woman, and the sapphic teen soap South of Nowhere is one of my all-time favorite shows. When The N is running new episodes, I am running to my TV every Friday to check in with Spencer and Ashley and the latest trials and tribulations of their rocky romance.

That's why it saddens me to learn that the series has not been renewed for a fourth season.

South of Nowhere was a breakout hit for The N when it debuted in 2005, consistently boasting ratings nearly equal to the network's juggernaut Degrassi: The Next Generation. The drama's first two seasons were nominated for GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding Television Drama, which is remarkable, as the "little drama that could" was battling for attention with the likes of ABC's Brothers & Sisters and Showtime's The L Word.

Though our beloved Splashley will sorely be missed, lucky for us, The N will be wrapping up their story in the series' eight final episodes, slated to air April 11, 2008.

Not good enough for you? Let your fingers do the talking and join the folks over at SaveSplashley.com and let your voice be heard!