Referring to GLAAD's recent comments regarding Perez Hilton and Bruno (incidents in which GLAAD's take on the matter became as much a part of the story as the words and images they spoke out against), EDGE asked Barrios for his take on whether or not GLAAD's response seeks to squelch free speech-as opposed to facilitating conversation about the appropriateness of said speech.

Barrios responds in a manner befitting his past experience as a politician-and his upcoming role as a respondent to the probing questions of journalists. (Barrios was a Massachusetts state legislature during the period the State approved gay marriage.) That is to say, he answers the question-but only at the end of a very long and winding road which sought to reframe the matter within the context of his choosing.

Barrios' target='_blank'> "I'm looking at this through a different lens than how you posed it (the question). I am a civil liberation. I have very strong views on the importance and sanctity of the First Amendment. I also have a strong view on the importance of promoting positive images of gay people."
But until Barrios can master the baker's secret of having a cake, consuming it and still having it exist intact, he'd do well to ensure that GLAAD 2.0 doesn't use the big picture of promoting positive images as justification for compromising free speech-even if it is for a really, really good cause.

As for how far they'll go for that cause, "My view of what GLAAD's focus is, is achieving the full equality of gay and trans people; achieving a world where we can live free of discrimination. When a mainstream movie like Bruno will be the only image that some parts of America - not San Francisco, not New York -have of a gay family that year or ever - and that gay family is pictured in a hot tub with an infant whose father is having sex with other men-that is a concrete harm to those families in Arkansas where that movie was filmed."

The public face of GLAAD

Recently, GLAAD's Rashad Robinson (senior director of media programs) also weighed in on the matter of Middle America's exposure to LGBT images, saying GLAAD must continue to "illustrate how things meant to have a huge cultural impact play differently in Chelsea or West Hollywood than in Little Rock. Many of the thought leaders who are writing and critiquing movies like Bruno are often times living in places that are much more affirming of LGBT people than the majority of the country."

That current and incoming members of GLAAD are in step on this matter is discouraging. Criticizing a satirist like Sacha Baron Cohen in the name of impressionable Middle Americans condescends to their ability to distinguish fact from fiction. If Barrios truly thinks the citizens of Arkansas will see no other image of LGBTs this year other than what they take away from Bruno, he's not living in the media-savvy, Internet-soaked world that one suspect even folks in Arkansas have access to these days.

Categorizing East Coast and West Coast folks as sophisticated and aware but out of touch with naive, mentally malleable Middle America in and of itself flirts with stereotyping and defamation. As for those impressionable straights in Little Rock - lord help us all if they return home from seeing Bruno and stumble onto a syndicated episode of Will & Grace - that minstrel show and multiple GLAAD Media award-winner which perpetrates more gay stereotypes in a half hour than Sacha Baron Cohen is capable of should he live to be one hundred - and all without showing the slightest hint of gay sexuality expressed physically.

That said, however, Barrios seems to be aware of the damage done when GLAAD's response to Bruno eclipses the local, grassroots work that comprises the majority of the organization's work - and most successfully articulates their mission statement. He bemoans the underreported fact that taking a public position on high-profile incidents of defamation in the pop culture realm is merely "one tenth of GLAAD's work-but it's that work which gets covered and creates an impression that that's all GLAAD does." He vows this popular misconception "will become my job in September to correct. I believe it's important to make clear that more than anything else, we are we are a resource to advance equality."

Getting that message out and ensuring it gets covered by the press is made difficult because the grassroots work GLAAD does "ain't sexy, and we're never in the news for it."

And what exactly is that nine-tenths of the GLAAD work that doesn't make it into the headlines? Barrios emphasizes that GLAAD is actively involved in a variety of projects which reach out to a micro targeted audience: "our Communities of African American Descent project, the Trans project, the Spanish Language Media project, the Religion, Faith & Values project, the Sports & Media project."

He hopes this work will become the public face of GLAAD, as opposed to tiffs with pop culture figures. As for now, though, Barrios concedes these programs "do not seem to break through" to national media recognition. Even our donors and members of our board don't fully know about the diversity of the work we do." The resulting effect? "One thing is clear-many people only understand GLAAD through a very narrow lens."

Expanding vision

Another example of GLAAD 2.0? A digital media program which takes on homophobia in the realm of Internet gaming. GLAAD recently sponsored a first of its kind seminar which brought together representatives from the gaming industry to discuss the fact that "In many of these games, it takes you about two minutes to learn that gay people are at the bottom of the food chain."

By bringing folks like Microsoft to the table, GLAAD hopes to have an impact on the ways companies respond to "verbal threats against gay people on the Internet" as well as formulating strategies "to create a safer space for gamers." The seminar, notes Barrios, marks a decidedly different strategy in which to get the message out - as opposed to "a traditional press release denouncing a movie or the use of a certain word." Reaching the comparatively young demographic of gamers is important, Barrios notes, in part because of the sheer significance of their numbers. Some may not "think there's value" to this sort of work, but he the numbness speak for themselves: "Thirty to forty million Americans get online to do this (gaming ) every week."

Another group with powerful numbers who could use some unconventional persuading is the faith community. Barrios vows GLAAD will continue to build upon the work of its Faith & Values program-which "trains folks to understand the most persuasive way to talk about this issue" when engaging people of faith in a manner which "helps the movable middle understand we are people of faith, too." That's a powerful, much-needed tool in the quest to win hearts and minds by responding to the misconception that "we actively work against or disrespect religion."

GLAAD 2.0 will also "adapt to the changes in our media" by actively engaging "bloggers and news outlets on the web. This allows us to proactively work to define who LGBT Americans are in this emerging marketplace of ideas."

Just as important as working to reach the gamers and those who get their news, views and ideas of LGBTs from the Internet, Barrios says, is the continuation of GLAAD's work "with existing media for elements of our society who are not going to shift over" to new media. "I believe there are parts of our society, like the Latino community, where the Internet will not permeate as much or as deeply. They still get their news from traditional media outlets."

A ton of other questions about GLAAD 2.0 were asked-and Barrios said to get back to him in December about that, once he's settled in and has a better sense of things to come. Edge will take him up on that offer. In the meantime, a final question was posed as to whether he'll bring to GLAAD the type of disarming, surprisingly charming use of self-deprecating humor which began our conversation.

Barrios: "One of the things I learned in politics is, because of the personal nature of criticism, a sense of humor can carry you a long way. I take with me" to GLAAD "my sense of humor just as I take my sexuality, ethnicity and status as a father." Good answer! As for how it will play itself out, time will tell. Check back with us in December.