FH Out Front Blog

And the Nominees Are...

Aloha, friends (I learned that from the aforementioned vacay in Hawaii—did you miss me?!?). It’s been quite the month for high-profile nominations, from the Primetime Emmys to hopeful Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. On the LGBT red carpet, two organizations have announced their nominations, both equally worthy of a spotlight.

 On Wednesday, Out and Equal Advocates announced nominations for “The Outies,” its annual workplace awards which recognize the most significant achievements in LGBT workplace equality. There are five categories this year—two recognizing individual achievement and three recognizing organizations. Check out the nominees here. Specifically, look at the high profile companies represented in the Workplace Excellence Award, including Google and PricewaterhouseCoopers. This award recognizes an employer that has a historic and ongoing commitment to pursuing and executing workplace equality for LGBT employees, continually raising the bar of workplace equality for others to follow.

As I previously blogged, companies who recognize their LGBT employees will earn an immeasurable ROI among LGBT consumers. Just imagine the brand advocates you create by respecting your LGBT workforce, who in turn, will champion you to their own circle of friends. Just call it “Gay it Forward.”  Winners will be announced on October 8 at the 2009 Out & Equal Workplace Summit in October. My biggest question—what does one wear to the Outies?

Rockstar PR

Today I saw in one of my Diversity Inc. updates that the energy drink brand has donated $100,000 to gay and lesbian organizations. I think it’s worth acknowledging that the brand is making such a contribution during the still-in-effect-recession.

I looked thorough the list of recipients and noticed that Rockstar donated more than 10 percent to the LGBT Bloggers Initiative which launched last fall to enhance gay and lesbian blogger skills, relationships and effectiveness.

 

I’s great that communications organizations are being recognized for the value they offer in maintaining our issues front and center. Now more than ever, the blogosphere serves as a voice to all gay and lesbians – and for good reason.  Just last month, WPP’ Mindshare research reported Gays and lesbians are more likely to make tech purchases online.

 

The LGBT community is an online community and Rockstar is on the right track when investing in online efforts to reach that community. The company is also expanding benefits and resources to its LGBT employees.

 

There is more to the story than meets the blog. As Diversity Inc. reports, the CEO of Rockstar is the son of radio host Michael Savage who expressed  firm views that gays should not marry over the air. Naturally, the community, including its bloggers, tied the company with the celeb radio host, and in return,  Rockstar threatened to sue a couple of LGBT blogs (BILERICO Project and Change.org) for defamation, stating they were wrongly accusing the company of being linked to Savege’s beliefs.

 

Rockstar cooled down the heated atmosphere by extending a partnership with not just the LGBT community, but specifically, the blogger community.  This amicable attempt at makeing things right is a brilliant example of great public relations. The company turned around an increasingly sour situation into a forward-thinking  repositioning of the company. Our friends at Queerty could not have said it better:

 

“Listen up, corporations: This is how you work with the gay community. What we're impressed with is not only Rockstar's financial commitment to gay organizations, but that it became publicly angry over any connection made between the company and the vile person that is Mike Savage."

 

This is also a good example of the power of our voices and opinions – if our bloggers had not stirred the pot, none of this may have happened. Or maybe it would have, but certainly it would not have gotten as much attention as it is getting now.

 

Rockstar leaves much to its own employees, like the resources to create an LGBT group, but is helping by building the toolbox needed to achieve this and more successes. We’ll be cautious as we watch Rockstar grow into its own and hope the end result is serious commitment to our community. After all, in supporting our community, Rockstar will surely be rocking out with the stars.

@ddressing Virtual Homophobia

 

While traditional media continues to cover the many issues facing our community, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) recently announced a new program that extends the organization's LGBT advocacy efforts beyond traditional media into the realms of virtual communities, gaming and social networks.

While online networks have made it easier for LGBT youth and others to open the closet door with a few posts or tweets, these exponentially-growing communities can also harbor homophobic content from other users or dated policies that stifle an LGBT individual's expression. Personally, I have had to tackle my own set of homophobic postings, messages and DMs from random individuals or forgotten grade school acquaintances.

GLAAD's new program, to be headed by Director of Digital Media Justin Cole (who previously worked in the digital realm for Media Matters for America), will work to:

• Provide a safe arena for LGBT people to connect
• Develop policies with communities and networks that prevent anti-LGBT defamation while not prohibiting LGBT self-identification and expression
• Educate communities and users about the effects of homophobia.

Hot Time, Summer in Iowa City?!?

Aloha! Me and the BF are headed off to Hawaii next week for vacation. We were Googling ourselves to death trying to find a great place to get away, and we chose the Brady Bunch/Growing Pains route of trekking to Hawaii. But apparently, I should have considered Iowa as well!

We tweeted earlier this week about a great read from the Chicago Tribune about Iowa’s sudden status as a LGBT destination. Why? One could assume, as the article does, that our gaydar is tuned to the state because of the gay marriage law that took effect April 27. I’m not an Iowa-hater…I just don’t know much about the state. Plus, how could I not appreciate a fellow Heartland state?!?

This article is a great read, especially as it relates to how local businesses are recognizing the bling-factor of reaching out to a new tourist audience—LGBT couples looking to wed, or those who support such a progressive stance in the state. Reporter Josh Noel gives a great run-down of places to go if you are headed out the Iowa-y. Mad props to Iowa-based companies who are truly being inclusive in their marketing outreach. Tourism is an industry that has been challenged in this recession. Glad to see that Iowa folks understand that to attract a consumer, you need to speak to the consumer. Has anyone been to Iowa recently? Did you spend Des Monies in Des Moines?

Other random musings (as I dream about Waikiki Beach):
• 80s concert during Pride Weekend was great! We had such support from the LGBT and straight community here in Cleveland. Apparently, everyone loves doing the Thriller dance! Kudos to my pops for coming out on Father’s Day. And, speaking of the 80s, what a day yesterday. The loss of two great icons-- Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. As someone who clearly loves music, I am at a loss on how to describe the impact of MJ on pop culture and pop music. Truly, there was no one else like him.

• I’ll admit it. I love my NJ Housewives on Bravo. I flip a table every time a new episode is about to air. And, I have to respect crazy Danielle and Bravo SVP Andy Cohen for calling out the use of the word “gay” from one of the cast members as a synonym for “stupid.” We all know it’s a common expression—“that’s so gay.” Doesn’t mean that we have to embrace it.

Continuing the Conversation on HIV/AIDS

As many of us have said countless times before, the conversation about HIV/AIDS needs to be restarted and refreshed. We all need to be thinking about ways to ensure we keep the dialogue going about prevention and protection, treatment and care. With infection rates climbing in many places (including D.C. where it has now been labeled an epidemic), we simply have no choice but to think about all of the ways in which we can leverage communications tools to share information and encourage efforts to fight HIV infections.

So it was great to read this morning about a new coalition of business leaders that has identified three target cities in the U.S. for a new campaign to “fight the spread of HIV and AIDS with better marketing, appearances by professional basketball players and financial donations to city health departments.”  The Washington Post carried the story on the front of its Metro section today and provided good detail about a story that gets far too little attention. 

