GLAAD has a brand-new president, and this morning on MSNBC's Morning Joe, she introduced herself to America.
In an interview at GLAAD's New York headquarters, Sarah Kate Ellis, who was announced as president and CEO of the organization in November, spoke with out news anchor Thomas Roberts about her new position and the work that GLAAD will take on in the coming year.
In the segment, Roberts noted the significant progress for LGBT people in the United States, including marriage equality in 17 states and Washington, D.C., as well as more positive depictions of LGBT characters in film and television. But he also noted setbacks in the U.S., such as the proposal of antigay bills in Idaho and Kansas, and the ongoing battles abroad in countries including Uganda, India, and Russia.
Ellis told Roberts that GLAAD's interest lies in getting the stories of LGBT people in other countries out in the open, because "the stories live forever. The Olympics live for two weeks."
"That's what our Olympics initiative is. It's making sure that it's not just the policy conversation that happening," Ellis continued, but that the stories of "real people who are being harmed and affected by the laws and the rules in Russia are being told."
Watch below.