ABC has cancelled the series “Work It” after only two episodes. The series debuted on January 3, 2012 to low ratings, and, according to Entertainment Weekly, dropped another 20 percent this week.

“While many of ABC’s positive and groundbreaking portrayals of LGBT people have been critical and popular successes, the public had little interest in this outdated show,” said Herndon Graddick, Senior Director of Programs and Communications at GLAAD.

GLAAD, together with many advocates including Autumn Sandeen, and other LGBT organizations including HRC, the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, the Transgender Economic Empowerment Initiative and the Transgender Law Center spoke out against the series for its potential to cause harm to the transgender community. Women’s advocacy groups and members of the Puerto Rican community have also criticized the show’s premise and jokes.

While the show did not explicitly address transgender people, many viewers unfamiliar with the realities of being transgender will still make the connection.

According to ABC, ‘Work It’ centered on two unemployed men who have "learned the hard way that the current recession is more of a 'man-cession' and their skills aren't in high demand." One finds out that a pharmaceuticals company is hiring sales reps, but only female sales reps. He goes to the interview dressed in heels, a skirt, and makeup and gets hired as a woman.

Last month, after viewing the pilot, GLAAD placed a full page ad in media industry publication Variety with HRC. The organizations also published a joint opinion piece on the Huffington Post. View the ad here.

The Variety ad noted that “by encouraging the audience to laugh at the characters’ attempts at womanhood, the show gives license to similar treatment of transgender women.”

GLAAD and HRC included photos of transgender Americans, legal facts and statistics from a recent report from the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force on the discrimination that transgender Americans face:

• Transgender Americans can be legally fired in 34 states today simply for being who they are.
  • 97% of self-identified transgender people reported being harassed or abused at work.
• 26 percent reported losing their jobs because they are transgender.

“As a result of this campaign, an important dialogue has been started in Hollywood and mainstream media about the real discrimination faced by transgender people today,” GLAAD’s Herndon Graddick said.

Lynne Cheney, explaining that their lesbian daughter Mary is partnered with Heather Poe and have two children together, said, "I think that whatever Mary and Heather decide to do is up to Mary and Heather."

"So, you're not against gay marriage," asked Barbara Walters.

"That's right," said Lynne Cheney.

The former Vice President agreed, "I think freedom means freedom for everybody."

Watch:

At a 2009 National Press Club event, Dick Cheney said he thought "people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish," but that he supported state-by-state regulation of marriage rights.

The former Vice President made similar remarks publicly as early as 2004.

Chaz Bono

Bono has been attacked by online commentators over his gender identity and some “Dancing” fans and conservative media groups have criticized ABC for casting him in the first place.

One longtime “DWTS” insider said the criticism "has been more vicious and in larger volume than was anticipated," the Chicago Sun-Times reported. "Some of the comments are downright scary," the source added.

On Friday, Dr. Keith Albow of Fox News called Bono "the 'transsexual' woman who underwent plastic surgery and takes male hormones in an effort to appear to be a man, and who asserts she is a man...," and warned parents not to let their children watch the show:

"The last thing vulnerable children and adolescents need, as they wrestle with the normal process of establishing their identities, is to watch a captive crowd in a studio audience applaud on cue for someone whose search for an identity culminated with the removal of her breasts, the injection of steroids and, perhaps one day soon, the fashioning of a make-shift phallus to replace her vagina."

The website OneMillionMoms.com said "Dancing With the Stars" has "spun out of control," and called for a boycott of the series for casting Bono and openly gay performer Carson Kressley.

"Both are LGBT rights advocates and promote this destructive lifestyle. DWTS is helping them create visibility for the LGBT community," the website said.

Bono himself has said the criticism has inspired him to work harder.

“I thought that it would be a challenge, I for so many years was so uncomfortable, and since transitioning I feel so comfortable now I want to do something physically challenging and fun in that way,” Bono said of his decision to join the cast.

“I thought it would be a great way to further my message I started with my book and my documentary.”

But among the criticism has also been widespread support.

“At a time when transgender representation in the media is sorely lacking, Chaz Bono joining the cast of a series like Dancing With the Stars is a tremendous step forward for the public to recognize that transgender people are an important part of the fabric of American culture," said Herndon Graddick, GLAAD’s Senior Director of Programs.

Bono will be partnered on the show with dancer Lacey Schwimmer, who responded to criticism of her dance partner by saying, “No human is perfect, so why are they pointing out what they perceive to be an imperfection in someone else? It’s not cool. We’re all taught to not bully, or harass, and treat everyone as equals yet all these people are doing exactly the opposite.”