According to the article, the three cities receiving the funding are Washington, D.C., New York City and Oakland, California. The companies involved are all members of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and include Pfizer, Nike, Nokia, the National Basketball Association and Facebook (among others). Very cool. I must say, however, that I hope this program does not become a one-shot deal. If the companies just write checks and issue press releases and then the campaign goes nowhere, then this announcement will amount to nothing more than bad PR. I really hope that the partners are committed to this campaign and will see it through, including remaining engaged in outreach and communication focused on making a positive impact.

The announcement could not have come at a better time. Saturday, June 27, 2009 is National HIV Testing Day – an annual observance that often seems to be overshadowed by other events and activities. 

What do you think? Is this kind of corporate engagement helpful? What else should we be doing to further the conversation about HIV/AIDS? Please share your thoughts below.

The Hotelier: Q&A with Kimpton COO Niki Leondakis

Over the years on this blog, we’ve talked a lot about what companies should and shouldn’t do and offered examples of companies that demonstrate their smarts by leading their competitors in the gay and lesbian marketplace. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants is one company that’s definitely a leader. As we continue our Pride Month special focus series, I’m really pleased that we’re able to bring you a Q&A with one of their senior executives.

Niki Leondakis is Kimpton’s chief operating officer and the creator of the company’s Diversity Initiative.  As she explains in her bio, the Diversity Initiative is “committed to creating a culture that acknowledges, understands, values and celebrates differences among people.” 

Long known for its unique, boutique-style hotels in San Francisco and Washington D.C., Kimpton is now becoming an even stronger player in the hotel industry with nearly 50 hotels and restaurants in major cities across the United States and Canada. Gay and lesbian engagement has been front and center in Kimpton’s outreach and communications for years and has included LGBT audience outreach, fundraising and marketing. 

As we discuss below, nearly every major hotel brand is now involved in some way in advertising or marketing to the LGBT community. But Kimpton was one of the first, and they certainly seem committed to maintaining their position in the front of the pack with their Summer of Pride promotion and their other outreach efforts to engage the LGBT community.

We’re grateful to Niki for taking the time to answer our questions. We hope you’ll enjoy reading her answers. For more information on Kimpton’s LGBT initiatives, check out their Web site.

The Politics of Commerce In Action

A little over two weeks ago (right before the start of Pride Month, actually), the Nevada Legislature overrode the Governor’s veto of a bill to create a domestic partnership registry, making Nevada the 17th state in the country to formally recognize the relationships of gay men and lesbians.

So, why is this relevant to our blog when we don’t normally address state legislative initiatives? Because of the way in which this measure became law. The Nevada legislature had originally passed the bill, but the governor vetoed it. His veto was overridden specifically because of pressure from the state’s tourism industry which successfully made the case that refusing to pass the legislation would harm the state’s reputation among LGBT people and likely drastically impact tourism, perhaps even leading to a gay boycott of the state.

Harrah’s Entertainment Senior Vice President Jan Jones (the former mayor of Las Vegas and former chairwoman of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority) made the point in a letter to state legislators (as quoted in the Las Vegas-Review Journal) urging them to support the bill:

Gay Advertising on the Small and Big Screens

With summer and Pride upon us, many people our having a little more time to enjoy the movies, catch up on DVR'd favorites, or just flip on their new digital TV signal. This past week, three advertisements with LGBT references or issues hit TV and local theatres, yet only one made brief headlines. A quick summary of each is below:

(via Queerty) Long-time inclusive advertiser, Orbitz, released the above advertisement with it's subtle reference to LGBT audiences (check out the HRC-esque logo on the one golfer's polo).

(via Joe.My.God) Similarly, fast-food Taco Del Mar chain's spot for their roasted fajita burrito gave a quiet shout out to LGBT surfers by the inclusion of a Gay & Lesbian Surfer Association sticker on the first surfer's board. Both of these symbols, largely recognized by only our community (I didn't even notice the GLSA sticker, but we don't catch many waves here in the Midwest). Both of these ads fall into what former FH client Commercial Closet called "gay vague" advertising.

Big Gay on Campus

Happy Pride Month! Here in Cleveland, our Pride Festival is next weekend, June 20 and 21. How fun is that—Pride & Father’s Day! In the ultimate gay moment, my dad will be coming to my gay choir’s “Totally Awesome 80s” concert on Father’s Day, on Pride Sunday (yes, the concert includes two drag songs—“Material Girl” and “Dude Looks Like a Lady”). Couldn’t have predicted that moment in a million years…. We’ll also be performing at the Cleveland Pride Parade, so I’ll blog next time about Pride here in the Midwest.

Now back to the topic at hand (or on screen). My wonderfully observant colleague Bryan tipped me off to a just-published study that reveals “gay male college students are more motivated to learn and more likely to be mentored than their straight counterparts, and their above-average grades suggest this kind of engagement makes.” According to the study, the average gay male undergraduate’s GPA (should that now be Gay Point Average?) is 2 percent higher than that of straight males at the same institution.
Some other interesting findings:

• Gay males find academic work more important than straight males
• We spend 40 to 50 percent more time doing volunteer work or participating in student organizations
• 13 percent of us are more likely than straight male students to report they had a faculty member or administrator they could talk to about a problem

Our sisters were not left out of the study. According to the report, “behavioral lesbians” appear to do no worse, no better academically than behavioral heterosexuals. But “behavioral bisexuals (who are overwhelmingly female) do a lot worse. They spend significantly less time studying. They're much less satisfied with their academic work. They think their academic work is less important than do other women. Bisexual women are not having as good a college experience."

As you can imagine, this study sparked quite a loud online discussion about what these findings mean, why the difference exists between gay men and straight men on campus, and frankly some sad rationale as to why we get ahead (pun intended, if you read some of the message boards). I’m not going to use this forum to analyze the data—I’ll let the researchers do that. But, what I do find appealing is that perhaps this study, and other studies that show that homosexuals in the U.S. are far more likely to be college educated than heterosexuals, provides an opportunity for academic institutions to specifically market and attract LGBT students by providing specific programs, student organizations, and services to ensure that the college experience means something to all students. And if these studies are in fact true, corporate America should be recruting LGBT graduates because it sounds like we are true stars in the classroom!

Tell us—do these findings ring true from your college experience? Were you more academically-inclined than your hetero-counterparts? How involved were you on campus, and how much of that is related to your LGBT-ness?

The Advocate: Q&A with GLAAD President Neil Giuliano

At the end of this week, Neil Giuliano will step down from his position as president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). After nearly four years, Neil has a lot to look back on even as he looks forward to the next chapter of his career (which might include writing a book, among other things). Neil was one of the first people to participate in our Q&A series, back in December of 2006, and we thought it fitting that as he prepares to leave GLAAD we talk with him one more time.

In this, our second Pride Month Q&A, Neil talks about pride, media coverage of our community and his thoughts on his own accomplishments at GLAAD.

Ben Finzel: What does “pride” mean now? Is it still relevant given the progress we are making as a community in terms of media coverage and attention?

