The Paley Center for Media Announces Its Pride Month Celebration: A Salute to LGBTQ+ Pride Achievements in Television

NEW YORK, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Paley Center for Media today announced that it will present its inaugural Pride Month celebration, A Salute to LGBTQ+ Pride Achievements in Television. Starting Tuesday, June 1, this month-long experience will highlight the creative contributions of legendary icons, influential programs, and extraordinary moments that have shaped LGBTQ+ representation in our culture. Through A-list events featuring leading voices in media and society, the Paley Center will shine a spotlight on the enduring legacy and impact of a variety of LGBTQ+ figures throughout the decades on television. The celebration will provide a dynamic, interactive experience on paleycenter.org/pride with videos highlighting important milestones and key figures in drama, comedy, news, talk, documentary, sports, music, and variety; trivia games; an educational guide with viewing recommendations; and engaging family programs and activities.

To commemorate the occasion, the Paley Center will release a PaleyImpact program, A Salute to LGBTQ+ Pride Achievements in Television, featuring a conversation with Cynthia Nixon, Ilene Chaiken, Laverne Cox, Jason Collins, and Adam Rippon, moderated by ABC News's Gio Benitez. This will be released on the Paley Center's dedicated channel on Verizon Media's Yahoo Entertainment on June 1 at 10:00 am ET/7:00 am PT. The exciting schedule of programming continues with Paley Front Row presented by Citi: Hulu's Love, Victor, moderated by TV Guide Magazine's Jim Halterman, featuring the cast and creative team, including Michael Cimino, "Victor"; Ana Ortiz, "Isabel"; George Sear, "Benji"; Isaac Aptaker, Creator & Executive Producer; Elizabeth Berger, Creator & Executive Producer; Brian Tanen, Executive Producer. This event will release on the Paley Center's YouTube channel  on June 7 at 10:00 am ET/7:00 am PT. Citi cardmembers and Paley Members receive early access to watch, and Paley Members receive a special sneak preview of the new season's premiere episode of Love, Victor on Saturday, June 5 and Sunday, June 6, the weekend before its June 11 release. 

"The Paley Center for Media is proud to honor and celebrate the many influential icons, critically acclaimed programs, and milestones in the vast history of LGBTQ+ achievements in television," said Maureen J. Reidy, the Paley Center's President & CEO. "Throughout the month, this inaugural celebration offers a diverse collection of impactful, entertaining, and educational programs for every generation. And we are thankful to Citi and Verizon for their continued support in shining a light on diverse voices in media."

"It was a real pleasure to be part of such an honest and lively conversation with this stellar group of LGBTQ+ barrier breakers," said Cynthia Nixon. 

Representations of LGBTQ+ life have evolved dramatically over the last eight decades, enabling much more nuanced and authentic portrayals across all categories of television. The Paley Center has been honored to host events featuring many respected voices in the LGBTQ+ community throughout our history, and through this celebration share video clips from the renowned Paley Archive that feature a comprehensive look at how the LGBTQ+ portrayals have evolved in media. Programs will include All in the Family, An Early Frost, and That Certain Summer. The videos will also feature storytellers, such as Greg Berlanti, Ilene Chaiken, Lee Daniels, and Ryan Murphy; influential creative talents like Laverne Cox, Ellen DeGeneres, and Sean Hayes; among other important figures from sports, journalism, music, politics, and culture. The virtual celebration will be accessible through a landing page at paleycenter.org/pride.                                                                                                    

A curated selection of LGBTQ+ themed programs for kids and families will also be available with accompanying learning activities, interactive trivia, and arts & crafts, including Hasbro's My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Disney Channel's The Owl House, WME's Steven Universe, Nickelodeon's Loud House, Netflix's The Babysitter's Club, Amazon's Danger and Eggs, and more. In collaboration with Disney Channel, the Paley Center will also offer its members a sneak preview of the first two episodes of season two of the Peabody Award-nominated animated series Disney's The Owl House on Saturday, June 5 and Sunday, June 6.

The LGBTQ+ Pride month-long celebration has been curated with the assistance and guidance provided by cultural advisors, including Megan Townsend, Director of Entertainment Research and Analysis, GLAAD; Tre'vell Anderson, Journalist and Social Curator; Dr. Neal Baer, Executive Producer/Showrunner and Codirector, Medicine & Media Program, Harvard Medical School, and Board Member of One Archives Foundation; and Steven Capsuto, Author, Alternate Channels: LGBTQ Images on Television.

The Paley Center is grateful to Citi and Verizon and the following individuals and organizations for their ongoing support: Amazon, AMC Networks Entertainment Group, Apple, Inc., Banijay and Endemol Shine Holdings, Berlanti Productions, BET, Blue Marble, CAA, CBS Entertainment Group, Conde Nast Entertainment, Deutsch LA, End of Episode Productions, EPIX/MGM, Exile Content, Facebook, FOX Entertainment, Fremantle, FTI Consulting Inc., FX Networks & FX Productions, GroupM North America, HBO/HBO Max, Lionsgate Television Group, M88, MACRO, Mary Parent, Matt Johnson, MediaLink, MSGCI, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, Netflix, Nielsen, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, PwC, Robert Greenblatt, Showtime Networks & CBS, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Lippin Group, The Walt Disney Company, Tyler Perry Studios, ViacomCBS, Warner Bros. Television Group, WME, World Surf League, YouTube.

For more information, please visit paleycenter.org

Media Contact:
Joanna Scholl, The Paley Center for Media, [email protected], 212-621-6612
Jake Mendlinger, ZE Creative Communications, [email protected], 516-639-3373

About The Paley Center for Media 
The Paley Center for Media is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of television, radio, and emerging platforms, drawing upon its curatorial expertise, an international collection, and close relationships with the media community. The general public can participate in Paley programs in both New York and Los Angeles that explore and celebrate the creativity, the innovations, the personalities, and the leaders who are shaping media. The public can also access the Paley Center's permanent media collection, which contains over 160,000 television and radio programs and advertisements. Through the global programs of its Media Council and International Council, the Paley Center also serves as a neutral setting where media professionals can engage in discussion and debate about the evolving media landscape. Previously known as The Museum of Television & Radio, the Paley Center was founded in 1975 by William S. Paley, a pioneering innovator in the industry. For more information, please visit paleycenter.org.

SOURCE Paley Center for Media