A rightwing group called America’s Survival is deeply worried about Fox News’ new “pro-gay agenda,” says MEDIAite, reporting:
The [group’s] report includes a lengthy section titled “Fox News Joins the Pro-Homosexual Media Bandwagon,” in which the group wrings its hands over how Fox has “increasingly adopted a libertarian brand of ‘conservatism’ that eschews or downplays social issues, especially homosexuality, as too ‘divisive.’” The emergence of this “neutral (or shallow)” coverage of homosexuality has been exacerbated by the “pro-LGBT” advocacy of hosts like [Megyn] Kelly, Bill O’Reilly, and Shepard Smith.
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation will not be pleased…with Fox News, that is. The last thing GLAAD wants is a conservative-leaning network to come onboard. Last March, you may recall we noted, GLAAD issued a stinging denunciation of Fox News and its anchors for, among other things, paying to attend GLAAD’s annual media awards fundraiser—the nerve!
In a saner, less rabidly partisan LGBT movement, GLAAD would have courted Fox and then taken credit for its turnaround (while noting there is more work to be done). But how would that serve the party?
15 Comments for “Fox News Gets No Respect”
posted by Jorge on
Bill O’Reilly? Sheppard Smith? Megyn Kelly?
What turnaround? Those three have been that way for years. It is only the news that has changed. I am astounded at how easily you fall for the bizarre when it comes to anything Bill O’Reilly-related. What, this is about Sean Hannity being bounced? In case you didn’t notice, Alan Colmes left the weekday 9 o’clock slot first.
GLAAD will indeed not be pleased, and for a rational reason. Listen to Bill O’Reilly discuss the signs of pro-transgender progressivism sometime and you will see why very quickly. Fox News Channel also still has Mike Huckabee in a weekend primetime slot, where he has done a lot of stealth work for the hard right in his serene, friendly, psychopathic way.
This strikes me as a repeat of the religious right’s denunciation of George W. Bush over his progressivism on gay rights. It is at their own peril that people take liberties with that which measures conservatively.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
A rightwing group called America’s Survival is deeply worried about Fox News’ new “pro-gay agenda” …
America’s Survival probably isn’t the only right-wing extremist group that is starting to worry. I don’t imagine that NOM, the FRC and the AFA are wild about it, either.
America’s Survival’s report was written by Peter LaBarbera, an embodiment of anti-gay hysteria rivaling Brian Fisher, and it shows.
The attack on Kelly (“Megyn Kelly: New Hero to the ‘Gay’ Lobby?”) relies on two comments, both of which could be fairly described as offering tepid support for equality. The two instances? In one, Kelly challenged FRC’s Tony Perkins to provide evidence that marriage equality harmed the nation, which he could not do. In the other, Kelly supported Chaz Bono’s transition.
The rest of the report is classic LaBarbera dreck, hysterical and apocalyptic, which section headings like “Fox News Rolls Over on Homosexuals in the Military,” “Long Term Consequences: The Decline of American Civilization,” and “Shepard Smith: The Next Anderson Cooper?” Yeah, right.
I hope that Fox News will moderate its coverage of equality issues, just as a I hope that the Republican Party will turn over time.
But I don’t expect Fox to turn quickly, despite the recent positive developments. In the last few weeks, Fox has had horrible, very biased coverage of California’s law protecting trans kids. As far as I can find out, Fox hasn’t made any mention at all of the situation in Russia, and the controversy surrounding that situation. And Fox hasn’t even mentioned the fact that marriage equality laws in Rhode Island, Minnesota and Delaware were recently enacted.
The reason that this is important is that media analysis suggests that a significant percentage of the Republican base relies almost exclusively on Fox News for the news it gets. If the Republican base isn’t aware that Russia has enacted harsh, anti-gay laws that threaten the safety of Olympic athletes, or that marriage equality is advancing in the legislatures, what motivation will they have to think a bit about their assumptions concerning gays and lesbians?
In a saner, less rabidly partisan LGBT movement, GLAAD would have courted Fox and then taken credit for it’s turnaround (while noting there is more work to be done). But how would that serve the party?
Speaking of rabid partisanship …
It is true enough that a large majority of gays and lesbians vote Democratic in state and national elections, and do so for good reason, both historic and current, and hence, Democratic-leaning gays and lesbians will make up the majority of any LGBT group that is not specifically aligned with the Republican Party (LCR, GOProud, etc.). But that doesn’t create a “hegemony” in which the groups exist to serve “the party”.
Do some work to turn your beloved Republican Party around so that pro-equality gays and lesbians have an alternative in the voting booth, and you’ll be surprised before you are half-way through …
Why don’t you give the partisanship a rest and try to help change things for the better?
posted by Houndentenor on
LOL
So because some religious right nutbag has attacked some Fox talking heads for being too pro-gay (one of which IS gay, and I’m sure everyone already knows which one), GLAAD should hand Fox an award?