Neil Giuliano: Pride in 2009 means being engaged, standing united for the change we seek and ensuring our visibility is strong, proud and enhanced. Just because we are more visible than ever before, and stand on the threshold of equality, we all know we have not yet crossed that threshold, we are not yet treated equally by our government. So the amazing coverage and attention must not wane, but must be strengthened, our stories still need to be told so the cultural change we enjoy turns into full equality under the law.

Renaissance Woman: More Q&A with Windy City Media Group Publisher Tracy Baim

Welcome back to our conversation with Windy City Media Group publisher and executive editor Tracy Baim. In today’s conclusion to our two-part Q&A, Tracy shares her thoughts on the differences between LGBT media and so-called “mainstream” media and talks about the future of LGBT media. 

Given my strongly held views about the importance of LGBT media – and appreciation for the important role they play in reporting all of the news – I was particularly interested in Tracy’s comments. I think you will be too.

Tracy’s comments on marketing to our community should be highlighted in every public relations, marketing and communications class and used as the primer for how and what to do by anyone in our industry planning outreach to our community. I could not have said it better myself, and am thrilled to be able to share Tracy’s insight with you here. 

Ben Finzel:  You cover our community 365 days a year where your so-called “mainstream” counterparts generally only pay attention to us a few times a year (including during Pride). Have you noticed an increase in “mainstream” media following LGBT media on key stories? 

Tracy Baim: There are some stories that get universal coverage by all; marriage in Iowa is an example. The mainstream covered that as it happened, as it should. The LGBT media cover that kind of story in much deeper ways. That gives our readers a context for why things happen, and why they continue to happen. Someone reading just the mainstream may have been shocked to learn about that happening, but our readers would have had years of coverage related to marriage that set the stage for the recent successes (and setbacks). We will have many more follow-up stories on marriage, and explore it on a deeper level.

There are hundreds of stories the mainstream does not cover within the LGBT community. Maybe once every few years they cover LGBTs in sport, for example, but every week in Windy City Times you see LGBT athletes in our community, whether in gay leagues or in mainstream sports. Same with entertainment, the bars, culture, etc. The mainstream will do some coverage, and more frequently now does include gays in coverage of, for example, a home and design issue. But they just do not have the space or access to do the kind of depth a weekly gay newspaper, with a Web site updated daily, can do. This is no different than any "niche," for example African-American, Latino, Asian, women's etc.

Also, I would say as a whole the mainstream media has not done a good job of covering the diversity of the LGBT community: it's still mostly white gay men. Even most LGBT media are not very diverse, but we pride ourselves at Windy City Times in trying to cover all aspects of the community.

Renaissance Woman: Q&A with Windy City Media Group Publisher Tracy Baim

Hello and welcome to Pride Month on the Out Front Blog! Today, I’m pleased to present the first in our series of Pride-focused Q&As. Today’s conversation is with our friend Tracy Baim, publisher and executive editor of the Windy City Media Group (WCMG) in Chicago. 

WCMG is Chicago’s largest chain of gay and lesbian publications and reaches 50,000 readers with its weekly newspaper Windy City Times (founded in 1985), and numerous other media properties online, in print and over the air. This year marks Tracy’s 25th anniversary in LGBT media. She’s a true media and communications pioneer.

And if that’s not enough, Tracy also served in a leadership capacity for Gay Games VII in Chicago (when she was our client) and the founder of the Chicago Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Tracy is an accomplished business person, movie producer (more on that later) and out lesbian. 

Tracy had so much to share with us that we have cut our conversation into two parts. Today, part one of our conversation focuses on the Windy City Media Group and pride. Tomorrow, part two looks at broader media trends.

We’ve been pleased to call Tracy client, colleague and friend. I think that after reading her Q&A, you’ll just call her “brilliant.” And I think you’ll agree: she is a true Renaissance Woman.

Ben Finzel:  Tell us a bit about Windy City Times and your other media endeavors (including the upcoming film “Hannah Free” which you produced that opens this month).

Tracy Baim: I was a co-founder of Windy City Times newspaper in 1985, with three gay men. For 24 years, WCT has served the Chicago-area LGBT communities as a weekly newspaper. I left in 1987 and for 13 years ran a newspaper called Outlines in Chicago, but then purchased Windy City Times back from one of the co-founders in 2000. WCT has adapted and changed many times over the years. We have a significant Web presence, and enhance our community coverage through a bi-weekly club guide called Nightspots, which was founded almost 20 years ago, as well as online content through Windy City Queercast, QueerTVNetwork.com, Identity, Out! Guide, and articles and photos online that do not appear in our print publications.

Windy City Times is an award-winning newspaper which covers local, national and international news, features, entertainment, sports and more. We have dozens of reporters and photographers based around the country covering our community through first-hand accounts. We also have bloggers, videographers, radio co-hosts and a wide range of voices in all of our media.

In 2007, I launched ChicagoGayHistory.org as a labor of love, to start a video oral and written history project for Chicago. I interviewed more than 270 people on video, and the Web site started in early 2008. At the same time, WTTW public TV in Chicago was working on a documentary, Out and Proud in Chicago, and I consulted for them and provided hundreds of photos. As a result of that collaboration, a publisher approached me to do a book, and the result is Out and Proud in Chicago: An Overview of the City's Gay Movement, a glossy, 4-color book with more than 150 articles covering 200+ years of Chicago's LGBT history. I edited and co-wrote the book, which is the first comprehensive overview of Chicago's LGBT community.

In 2008, I partnered with writer Claudia Allen and director Wendy Jo Carlton to work on a lesbian feature film, Hannah Free. The film, which stars Sharon Gless (Cagney and Lacey, Queer As Folk, Burn Notice) and some amazing Chicago-based actors, has its world premiere at the oldest LGBT film fest in the world, Frameline, on Pride Sunday, June 28, in San Francisco, at the Castro Theatre. I am executive producer of the film, which is a flashback, period piece about the more than six-decade-long relationship between two women. While newspapers and journalism are my love, I also realize that movies have a long-lasting impact on the way we see ourselves, and how society sees our lives. I wanted to show a new side to lesbian lives, especially among different generations.

Ben Finzel: How are you covering pride – both the month and accompanying announcements and the actual events – this year? What has changed in your coverage over the past few years?

Tracy Baim: We cover all aspects of the LGBT community, by both listing and promoting events ahead of time, and then covering them as they happen. Because we now have video, we will be adding that to our pride coverage for the first time. We also have Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, and we will use those to promote what we are doing on our Web site.

I think the LGBT press can still provide a unique role of gathering together information from a wide range of groups and making sure they get their information out in a comprehensive way to the wider LGBT community. The Internet makes it easy for groups to promote among their core followers, but a media company provides a "one-stop" location for seeing all that is happening.

In covering pride, the mainstream can only do so much. We can run a lot more in our print and online editions.

Ben Finzel: Are you seeing the same level of corporate involvement in Pride celebrations as you have in previous years? Beyond the economic impacts of this terrible economy, how does your pride-related advertising this June compare to last June?

