Pay It Forward: Thank Dustin Lance Black, Sean Penn and Cleve Jones

The Courage Campaign is urging us to send a thank you letter to Dustin Lance Black, Sean Penn, and Cleve Jones for making the movie MILK possible, and for their commitment to LGBT rights and equality. Their acceptance speeches at the oscars and their inclusion of gay rights in their speech is heartfelt and has been heard by millions.

Click here to fill out the letter

Gayness at the Oscars

Dustin Lance Black's acceptance speech for Best Original Screen Play for MILK, included a shout out to LGBT youth.


Sean Penn's acceptance speech for Best Actor included a plea for equality and pointed the finger against those who voted for proposition 8.

Tell The Academy - No Humanitarian Award for Comedian Jerry Lewis

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has chosen Jerry Lewis to receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian award to be given during the Oscar ceremony in February, 2009. The award "is given to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry," says the academy.

Controversy is building around the selection due to Lewis' repeated anti-gay slurs on television, including ones he made during his annual Muscular Dystrophy association telethon, and as recently as last October, on Australian TV, the latter shortly after an apology for his insults.

Many are in agreement that Lewis has done amazing things for those in need, but due to the recent passing of Prop 8, his recent slurs, and the fact that this is a humanitarian award, a call for the academy to change its choice has been made.

CALL TO ACTION: To voice your disapproval, contact AMPAS by emailing them at publicity@oscars.org or call them at (310) 247-3000.

Thanks for this guest post from our friends over at Unite The Fight.