And Bono’s mother, Cher, took to Twitter in defense of her son and asked her fans to support him:

Bono’s representative Howard Bragman, told the Los Angeles Times that "the sky will not fall when Chaz Bono dances."

"Parents will have a teachable moment with their children; transgendered kids will have a role model, and since that group has such a high suicide rate we may save a life; and finally we can see a transgendered person as a human being and not a label."

"DWTS" Executive Producer Conrad Green addressed critics, and said, “We don’t have an agenda of any sorts. I think of the 120 celebrities we’ve put on the show, we’ve had, I think now, three transgender or gay contestants. If that’s a [gay] agenda, we’re not doing very well at it.”

The new season of "Dancing With the Stars" premieres Sept. 19 on ABC.

But other than Sherri Shepherd's ridiculous attempt to steer the discussion away from gay marriage and talk about gravy boats instead, the surprise came early when Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who typically represents the conservative position, gave a strong rebuke to the anti-gay protesters, calling their demonstrations "tasteless."

Watch:

"The only thing that's killing (heterosexual marriage) is heterosexual marriage," Hasselbeck added.

"I think the country is evolving, and I think there is an inevitability for a national consensus on gay marriage," Biden said. Watch here:

Biden said the next effort will likely be "to deal with" the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the federal law that defines marriage as a legal union exclusively between one man and one woman.

Earlier this year, a U.S. District Court judge in Boston struck down DOMA; the Justice Department is appealing the ruling.

Same-sex marriage is legal in five states -- Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont -- and the District of Columbia. DOMA prohibits the federal government from recognizing gay marriage, denying federal benefits to same-couples who are legally married in these jurisdictions.

Last month, co-host Sherri Shepherd and guest host, comedian D.L. Hughley, blamed increased HIV rates among straight African American women on gay and bisexual black men men who are secretly gay, often referred to as "on the down low."

"When you look at the prevalence of HIV in the African American community, it's primarily young women who are getting it from men who are on the down low," Hughley said on the June 22 broadcast.

Shepherd added, "It's so big in the black community with women because they're having sex with men who have been having sex with men."

The Variety ad placement comes nearly three weeks after GLAAD issued a "Call to Action," charging The View with perpetuating "dangerous myths," despite evidence to the contrary from the Centers for Disease Control.

(The ad appears below; click on image to enlarge.)

Click to enlarge

After the show aired, thousands of people stood with GLAAD and demanded an apology and a correction. But so far, ABC and The View have remained silent on the issue.

“ABC and The View’s refusal to correct these inaccurate remarks comes at the expense of African American gay and bisexual men, straight African American women and millions of audience members who need facts about HIV/AIDS, not myths. It’s extremely disheartening to see a program that usually covers our community with respect, unwilling to correct this serious lapse in editorial judgment,” said Rashad Robinson, GLAAD’s Senior Director of Programs.

GLAAD has cited a 2009 interview in which a senior CDC official said that heterosexual black men with multiple sex partners -- not bisexual men who secretly have sex with men -- are responsible for high rates of HIV among black women.

In that interview, Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, said, "We have looked to see what proportion of infections is coming from male partners who are bisexual and found there are actually relatively few."

"More are male partners who are having female partners and are injecting drugs or using drugs or have some other risks that may put those female partners at risk of acquiring HIV," he added.

As of late Monday, still no comment from ABC or The View.

The network confirmed this week that the couple, played by Brett Claywell (as Kyle Lewis) and Scott Evans (as Oliver Fish), are being written off the show.

ABC issued this statement:

The groundbreaking Kyle/Fish relationship on One Life to Live was embraced by fans both as a great story and a fair and honest reflection of the LGBT community.

We're glad their story resonated with the audience, and understand the fans' disappointment now that it has concluded. The show has a history of bringing LGBT stories to the screen -- earning two GLAAD awards in the process -- as well as returning popular characters when they serve the ongoing story.

These great characters remain in Llanview, and while there are no immediate plans to advance their story, the door is always open for their return.

GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, announced Friday that it is lobbying ABC Daytime to review its decision to end the storyline.

In January, the One Life to Live characters engaged in an onscreen love scene in the first-ever gay sex scene on daytime television.

Brett Claywell, left, and Scott Evans

ABC made history this week by airing the first-ever gay sex scene on daytime television.

One Life to Live characters Oliver and Kyle (portrayed by Scott Evans and Brett Claywell) engaged in an onscreen love scene on Wednesday's episode. (Evans, the younger brother of 'Fantastic Four' actor Chris Evans, is openly gay.)

One Life to Live has been lauded for its groundbreaking exploration of social issues.