Tracy Baim: The Pride Parade itself seems to have more and more corporate participation. However, those corporations, a lot of them, still just think having a float in a parade is "outreach." Many of them are still afraid to brand with print and Web advertising to the LGBT market. So, unfortunately, I have not seen much growth in the courage of brands to do a comprehensive campaign to target LGBTs. There are so many who still just tippy-toe into the community one Pride day a year. That is no way to market. They know this in every other market, but they do not use that same basic marketing 101 in working the LGBT market.

There are exceptions, but they are just that, exceptions.

Ben Finzel: Tracy, thank you for making the point we so often make about the importance of understanding how to “do a comprehensive campaign to target LGBTs.”  Tippy-toe doesn’t cut it, and your real-world advice in this regard is really important. 

Be sure to come back tomorrow for the conclusion of our two-part conversation with Tracy. In tomorrow’s post, Tracy talks about “mainstream” media and consolidation (or lack thereof) in the LGBT media community.

Pride, Now

June is traditionally recognized in the U.S. as “Pride Month” and it’s the time of year when many cities host their annual pride festivals and events. It’s also one of the most popular times of year for marketers to launch new LGBT-focused programs or make gay-themed announcements. For the past two years, we’ve been taking advantage of this “extra” attention on LGBT issues to focus on pride in our blog posts for the month of June. This year is no exception. 

Beginning on Monday, June 1, we’ll add several Pride-focused Q&As to our usual mix of opinion, news and commentary. In these conversations, we’ll take a look at what Pride means now, what companies are doing to engage with our community and what the media climate is like and may be in the future. We’ve lined up an all-star cast of Q&A subjects representing corporate America, LGBT advocacy organizations and LGBT print and online media. Be sure to check out the Out Front Blog all month long to read our conversations with:

• Niki Leondakis, chief operating officer, Kimpton Hotels
• Neil Giuliano, president, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
• Tracy Baim, publisher and managing editor, Windy City Media Group
• Kevin Naff, editor, The Washington Blade
• Michael Jensen, editor, afterelton.com

We hope these conversations will give you a perspective on what pride means now and what that means for the state of gay and lesbian communications. And we hope you’ll chime in with your thoughts and comments, too.

The Out Front Blog Team (Ben, Peter, Ivette, Laura, Bryan and Michael)

The State of LGBT Business

Each day, we hear the question asked — when will this economic crisis be over? For some of us, we are seeing optimistic growth for our communities and our businesses. For others, we’re just not sure.

Next week, the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce will host the annual National Business & Leadership Conference: Out for Business in Seattle, WA. The sixth annual conference gathers LGBT business owners, corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, and LGBT chamber members for educational and networking opportunities.  And, as he mentioned on Tuesday, our very own Ben Finzel will be there as well.

“For three days, our GSBA members and chamber members from other states, will meet face to face and have opportunities to make business connections with LGBT colleagues and national corporate leaders from across the country to exchange information, increase business skills and act as ambassadors of our beautiful, progressive city”, said Louise Chernin, Greater Seattle Business Association’s Executive Director, in an Echelon article.

Now is the time to be a sponge, to learn from experts who are succeeding and those who are positioning their companies for growth. Opportunities, like this conference hosted by the NGLCC, provide professionals a platform for growth, personally and for their businesses. 

Scapegoating Marriage, the Business Version

I’ve talked a lot about the intersection of business and commerce with policy and politics (in fact, it was the subject of my first post). So, I perked up my ears when I heard that a national political leader was doing the same thing. Well, sort of…okay, not really. 

As you may have read in the past few days, Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele in a speech on Saturday said that legalization of gay marriage would hurt small businesses because it would be too expensive. His remarks were picked up by the Associated Press, covered on CNN and MSNBC and repeated by numerous LGBT Web sites and blogs including The Advocate, Towleroad, Americablog, Queerty and Pam’s House Blend.

There are a lot of things to be said about the impact of equal marriage, and most of them have been said over and over again. But the idea that a presumed cost trumps equality is a new one on me. It’s also, unfortunately for Mr. Steele, not backed up by the facts.

More than 500 corporations (big businesses) already offer same-sex partner benefits to their employees – it’s one of the principal measurement questions on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index survey, for example. These companies are not suffering – in fact, many trumpet this benefit as an advantage in their recruiting.

For small businesses, it’s actually the fact that equal marriage is not an option that creates a cost problem. As the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce puts it in an online story about the cost burdens of providing same-sex partner benefits for small businesses, “this burden, of course, stems from the fact that most same-sex couples don't have access to civil marriage, creating a parallel universe of complex paperwork for employers who offer domestic partner benefits in their effort to attract and retain workers.”

Ms. Greenlee Goes to Washington

Last September, Laura blogged about the aging LGBT community—specifically, that over the next 25 years, seven to 10 percent of Americans age 65 or older will be members of our community. At the time, Newsweek addressed the health/well-being reality of LGBT seniors: Gay seniors are twice as likely as straight seniors to live alone, 10 times less likely to have someone care for them when they are ill, and half as likely to have health insurance than heterosexuals.

 

Why am I bring this up? This month, President Obama announced the appointment of Kathy Greenlee to serve as the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Assistant Secretary for the Administration on Aging—a long title which means that Greenlee will focus on aging issues on behalf of the administration. Greenlee has some impressive credentials – she has served as secretary of aging in Kansas since 2006 and previously served as Kansas' long-term care ombudsman, assistant secretary of aging and a general counsel at the Kansas Insurance Department. She also was chief of staff and chief of operations for former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who recently became the secretary of health and human services.

Another great aspect of Greenlee? She is an out lesbian. This of course means we not only have another representative in the upper echelon of U.S. policy-making, but we also have someone at the top who will focus on our growing LGBT aging population.

My hope is that Greenlee, with her seasoned experience with the healthcare and health insurance sectors, will combine her passion for aging issues with her demonstrated commitment to our community (through her participation in Equality Kansas) to develop aging programs and services that are specifically tailored to the needs of our LGBT boomers and elders. From corporate America to the halls of the White House, this segment of our LGBT population, and our aging population, is one that needs our attention now so that we have the systems and resources in place to provide the help when we need it.

Welcome to Washington, Kathy. Readers—what LGBT aging issues would you like to see Ms. Greenlee address during her first year in office? Let’s hear them! 

 

(Photo courtesy of Kansas Department on Aging)

Where Are You Off To?

The weather’s improving, shorts and swimsuits are hitting the retail rack and many gay and lesbian travelers are packing their bags for a summer getaway. But just what cities and companies will be receiving the majority of LGBT tourism dollars? If history is any indication, it’s those places of business and leisure that directly communicate and connect with our community.

This week, Gay.com announced its 2009 Travel Awards, which included long-standing havens of inclusiveness:

• Favorite Airline:  Delta
• Favorite International Destination: London, England
• Favorite Romantic Getaway: Paris, France
• Favorite Domestic Destination: San Francisco, CA
• Favorite Resort Town: Provincetown, MA
• Favorite Hotel Chain:  W
• Favorite Guest House: Island House, Key West
• Favorite Casino: Mandalay Bay
• Favorite Car Rental Company: Enterprise

Levi’s Campaigns for Harvey Milk

Last week, Levi Strauss & Co. launched the “Give Them Hope Now” campaign to raise $500,000 to support the Harvey Milk High School. The high school, located in New York’s East Village, was founded as a safe space for LGBT and questioning young adults. The Harvey Milk High School is a public school operated by the Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI), the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit social service, education and advocacy organization dedicated to serving LGBT and questioning youth.

