Petrelis Files

Who Owns GLAAD?
Rokk Vodka's SF Ex Wraparound Ad

The gay who think the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation need to disabuse themselves of this fallacy. GLAAD is nothing more than a corporatized, foundation-funded dumping ground for gay Democrats and social climbers that dabbles in media advocacy.

As part of my years-long challenge to GLAAD, in December 2009 I wrote a post asking "Who Owns GLAAD?" My central point was that the following gay foundations called a lot of the shots:

The Arcus Foundation
The David Bohnett Foundation
The Gill Foundation
The Michael Palm Foundation
Terry K. Watanabe Charitable Trust
Ric Weiland

I'm surprised I omitted any talk about the corporate masters of GLAAD and their perversion of the group's agenda, so I'm making up for that omission today.

The Friday edition of the San Francisco Examiner tabloid newspaper featured a double-faced wraparound ad covering the front and back pages, promoting Rokk Vodka and GLAAD. For your info, this liquor product is owned by the giant Diageo alcohol and beverage company.

Recall the billboard in the Castro recently, because there's a now print version to offend self-respecting queers. Pimping out the community to Diageo is not liberation. Transparency and town hall meetings are not only liberating for queers, but vital to our survival as something more than a market to be sold to the highest bidder.

Filtering out inequality? No. Filtering out democracy is what GLAAD is doing.

This screen grab is from Rokk Vodka's site, cross-promotion to the gay community with the blessing of rabid pimp Jarrett Barrios, and his nearly quarter-million salary:

This question is in need of addressing at a GLAAD community forum: What is the total amount of funding you have received from Diageo for their sponsorship, what is their projected level of future grants and when will you web-publish the agreement you have with the drinking conglomerate?

Okay, more questions for GLAAD. How about disclosing figures for how much you've taken from AT&T, what's in the pipeline from them and the contract spelling out details of your sponsorship arrangement? While you're at, make such info for _all_ GLAAD corporate sponsorships open for public inspection on the web. Amplify your documents before us. Let's enough the darkness and non-disclosure at GLAAD today.

Here's the cover section of today's wraparound ad:

 

And this is the inside of it:

GLAAD is a business poorly masquerading as an advocacy organization. Democratic engagement with the grassroots community equals full disclosure of GLAAD's contracts with every corporate sponsor they're pimping us to. I want liberation from Gay Inc and their commodification of gaydom.