The show received mass critical acclaim for its 1992 homophobia storyline, which captured national headlines when it introduced the character of a gay teen (played by then unknown Ryan Phillippe) and culminated with the emotional display of the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt.

In case you missed Wednesday's scene, here it is:

In 2007, the CBS' As the World Turns, aired the first gay kiss on a daytime drama -- In case you missed it, watch that scene here.

Just weeks ago, ABC came under attack from gay rights advocates for canceling a scheduled daytime concert by Adam Lambert due to his “controversial” performance at the American Music Awards where he kissed another male performer on stage.

ABC canceled Lambert's scheduled appearances on "Good Morning America" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and stopped considering him for "New Year's Rockin' Eve," which drew thousands of complaints from viewers and gay advocates who believed the network was retaliating against him because he is gay.

On Friday night, Lambert took to Twitter, where he first announced the cancellations, to tell his fans that he will appear on "The View" next Thursday.

"Hey friends! I will be performing and hanging w the ladies of ABC's The View Thursday the 10th!" he tweeted.

Lambert will be interviewed by "The View" hosts and will perform. Both will be pre-taped because Lambert has a scheduling conflict and cannot be in New York on Thursday, sources said.

Lambert will appear on "The View" the morning after his interview with Barbara Walters for her "10 Most Fascinating People" special on ABC.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which earlier accused ABC of subjecting Lambert to a double standard, applauded ABC's invitation.

Lambert made headlines with his provocative performance last month at the American Music Awards in which he kissed a male musician.

GLAAD's previous two statements regarding ABC's cancellations of Lambert's performances on the network after his sexually charged American Music Awards appearance have drawn criticism and caused confusion.

In the first statement, GLAAD seemed to give ABC a free pass: "It would appear that the kiss between Adam Lambert and his keyboardist did not factor into ABC’s decision."

In the second statement, GLADD said "ABC confirmed this is not about a same-sex kiss or his sexual orientation but about being 'caught off guard.' GLAAD asked ABC and calls on them for clarification on 'caught off guard' so that the community knows why Lambert is being denied the opportunity to perform on the network."

On Friday afternoon, GLAAD issued its strongest statement yet, saying that the organization does, in fact, believe that ABC canceled Lambert's appearances on "Good Morning America" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and stopped considering him for "New Year's Rockin' Eve" because he is an "openly gay performer."

Two days after Adam Lambert's hip thrusting, man-on-man make-out, show-closing performance on the "American Music Awards," people are still talking.

More than 1,500 complaints were leveled at ABC, according to The Associated Press. ABC officials deemed that a "moderate" response when compared to other events that have prompted viewer complaints.

Though it's doubtful that anyone at the network thought the controversy would go on this long, Lambert's show-stopping number is still fodder for morning TV debates over the artistic merits of what happened during Sunday night's performance.

Chatting up the performance on The View, Elisabeth Hasselbeck siad, "Does anyone remember what he sounded like? Because, let me tell you this. This is the mistake Adam Lambert will make time and time again. We will not remember him as a performer or someone with a voice if he continues to do things like this. So smarten up, and sing."

The broadcast was "nothing short of tasteless and vulgar" and ABC buried their heads in the sand when Lambert promised to put on a "sexy" show, said Tim Winter of the Parents Television Council.

Meanwhile, ABC announced that Good Morning America has canceled a scheduled concert by Lambert, citing his "controversial" behavior at the award show.

A spokesperson for ABC said, "Given his controversial American Music Awards performance, we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning."

Update: On Tuesday afternoon, hours after ABC's said that it canceled Lambert's appearance on GMA, comes an announcement from CBS that Lambert would appear on its “Early Show.” In a statement, CBS said that Lambert will appear live on “The Early Show” on Wednesday and discuss his recent performance on the American Music Awards.

Lambert is also scheduled to perform Wednesday on “Late Show With David Letterman,” also on CBS.

The show revolves around three families each with a different structure. First there is Phil and Claire, a traditional American family with three kids, and then there is Jay, an older man who is married to a very much younger woman who has a rebellious little boy. And finally,  Mitchell and Cameron, the gay couple who just adopted a baby from Vietnam, played by Jesse Tyler Ferguson (The Class) and Eric Stonestreet (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation).

The show reportedly has a slick, cinematic look and feel as its single camera moves between the three different families. The big reveal at the end of the first episode is the three wildly different couples introduced "mockumentary" style throughout the episode are actually part of the same extended family.

Modern Family will air Wednesday nights at 9 p.m., 8 central, in ABC's new comedy block starting September 23. Watch the preview here: