Date: Wed, 23 Sep 1998 09:49:27 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAAD NAMES SCOTT SEOMIN AS ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA DIRECTOR MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GLAAD NAMES SCOTT SEOMIN AS ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA DIRECTOR FORMER "ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT" MEDIA RELATIONS DIRECTOR TO SERVE AS INDUSTRY LIAISON FOR NATIONAL LESBIAN AND GAY MEDIA ADVOCACY GROUP Contact: Scott Seomin, Entertainment Media Director phone: (213) 658-6775, ext. 14 e-mail: seomin@glaad.org NEW YORK, NY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1998-The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has named veteran publicist and writer Scott Seomin its Entertainment Media Director. Seomin was selected from an extensive list of candidates produced in a nationwide search following the departure of former Entertainment Media Director Chastity Bono. Seomin assumed his responsibilities in Los Angeles on Sept. 21, 1998. "With his long and prominent history of work within the industry and his experience in the fields of public relations and journalism, Scott brings to GLAAD a unique voice and influence which will enable him to energetically lead our efforts in the entertainment media industry," said GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry. "We are extremely fortunate, and furthermore, extremely excited to have him on board." Seomin comes to GLAAD from GTSP Records, a label owned and operated by musician and television personality John Tesh, and distributed by PolyGram, where he was director of media relations. He began his work in television, serving as the first public relations manager for cable's E! Entertainment Television, and later as director of publicity at Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. He was also the longtime director of media relations for Entertainment Tonight, where he began his seven year association with Tesh. A former field reporter for Extra, Seomin has been a contributing feature writer for lesbian and gay print publications including Los Angeles' Edge magazine, Chicago's Windy City Times, Cleveland's Gay People's Chronicle, the San Francisco Bay Times, Philadelphia Gay News and OutFront Colorado. "GLAAD's work resonates with me on many levels," said Seomin. "While my decision to leave John's label, GTSP, was a difficult one, I am excited about the unique opportunities GLAAD's work and mission provide. Working at GLAAD will give me the chance to bring about real change in the media's portrayal of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community issues. As a gay youth, I saw almost no images of our community on television, in film or in the news. The few representations which did exist were negative, stereotypical and hurtful. So my decision to join the team at GLAAD is a personal as well as a professional one. My hope is to have the entertainment industry utilize GLAAD as a resource in a more formalized way and to give GLAAD an even stronger voice in newsrooms across the country." GLAAD is the nation's lesbian and gay media advocacy organization. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals and events in all media as a means of combating homophobia and all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. -30- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) glaad@glaad.org TO REPORT DEFAMATION IN THE MEDIA - Call GLAAD's Alertline at 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or go to the GLAAD Web Site at www.glaad.org and report through our Alertline Online. TO JOIN GLAAD AND RECEIVE GLAAD's DISPATCH AND QUARTERLY IMAGES MAGAZINE, call 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or join on the Web today at www.glaad.org/glaad/join/join-about.html TO SUBSCRIBE TO GLAAD-Net, GLAAD's electronic mailing list, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Subscribe GLAAD-Net" TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Unsubscribe GLAAD-Net" GLAAD is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc.