Six GLAAD board members resign amid AT&T flap

Six board members of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation have resigned amid the fallout over the organization's letter in support of AT&T’s proposed bid for wireless rival T-Mobile.

Some board members were said to have resigned because of concerns that GLAAD failed to adhere to its conflict of interest standards and to protest GLAAD's failure to protect its president, Jarrett Barrios, who submitted his letter of resignation to the group amid a growing backlash in the gay blogosphere over the group's AT&T stance. GLAAD board member Gary Bitner confirmed that he had resigned. Five other board members — including Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers — also have submitted their resignations. The six former board members submitted a joint statement that said they resigned from the organization's board for “various reasons,” but declined to comment on those reasons because they say "there's been too much unfair and false information spread about GLAAD" recently.