New York, July 2, 2012 — This July on IN THE LIFE, "Bam Bam" Meulens of the SF Giants, former NY Giants running back Tiki Barber, rugby star Ben Cohen, and college wrestling champ Hudson Taylor speak out against homophobia in sports.
Homophobic slurs and anti-gay hate speech are commonplace among many of the professional athletes who are role models for young people. IN THE LIFE examines pervasive homophobia in the world of sports and speaks with professional athletes who are standing up to put an end to it.
"It's a lot to ask, but coming out is the best thing you can do for kids," said high school track runner Jacob Gardner. "There are kids who look up to professional sports and when they don't see anyone who is out it's hard for them to imagine themselves there."
Also this month, People.com's Janet Mock and America's Next Model's Isis King are among the first transgender public figures to step into the limelight of mainstream media. The transgender advocates sit down for a conversation about trans identity, vocabulary and how the media usually gets it wrong.
WATCH "Words Do Matter" now:
http://www.itlmedia.org/clips/entry/words-do-matter
IN THE LIFE continues its coverage of LGBT trailblazers in the public eye with a web exclusive profile of Pennsylvania's first openly gay legislator, Representative- Elect Brian Sims.
"I get to sit next to a Republican legislator who doesn't think my life has value," said Sims. "I get to talk to him about the economy and jobs and bridges and roads and every single day I get to show that legislator that I am so much more than a gay man. But I'm also a very proud gay man."
WATCH "Brian Sims: Pennsylvania's First Openly Gay Legislator" now:
http://www.itlmedia.org/clips/entry/brian-sims-pennsylvanias-first-openly-gay-legislator
"Words Do Matter" will air on public television stations across the country throughout July and is now available for free video streaming from the In The Life Media website. To find out when it will air in your local area, to stream or download it, go to www.ITLMedia.org .
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For twenty years, In The Life Media has been a leading media organization for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) movement. One of the nation's most honored and influential LGBT groups, In The Life Media creates social and political change by examining issues critical to LGBT individuals and providing audiences with powerful ways to advance equality within, and beyond, their communities. Produced by In The Life Media, the Emmy-nominated series, IN THE LIFE, was the first—and remains the only—LGBT newsmagazine on public television. IN THE LIFE is a two-time Emmy Award nominee, a Lambda Legal Liberty Award honoree, a Seigenthaler Award recipient from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and a Ribbon of Hope Award recipient from The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences: www.ITLMedia.org
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