Once again you pretend to be ignorant of what GLAAD is and how it operates. Let me explain again, not that you’ll read or absorb it, but perhaps some others will. GLAAD exists to throw lavish parties at which it gives awards to celebrities and its own corporate donors and sponsors. Does it do some good? A little. Is it a real media watch-dog group? No. It’s not going to criticize the people who provide its own funding. No one actually takes GLAAD seriously other than a chance to get dressed up and receive an award. People love to collect prizes. That’s about it.
posted by Doug on
Stephen, if you spent half as much time working with the political right to change on gay issues as you do whining about the political left gay rights might be a lot further along.
posted by jared on
Stephen, if you spent half as much time working with the political right to change on gay issues as you do whining about the political left gay rights might be a lot further along.
So, CultureWatch should toe the same political line as 99.9% of all gay websites, because that would move things along, would it. SOMEONE IS NOT MARCHING IN LOCKSTEP!!!!
We sorely need to hear from those willing to criticize the stupid, counterproductive and yes, rabidly Democratic partisan things that LGBT groups do with funds they solicit from gay people. You won’t see that in the LGBT progressive press and blogsphere, which indeed marches in lockstep with the party line. Wouldn’t you be more comfortable sticking with them?
posted by Tom Scharbach on
You won’t see that in the LGBT progressive press and blogsphere, which indeed marches in lockstep with the party line.
You have this exactly backwards, Jared.
The Democratic Party supports equality because a large number of gay and lesbian progressives came into the Democratic Party, worked hard within the party for 30 years, and brought change little by slowly. Progressive gays and lesbians don’t “march in lockstep” with the Democratic Party on equality; we forced the Democratic Party to turn around on equality and start marching with us.
posted by Houndentenor on
There is plenty of valid criticism to be leveled at the gay-rights groups. I criticize them quite a bit myself. What I don’t see from the right is any real effort to move Republicans towards supporting gay rights. What I read from gay Republicans is excuses, attacks on liberals, and continued support for anti-gay politicians. I have a great deal of respect for LCR for bringing the lawsuit against DADT. More work like that would gain gay conservatives some respect from gays who aren’t nearly as liberal and leftist as you want to make them out to be but have nowhere else to go in the current political climate. That might lead to the “mainstream” that the masthead promises but so far has failed to deliver.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
I agree, Houndentenor.
I would add two things: (1) LGBT groups make a mistake by losing laser-like focus on equality issues (in this case, diversification is not a good idea), and (2) in terms of exerting influence within political parties, most all (not all, but most all) are totally ineffective.
As for GLAAD (as to which Stephen seems to have a burr under his saddle), I can’t think of a single thing that the group has ever done which has had any effect whatsoever on either the Democratic Party of Wisconsin or the Republican Party of Wisconsin.
Maybe GLAAD has some cache in New York, Washington and Hollywood (Who cares?), but in the rest of the county, it doesn’t exist. Like many things that concern the so-called “elites”, I might add.
I’ll bet that 99.999% of the people in Wisconsin never heard of GLAAD. Certainly, I never hear of it outside IGF, and that’s a fact. From what I can see, GLAAD is just another one of those silly groups where everyone dresses up in cummerbunds, blow air kisses, and say “Ciao” to each other. What does it actually do?
posted by Jorge on
As far as I can find out, Fox hasn’t made any mention at all of the situation in Russia, and the controversy surrounding that situation.
Nothing after Obama’s big speech or press conference in which he was asked about the idea to boycott the Olympics? Not even in their usual discussion panel?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP8lFnOK4HM
…….this is… rather appalling. I thought Brett Bayer usually played it straight.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
Nothing after Obama’s big speech or press conference in which he was asked about the idea to boycott the Olympics? Not even in their usual discussion panel?
As far as I am aware, no. I’ve read a number of commentaries taking note of Fox News’ silence. All are a week old, though, so something may have happened since. Fox seems to be ignoring the issue, just as it did the recent legislative wins for marriage equality.
posted by Jorge on
I just linked to an example of their coverage…
posted by Tom Scharbach on
Oh, come on. In an 8 1/2 minute panel discussion, 11 seconds were devoted to mocking the President for saying that the Russians would have a weaker team if they excluded gay and lesbian athletes. No discussion about why the President might have made that observation. No mention whatsoever of Russia’s laws, the nature of Russia’s laws, or even any indication that Russia has enacted laws.
posted by Tom Jefferson III on
A recent new story pretty much sums up the problem with Fox News being taken seriously as an ethical or professional news organization.
An unarmed white youth is brutally killed in Oklahoma and Fox News rushes to his defense, demands harsh treatment for the killers and wonders why civil rights groups have not gotten involved….
An unarmed black youth is brutally killed in Florida and Fox News rushes to defend the shooter, demands little or no punishment for the killer and is outraged that civil rights group got involved in the case.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
Fox News’ racial bias was exposed when Fox & Friends trumpeted the “fact” that the attack was racially motivated, an attack by three blacks on a white. The truth is that one attacker was black, one Hispanic and one white. So much for truth in the race-baiting world of Fox News.
posted by Tom Jefferson III on
Tom, I would agree. I also watched the early Fox News reports which were quick to ‘report’ on how a white foreign exchange student had been killed by three black men. When it became clear that their ‘facts’ and ‘reporting’ were BS, they quickly dropped the story from their gop-pravada-machinery.
The fact that Fox News “gets no respect” is largely (if not entirely) its own fault.