Levi’s launch of the “Give Them Hope Now” campaign includes a Web site housing a series of videos, a direct means for donations, social media integration opportunities and information about Levi’s corporate involvements. According to an AdAge article, the campaign utilizes digital outreach efforts with banner ads, e-mail outreach to bloggers, social media and community outreach through Facebook, Twitter, AOL, Glam, Hulu, MSN and Yahoo, pre-roll video and editorial coverage.  In addition to the campaign’s heavily digital components, Levi partnered with Regent Media, photographers and celebrities to generate additional awareness and host monthly fundraisers.

My two favorite elements are the videos and the social media opportunities. The Web site offers heartfelt videos with real life stories of LGBT youth. The videos raise awareness and educate visitors of HMI’s commitment and importance in the lives of these youth. These videos highlight a diverse group of HMI alum and volunteers – male, female, youth, adult, Caucasian, African American and Hispanic. It’s important to see a variety of faces and life experiences – giving potential donors a story they can relate to. 

My second favorite element of the Web site is its social media and grassroots outreach component. Each video has a social media sharing opportunity, giving people a chance to post the videos and the campaign on their social networking site of choice.  These stories are personal ones, and the grassroots elements give people a chance to tell their stories while supporting the campaign and its goal.

It is evident that the LGBT community is a priority audience for Levi’s and this partnership with HMI not only aligns with the company’s brand position, but positions Levi as a leader in the LGBT market. I look forward to seeing the campaign’s progress and commend HMI and Levi for their efforts in making a difference in LGBT youth’s lives.

Our Advocates on the Airwaves and Ads

 

Yesterday I blogged about two recent marketing pieces that leveraged prison rape and negative references about femininity to “humorously” promote their brand. These and other poor choices of words and images in advertising are common, and FH Out Front is not the only one raising these LGBT communications issues.

Today the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced the launch of its new Advertising Media Program, which will work to ensure and promote truthful and inclusive depictions of the LGBT community in all forms of advertising. This program was formerly the Commercial Closet Association (CCA) and has now been merged into GLAAD and included as part of its broader agenda (note: CCA was an FH Out Front client). 

In the release, GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano said, “Words and images matter and can shatter stereotypes. Fair, accurate and inclusive media images prove that we are connected through common, human experiences. And these are images that we – and advertisers – have a responsibility to share.”

First, Do No Harm

We’re not doctors, but we communications professionals often follow the adage commonly associated with medicine in our advice to clients: “first, do no harm.” The concept is that we should not plan or conduct communications efforts that cause harm to our clients’ reputation, image or products. If it sounds like common sense, it is.  But that doesn’t mean it’s always practiced in the real world.

I bring this up today because The Advocate ran a story online Sunday about Walmart’s CEO and the 2008 Arkansas amendment to ban adoption and foster parenting by LGBT couples. According to the article, Walmart’s new CEO, Mike Duke, signed a petition last year to put the amendment on the Arkansas ballot (it was placed on the ballot and passed by a large margin in November of 2008).

Communications and marketing, as with politics, is a game of addition. The objective of most communications and marketing efforts is to add more people, not drive them away. Increasingly, efforts that drive away LGBT customers are being seen by consumers as problematic, even for companies that might not seem all that interested in reaching our community. More and more companies are beginning to understand that it’s just not good business to openly discriminate. Not just because our community is offended, but because in ever-larger numbers consumers value companies that value all people equally. 

You could make the argument that Walmart’s CEO was simply expressing his opinion and say that he had every right to do so (and note that he wasn’t CEO when he signed the petition as he just took on that job in February of this year). But consumers also have the right to shop where they feel welcome, wanted and respected. And they are expressing that right more and more by supporting those companies that support them and their neighbors – even the LGBT ones.

Walmart’s CEO is entitled to his opinion. But the consumers he wants to continue adding to his customer base are also entitled to show their displeasure at his exclusionary beliefs by exercising their right to shop elsewhere.

We’ll see if this development has any measurable impact on Walmart’s sales. Despite past support for LGBT organizations and issues, Walmart has been inconsistent in its engagement with our community.  And previous missteps by the company on LGBT issues received scant attention – even in the LGBT blogosphere – and it may be that this is another one-day story. However, if I were advising Walmart (I’m not), I’d tell them to take these kinds of situations seriously.

Walmart has apparently spent a great deal of time and resources to reshape its reputation and build a positive record on sustainability and environmental concerns (no doubt to move beyond their negative “big box” image of the past). They had previously begun attempting to do that with the LGBT community as well, but this latest news adds to the pattern of inconsistency about where Walmart stands on LGBT issues. Continued confusion could cause harm to Walmart's efforts to build a corporate image of responsibility and responsiveness. That may not happen today, with this story, but a continual pattern of these actions will add up over time. It takes a long time to build a reputation, but a very short time to damage one.

Attention Corporate America: You're So Gay

 

Another week, another top 10 list.

But, this one is important. DiversityInc has released its “Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees.” How were these companies chosen? Instead of a talent/swimsuit/public speaking contest, these companies were appropriately analyzed by the following factors: inclusive benefits for same-sex partners of employees, strong diversity training programs, recruitment efforts aimed at LGBT people and the vitality of the company's LGBT employee-resource group.

Check out the Web site for a complete listing of the winners. In addition to the #1 company on the list, our client Ernst & Young, I was also impressed with:

Which Cars Move You?

Our friend Joe LaMuraglia of gaywheels.com this week released his list of the “top 10 most-researched vehicles” on the site for the first quarter of 2009. In his press release, Joe says that the results of this quarterly snapshot “support the results of our recent LGBT Auto Owner’s survey.” Here’s the list:

1. Volkswagen Rabbit

2. Volkswagen Eos
3. Volvo C30
4. Saab 9-3
5. Audi A-3
6. Toyota Yaris
7. Mazda MX-5
8. Maserati Gran Turismo
9. Volkswagen Jetta
10. Mazda 3

And here’s what Joe had to say about how this list matches up against his survey: “Volkswagen and Audi are two brands that are overrepresented by Gay Men in the study and those brands represent 40% of the Top 10 list. Other brand positions further supported the recent survey results; the Saab 9-3 has consistently been on the most-researched list and that brand is the most over-indexed for both Gay Men and Lesbians.”

I looked back at the post I wrote on Joe’s second quarter 2007 report and the lists are pretty similar. I find it interesting that our community’s brand interests are apparently fairly consistent, even with dramatic changes since then in the auto industry and the economy. For me, the question is whether that consistency will continue. As the recession continues and auto makers of all kinds struggle with falling sales, will media coverage of the economic impact on automakers affect our interest and ultimate purchase of specific vehicles?

