GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios Abruptly Resigns

By Michael Lopez

It looks like Jarrett Barrios will no longer be calling the shots at GLAAD. The Cuban-American gay rights advocate abruptly resigned from his position as president of the organization amidst questionable tactics relating to AT&T.

Barrios took the position at GLAAD back in September 2009 and previously had a very promising political career. A Harvard graduate, he was the first Latino and the first openly-gay man ever elected to the Massachusetts Senate. From there, Jarrett held high-ranking positions at Blue Cross and oversaw numerous charitable organizations.

So why the sudden exit? It appears that during his tenure at GLAAD, Barrios began publicly supporting a merger between AT&T and T-Mobile. Many in found this odd, since the corporate transaction had little to do with gay rights. Even more interesting is the fact that AT&T reportedly gave Jarrett’s organization a $50,000 donation.

Of course, many are wondering whether Barrios is actually the "fall guy" for GLAAD. It's clear that leaders in the organization were eager to cash those AT&T donations. But now, they have become very silent about Jarrett’s controversial resignation.

What do you think about Jarrett’s recent resignation? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags At&T, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chisme, GLAAD, Jarrett Barrios