christian grantham
Christian Grantham was a student activist in the late 90s and later was a consultant to domestic policy forums for the Clinton Administration as well as events for HRC and GLAAD.
	latest posts   Will Gay Cable Channels Create 'Ghetto' of Segregated Content?   'Swift Boat Vets Against Seniors' Sued for $25 Million by Gay Couple   Texas Justice: Republican Tom DeLay's Slow Roast BBQ   HRC Confirms: Joe Solmonese is New President and CEO   GAY.com Unleashes Controversial Ad Campaign

March 09, 2005

Uh oh... "Swift Boat Vets Against Senior Citizens" is being sued for $25 million by the gay couple whose image they misappropriated and slathered on the Internets as anti-American heathens. It was all part of Charlie Jarvis's scheme to broadside the nation's seniors on behalf of the Repubican Party. What a scoundrel!

"Our privacy and personal integrity were violated when our wedding photo was stolen and used to portray us as treasonous, unpatriotic, and a threat to American troops," Raymen said in a statement released to the press today. "We have been harassed and humiliated by this hateful ad campaign and by the bigotry and anger it has generated against us nationwide."

In their lawsuit, Raymen and Hansen allege that USANext's use of their photograph -- which was copied without permission from the Portland Tribune -- amounted to an invasion of privacy, a violation of their right to control their own images, libel and the intention infliction of emotional distress. The suit names as defendants both USANext and the political consulting firm Mark Montini International, which apparently created the ad.
[Lawsuit over USANext's AARP ad - Salon.com - 03-09-05]

I guess we'll be hearing Charlie Jarvis's jowl dribble on the phone soon as he accounts for "all places where the photos have been used or sent," including Outlet Radio Network, LLC. I would have never shown that photo had old Charlie Jarvis not asked us to help start a national discussion about how the AARP hates American troops but loves gay marriage. OOOh, that Charlie Jarvis! Hoooowwwwwlllllll!

"Our lawsuit seeks to hold the defendants accountable for taking two private citizens and maliciously making them targets for homophobic bigots," Wolf said today. "Our clients did not volunteer to be models in a right-wing hate campaign. There are serious legal consequences for deploying them against their will."

Simultaneously with the filing of the complaint, Wolf filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction against USA Next and its ad agency to get them to stop using the photo. The motion also seeks the return of all pictures containing the couple's image and an accounting of all places where the photos have been used or sent, in light of the refusal of USA Next to retract or apologize for its ad.
[USA Next sued for $25 million over anti-gay anti-AARP ad - Americablog - 03-09-05]