We’ll keep tracking Joe’s results and report back in the future. In the meantime, what do you think? Are you thinking about buying a car? If so, what are you considering? What factors will affect that consideration? Let us know in the comments below.

Re:Post - Earth Gay

Note: Today we're launching a new feature to highlight some of our favorite posts from the past. We're calling it Re:Post. Yes, it's a form of recycling, so we thought launching the feature today might be an appropriate way to celebrate Earth Day this year. Our first Re:Post is from one year ago: it's my post on Earth Day 2008 about the intersection of gay and lesbian communications with environmental issues. Although the world has changed considerably in the past year, it's interesting to consider what is still relevant from the post as well as what has changed. Here's the post:

Today is the 38th observance of Earth Day. As I’ve blogged before, environmental issues have not always been front and center for the gay and lesbian community. With so many more pressing, more personal matters before us, we haven’t often been seen (or considered ourselves) as ardent environmentalists.

That doesn’t mean we weren’t there, just that we didn’t often take center stage. Now, as consumer engagement in all things “green” has taken off in the past year, engagement and recognition of gay and lesbian audiences with environmental issues has also increased. I’ve talked in the past about the Greening of Gay Travel and other “green gay” topics. But with this Earth Day, I think the two communities – environmentalists and gay and lesbian people – have now intersected.

The Advocate’s current issue is their first ever “Green Issue” and features “tips for green living,” profiles of “eco heroes” whose professional careers are devoted to “green” issues and a cover story on singer Rufus Wainwright and his efforts to engage his fans on environmental issues. But that’s just one example, retailers such as Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams include “green” messages in their ads aimed at our community. Carbon offsetters focus on our community as a target audience for their “green” products (and Jen Christensen writes about that in the latest Advocate too).

Overlooked in the Miss USA Flap

By now, you’ve likely heard or read about the latest example of the way the conversation about equal marriage rights has become part of the national dialogue. This weekend, blogger Perez Hilton asked Miss California USA (one of the top five contestants in the Miss USA pageant) her views on gay marriage. Miss California’s answer – that she believes “marriage should be between a man and a woman” – sparked a media firestorm that likely gave the Miss USA Pageant more media attention than it ever would have earned otherwise (I wasn’t even aware the pageant was taking place prior to this incident). 

Hilton’s response to Miss California's answer and his follow-up to that response sparked equally intense coverage and disappointment, outrage and commentary from every corner – including in the gay community.

But almost overlooked in this story is the reaction of the Miss California USA organization. As the Christian Science Monitor put it in their story on Monday, “The directors of the Miss California pageant condemned her answer on Monday morning.” Here’s the detail from the story:

If You Don't Get It, You Don't Get It

I suppose it’s easy for some commentators in our community to get caught up in the excitement about the recent advances in marriage in Iowa and Vermont. These were momentous and wonderful decisions to be sure. And they follow a steady drumbeat of positive change at state and local levels. But they also follow a seemingly never-ending chain of negative news that highlights the need for long-term communications and outreach on any number of LGBT issues. Witness Bryan’s post yesterday about the 11-year old boy who killed himself to escape anti-gay taunting. Or Laura's post last spring about anti-gay violence. Or any number of newspaper stories about harassment, threats and even murder of LGBT people across the country.

We may have “won” a few battles, but there’s still a war going on in many places. And we still need communicators and community advocates fighting to ensure that this "war" ends peacefully and soon. Unfortunately, we're not yet at the day when all LGBT people can live, work and be who they are safely and without fear. And as we discuss frequently here, we need to keep the dialogue going if we ever want to get to that point.

So why then would The Washington Post run an op-ed on Sunday railing against the “bloated” LGBT organizations filled with staff who are apparently unable to “move out of a mindset that sees the plight of gay people as one of perpetual struggle.”  Wow. The piece, written by an assistant editor for a well-known national magazine, goes on to assert that all of the changes in the cultural landscape mean that one day “civil rights groups will no longer be necessary.” That’s a valid point, and I hope it is true one day, but making that point now (and in the smug way he did) ignores the reality of the world we live in today and minimizes the importance of the many voices talking with many people to bring that goal to fruition. There are many positive things to say about the current LGBT landscape, but ignoring the negative aspects is akin to wearing blinders while crossing the street.

It's really important to remember that we're not all well-off, white, gay men living in cosmopolitan urban centers. Our community is incredibly diverse. Some of us are less than well-off (particularly in this economy). Others are people of color. Others are lesbian or bisexual or transgender. Others live in suburban or rural areas. Yes, we are everywhere, but it's not always "acceptable" for all of us to live openly everywhere. It may seem that the conversation can stop in some areas because so much good has been accomplished, but it's important to remember that in many places the conversation has only just begun.

We could - and should - argue about the need for LGBT organizations to change their strategies and adjust to the new realities of communication and outreach. We’ve talked about that quite a bit on this blog in the past several months. But the solution to a communcations problem is not to stop communicating, it's to start communicating differently. I agree that many of our communications strategies need to change. I agree that there is room for improvement - and a need for new voices. But I don’t agree that gay and lesbian communications is now - or soon will be - unnecessary because society is so “accepting” of LGBT people. 

For every marriage victory, we should remember that LGBT people are denied more than 1,000 federal rights granted to legally married people by the federal government. For every company that scores a 100 on the HRC Corporate Equality Index, we should acknowledge that the largest employer in the United States openly discriminates against LGBT people. For every positive LGBT storyline in popular entertainment, we should recognize that news outlets, advertisements and popular entertainment regularly impugn, attack and/or make fun of LGBT people simply for being who they are. For every proud out gay man or woman, we must not forget that there are children who feel the tug of shame and decide to kill themselves because they’re so scared to be called “gay.” 

For all of the great work that has been done, there is much more great work still to be done. And we need to, in the words of a spiritual, “lift every voice and sing” to bring that work into the light of day. We need all of our allies, our advocates and our supporters to keep the conversation going. If you think otherwise, you’re just not seeing the real world. 

This op-ed reminds me of one of the previous promotional campaigns for The Washington Post: “if you don’t get, you don’t get it.” 

Indeed.

Britney, One More Time

Last week, I entered the arena floor beside 16,500 people, all waiting in anticipation for one pop princess. Through the crowd of pink feather boas and home-made t-shirts stating “Britney changed my life,” and the infamous, “It’s Britney B*tch,” I kept asking myself, aside from Britney’s gay male fan-base,  could Jeanne and I be the only lesbians here? Surely, I must be wrong. Oh and was I, I was very wrong.

Roughly 85 percent of the attendees that evening were women – straight, bisexual and lesbian alike. All arrived with one interest in mind – to be entertained. So, what is it about this genre of music that appeals to the gay and lesbian community? What does it take to connect with us and how does an artist, an icon or a brand target an audience without alienating him/herself from other audiences? 

As Samantha Jones once said in Sex and the City, “First come the gays, then come the girls.” Though this is a slight condescending exaggeration, it does have some truth. The influence and buying power of the LGBT community has been highlighted for years now. We’ve discussed it in our blogs and stress it in our client work each day.  With an average annual household income of $80,000 (according to Community Marketing) a year and continued spending despite the economic downturn, it’s no wonder the LGBT buying power remains top of mind .

