September 29, 2003

Contact (New York): Michael Young, Associate Director of Regional Media
Phone: (646) 871-8019 Email: young@glaad.org

Contact (Los Angeles): Sean Lund, External Communications Director
Phone: (323) 634-2008 Email: lund@glaad.org

NEW YORK - The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) today announced it will honor Bravo, Time Inc., Ford Motor Company and Daily Variety at the Eighth Annual GLAAD Fairness Awards. The Fairness Awards will be presented at two luncheon ceremonies to be held in New York City at The W Hotel New York on Wednesday, Oct. 15th; and in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

In New York, GLAAD will honor Ford Motor Company and Time Inc. Accepting the award on behalf of Ford will be Jan Valentic, VP, Global Marketing; accepting for Time Inc. will be Editor-In-Chief Norman Pearlstine. Bravo President Jeff Gaspin and Daily Variety Publisher Charlie Koones accept on behalf of their companies at the Los Angeles ceremony.

The GLAAD Fairness Awards recognize long-term commitments made in the vital area of equal rights. In particular, the Fairness Awards honor institutions and individuals from the profit and non-profit sectors who have taken active, front-line positions in the battle for fair, accurate and inclusive representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.

BRAVO (Los Angeles Ceremony)
Bravo is committed to showing images that fairly and accurately reflect the diversity of the world in which we live. Bravo has a rich history of embracing our community, turning inclusion into commercial and critical success through series such as "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," "Boy Meets Boy" and "Gay Weddings." And Bravo has long been a pioneer in successfully sharing LGBT stories with mainstream audiences with such specials as "Fire Island" and "Gay Riviera."

DAILY VARIETY (Los Angeles Ceremony)
Daily Variety has long embraced the LGBT community, reporting on diversity issues in entertainment and the Hollywood community with honesty and prominence. Daily Variety's creation and expansion of the annual Gay Hollywood issue -- and their focus on the nominees and honorees of the GLAAD Media Awards -- has focused industry attention on the importance of LGBT entertainment images, the success of openly gay and lesbian entertainment leaders, and the ongoing impact of the closet on the industry.

FORD MOTOR COMPANY (New York Ceremony)
Ford Motor Company has created smart and innovative marketing/advertising campaigns geared toward the LGBT market for their Jaguar and Volvo brands. These campaigns were the result of an unparalleled in-depth study of the LGBT market commissioned by Ford. Long at the forefront of the auto industry in offering protections to its LGBT employees, Ford was one of the first companies to adopt a non-discrimination employment policy inclusive of gays and lesbians, and offers comprehensive same-sex domestic partner benefits that also extend to the children of same-sex partners. The company further fosters diversity in the workplace by supporting GLOBE, the first LGBT employee resource group to be officially recognized by a major automobile manufacturer.

TIME INC. (New York Ceremony)
Time Inc. has made significant contributions in combating stereotypes, offering millions of people fair and accurate portrayals of LGBT people through its publications. From Rosie O'Donnell's coming out on the cover of "People" to the 1998 "Time" cover story on the murder of Matthew Shepard to ongoing inclusive coverage in titles like "Teen People" and "Real Simple," Time Inc. has been a pioneer in successfully integrating the stories of gay men and lesbians into its mainstream news and feature coverage. Just as notably, Time Inc. maintains a strong non-discrimination employment policy, offers domestic partnership benefits, and has an active LGBT employee group (Out@Timeinc), all of which help create a safe and inclusive work environment for its employees.

"Bravo, Daily Variety, Ford and Time each embody the commitment to fairness and inclusiveness that is at the heart of GLAAD's work," said GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry. "Each of these companies has embraced and harnessed the power of diversity in the images and the corporate culture they've created, and GLAAD is honored to be able to celebrate their commitments to equality at the Fairness Awards."

Sponsors of the Eighth Annual GLAAD Fairness Awards include Absolut Vodka, Ford Motor Company, American Airlines, Wells Fargo, Conde Nast Publications, Wachovia Bank, Time Inc. and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

The GLAAD Fairness Awards will be held in New York at The W Hotel New York on Wednesday, Oct. 15 from noon to 2 p.m.; and in Los Angeles at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Wednesday, Oct. 29 from noon to 2 p.m. Tickets are $300 and $500 (preferred seating and a program listing at the higher level). Tables seating 10 people are $3,000 or $5,000 for corporate sponsors (corporate sponsorship includes a program listing and an ad).

To purchase tickets online for the GLAAD Fairness Awards, visit GLAAD.org at http://www.glaad.org/events. For more information on New York Fairness Awards tickets, table sponsorships, or purchase of congratulatory ad space, please contact GLAAD Special Events Manager Johnny Gonzales at (646) 871-8010, or via e-mail at gonzales@glaad.org. For Los Angeles event information, please contact Special Events Manager Kellie Dancho at (323) 634-2028 or via e-mail at dancho@glaad.org.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.