GLAAD (Formerly The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation)

GLAAD is one of the most influential LGBTQ media advocacy organizations in the United States. It was founded in New York City in 1985 as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, formed to protest sensationalized and homophobic AIDS coverage in the press. Over the following decades it pressured outlets to adopt fairer language and to expand LGBTQ representation on screen. In 2013 the group announced it would go by GLAAD alone, dropping the full name to reflect its work on bisexual and transgender issues as well. GLAAD monitors media, advises journalists, responds to harmful content, and publishes annual reports such as Where We Are on TV and the Studio Responsibility Index.