As we’ve learned from GayWheels.com’s recent survey, it takes more than being perceived as gay-friendly to win our vote. Ben’s statement about the diversity of the community is true here too. Not every gay man is a Britney fan, and not every lesbian likes Melissa Etheridge, so it’s time to set the stereotypes aside.

For artists and companies, reaching out to the gay audience means establishing a strong voice in a loud market. Once you’ve found your beat, be sure to engage and interact with us in an authentic way that truly leverages messages of inclusion. With the continued evolution of social media, it’s also important to remember to reach audiences where they already are. As gays and lesbians spend roughly 10-12 hours per week online, it’s a perfect opportunity to join the conversation and share your commitment to the community.

Though only Britney and a handful of other artists have experienced the ecstatic screams of fans, companies traditionally have to work a little harder. However, the reward of establishing a strong gay and lesbian consumer fan-base means not only record sales, but devout loyalty. As one concert go-er said, “This was never a comeback. For true fans, Britney never left.” Talk about brand loyalty.

Photo Credit

Defining the LGBT Automotive Consumer, Part 2

The New York International Auto Show starts this week. Amid all of the conversation about the future of the automobile industry, we’re hoping the latest example of the power and potential of the LGBT car buying market doesn’t get lost. Today, our friend Joe LaMuraglia at gaywheels.com is releasing the results of his first-ever LGBT Automotive Survey.  [Full Disclosure: We’re helping Joe with outreach and distribution of the press release.]

So, what does the survey say? A lot. It’s chock full of data about car buying preferences, key motivators for purchase and most likely next purchases by gay men and lesbians. But there are a few key conclusions I found very compelling:

1) Whether or not a company is gay friendly is “very or somewhat” important to two out of every three gay and lesbian car buyers. We care what you do and want to hear that you mean what you say about engagement in our community.

But…

2) Being gay friendly isn’t everything. Subaru is far and away the auto manufacturer both gay men and lesbians believe is the most gay friendly. But the company is much further down the list in terms of ownership and planned future purchases. 

And…

3) Although Toyota is the number one most owned brand for both gays and lesbians (matching general population statistics), the survey reveals that Gay Men are 18 times more likely than the general population to own a Saab, five times more likely to own an Audi and four times more likely to own a MINI, VW or Jaguar. Lesbians are 11 times more likely than the general population to own a Saab, five times more likely to own a Scion and three times more likely to own a Jeep, Subaru or Saturn. 

That could be because….

4) Gay men focus on styling, price and fuel economy in looking for a new car and lesbians focus on fuel economy, price and safety ratings. 

You could interpret a lot from these numbers. For me, the survey shows that we’re a complex market – with a lot of differences between gender and a different set of motivators from straight car buyers.  But, we’re also a good target. Joe’s survey found that 40% of survey respondents (LGBT people who currently own cars) reported an annual household income over $100,000. 

To me, the lesson to the automakers from this survey is that we are an audience that should not be overlooked. We don’t all make that income figure, and we’re not all in the market for a new car. But for an industry that is looking everywhere for a solution to their sales woes, averting their eyes from the LGBT marketplace as one area of focus should seem like a really foolish idea.

Be GLAAD For Them

Tyra. Suze. Phil. Clay Aiken.

What do these folks have in common, you ask/type? On Sunday, GLAAD, the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, presented the New York version of the 20th annual GLAAD Media Awards to recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives.

Both Ivette and Ben have written about these awards in the past. Let’s take a closer look at some of this year’s award winners (Clay didn’t win an award—he presented one, and I always like using his name in any conversation--yes, I was a Clay-mate):

Tyra Banks: Tyra won The Excellence in Media Award for increasing the visibility and understanding of the LGBT community in the media. Her self-titled talk show and the camp classic America’s Next Top Model routinely address issues facing the gay and transgendered community. And let’s face it: the girl looks fierce while doing it.

Suze Orman: Suze, host of CNBC's The Suze Orman Show, took home The Vito Russo Award, which is presented to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for the LGBT community. Granted, I am not very familiar with Suze beyond her appearances on Oprah, some of the blog postings on here by my colleagues, and the regular parody of her on Saturday Night Live, but I loved her acceptance speech at the ceremony:

The Values Proposition: More Q&A with Mitchell Gold

Today we present the conclusion of our two part Q&A with businessman and LGBT visionary Mitchell Gold. In this part of our conversation, Mitchell talks about his book, CRISIS, and about the importance of being out in business. For more on Mitchell, check out his company’s Web site.

Ben Finzel: We’ve talked a bit on this blog about CRISIS, your groundbreaking book of 40 essays by famous people recounting the price they paid for society’s homophobia. When I met you last year, you told me the book was the most important thing you’ve ever done. Tell us a bit about the book and why it is so important.

Mitchell Gold: First, it is 30 essays of a diverse group of very well known to fairly well known and accomplished people. There are also ten essays from not particularly well known young people under 23 years old. I wanted to make sure to have young people because I know there is a misconception by some that everything is getting better and easier. That might be true for some, but for the vast majority it really isn’t.

CRISIS is important because it gives the LGBT civil rights movement an effective and previously unused way to communicate why full and equal rights are so important to our community. Over the past 4 years I’ve learned that many well meaning people just don’t know the horrible harm that is caused to gay teenagers. Their vote, their church, their family and friends could be causing this harm and if they don’t know about it in the clearest of terms they will never know it and be able to do something about it. We always look for a silver bullet message to get people to change and this is it. This book is transformational. Let me share two true stories:

1) A few days ago I was in Puerto Rico having dinner with a customer who is about 45 years old, a Republican delegate for John McCain, Catholic and recently the father of twin boys. I gave him a copy of CRISIS last October after a dinner where I learned he was a delegate and supporter of McCain with the inscription “May Alfredo and Alberto grow up crisis free.”  As I gave him the book I told him John McCain would be devastating for gay kids in the future because of the potential Supreme Court appointees and the general climate of rejection he would allow….especially with Sarah Palin and her fundamentalist Christian views. I asked him to read the book before the election and think about what kind of world he wants his kids to grow up in…regardless of what their sexual orientation happens to be. 

At our dinner a few days ago he told me he was touched by the inscription and did read the book before the election and consequently changed his position. Even more interesting he told me that he showed his 81 year old mother the book and read from the chapters about Catholics. After some discussion he told me she has now totally changed her views on gay people.

2) In a few weeks there will be an article published in a well known mainstream Christian publication by a well known Evangelical Christian minister and professor of ethics. I can’t disclose much from the article yet but here are a couple of quick quotes:

“Crisis tells the sad stories of dozens of young people….. How often they have been left broken by their fundamental rejection as human beings—at the hands of Christians, and in the name of the Bible.”

“Obviously we must extend such basic acceptance, such human and Christian love.”

“But after reading these stories, it seems to me that Christians have something to request from God, and from the gays and lesbians among us. We need forgiveness.”  

Ben Finzel: We frequently blog about the importance of public figures coming out and sharing the realities of their lives – our lives – with society at large. We’re making some progress in this regard with more people coming out, but there are still some fields, including business, where out leaders are few and far between. Do you wish more business leaders would come out? What do you think it will take for that to happen?

Mitchell Gold: Yes, of course every business leader has to come out. And then they have to do a great job.

We have to have a society where being gay is just simply a normal part of a human’s being and life. It has to stop being such a big deal. And that will happen when fundamentalist anti-gay religious groups stop trying to put themselves in superior positions to others, stop being judgmental, and stop interpreting their sacred books to doing these things.

A big part of this responsibility lies within our own community. Our organizations have to teach the simple truths about our lives, that sexual orientation is not some promiscuous choice, but rather a wonderful natural part of our creation. And we have to remind people that people have been hurt in the name of religious beliefs before and it is wicked. June 20, 1995 is the date that the Southern Baptist Convention issued a formal apology to Black Americans for the Southern Baptist Convention’s role in supporting the horrors of slavery and segregation. Let’s all join together in commending the SBC for recognizing their past mistake with a wink to think about the ones they do today.

Ben Finzel: Mitchell, thanks again for your willingness to share your thoughts with us. I think you’ve made the value proposition of being out, honest and direct very clear. And I think you’ve given us all a path to follow as we consider our own actions and perceptions. Here’s to many more years of success.

The Values Proposition: Q&A with Mitchell Gold

We’ve now conducted Q&As with about 30 people in the two and half year history of the Out Front Blog. I have many favorites among them – Billie Jean King was a real highlight – and this one will definitely join that list as an outstanding example of clear, decisive leadership and vision both for business and the future of our community.

Today, we’re starting a two part Q&A with Mitchell Gold, eponymous founder of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. For the uninitiated, Mitchell’s company makes stylish, sustainable, fabulous furniture. We’re fortunate to have a Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams store in D.C. and I love shopping there.

But Mitchell Gold is more than a furniture impresario. He’s a business leader, author and community activist. And his community is more than just his home in North Carolina (although he’s active there as well) – it’s the LGBT community across the country. Mitchell is active in a number of organizations and frequently participates in LGBT events in cities across the country. It was at one of those events that I met him last year – the National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association (NLGJA) holiday party in Washington. Ever gracious, Mitchell not only stopped to talk with my partner and me at the party, but remembered me when I followed up with an e mail to ask him to conduct this Q&A with us.

Mitchell will be back in D.C. this week to accept a lifetime achievement award from PEN – the local LGBT chamber of commerce. It’s a richly deserved honor. Take a look at our conversation today about consumer loyalty and business values and you’ll see why. And come back tomorrow for the conclusion of our conversation along with a little breaking news from Mitchell that may make you want to run right out and buy a copy of his book, CRISIS (if you haven’t already).

Ben Finzel: We often blog about the importance of loyalty to our community by marketers seeking to reach our community. The premise is that companies that are loyal to us will reap the benefits in loyalty from us, particularly in tough economic times when customer loyalty and brand power can make a difference in economic performance. How important do you think that is now, given the dire state of our economy? 

HRC Raises Bar for CEI 100 Score

We as consumers generally search out companies that are fully engaged in our community beyond advertising and marketing.  The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI) has usually been a first stop in researchingU.S.-based companies’ LGBT-friendly operating and hiring policies.

HRC this week announced changes to the annual CEI that includes increased requirements in relation to transgender employees and same-sex spouses and partners.

The new criteria raise the requirements for businesses to achieve a perfect 100 percent rating on the Index in four primary areas including: health insurance access for transgender employees; equal benefits for same-sex partners and spouses; competency training and accountability on LGBT issues; and external engagement with the LGBT community.

According to HRC, the changes to the criteria are derived from feedback from the community including HRC members, communications from participating businesses, conversations at workplace conferences and stakeholder discussions. The process was overseen by HRC Workplace Project staff in close coordination with the HRC Business Council, an advisory group of LGBT workplace activists and our allies.  More on the CEI 3.0 criteria after the jump.

Defining the LGBT Automotive Consumer

How many gay men actually drive Jeeps? Do lesbians really prefer Subarus to other cars? We’ve all heard the stereotypes and maybe we fit some of them, too. Now our friends at gaywheels.com are setting out to separate truth from fiction with their first ever LGBT Automotive Survey.

According to the gaywheels.com press release, “The study, designed with market research partner Sorgenfrei, promises to shed light on vehicle ownership, brand loyalty and brand imagery among LGBT vehicle owners.” Promotion for the study will include ads on major LGBT Web sites including logoonline.com, gay.com and sites supported by the GayAdNetwork. 

Gaywheels.com founder Joe LaMuraglia says the survey is already attracting strong interest in just the first few days of the promotion (even before the ads). I hope that continues and that Joe is able to identify a statistically relevant sample that can provide real insight into a woefully underappreciated segment of car buyers: gays and lesbians. 

To provide context and contrast, Joe is actively seeking participation in the survey from all car owners – gay and straight – to ensure he can demonstrate the differences in what gay and straight people buy and why.

As I’ve said before, gays and lesbians are active consumers and we buy cars. I’ll be curious to see if Joe’s research bears out what we know from other work and our own experience: we support those companies that support us. We’ll see. And we’ll share the results with you once Joe completes the survey and releases his findings.

We hope you’ll take the survey and help provide Joe and his team with the data to highlight the promise and potential of the LGBT carbuying public.

Southwest Shares Nuts of Knowledge

Southwest Airlines continues to entertain and engage us in their three-ring circus! This time, the company has new tools and tricks up its sleeve — all in the world of social media.

In April of 2006, the company unveiled its corporate blog site Nuts About Southwest, but that was just the opening act. As of last November, Southwest has introduced Twitter feeds, a Facebook fan page, a Flickr group, and the YouTube Channel. The early adopting company has developed a devoted fan base and continues to engage customers, journalists, and other bloggers in their space.

To learn more about Southwest Airline’s approach to social media, view the Paula Berg interview below.

Online media and social networking sites develop a dialogue and foster an engagement with visitors on a more personal level. In this age of change, companies continue to seek ways to engage their audiences in a meaningful way. Under Paula Berg, emerging media manager, Southwest made an impact on online visitors. Berg shared that the value of this type of communications allows you to speak directly with a diverse customer base.

One audience includes reaching the LGBT audience.

Southwest values its relationship with the LGBT community, as evident through their Web site, targeting the LGBT audience, workplace diversity policy, and community partnerships. Last Tuesday, Southwest partnered with Sweet Caribbean Cruise to offer discount airfare to Sweet deals through 2009.  Ivette will share a Q&A with the CEO of Sweet this month, so stay tuned for that interview!

We’ve discussed the benefits of engaging your audience in a truly authentic way — not only does it heighten brand awareness, it drives business results. Southwest continues innovate its practices by knowing their audience and engaging with them through partnerships, programs, and targeted outreach — including social media. What are your thoughts on how companies are using social media?

Born in the USA

  Ok, I’ll admit it. This week I was struggling for a blog topic. My colleague Ben had fortunately tweeted on the blog yesterday an article from the Washington Blade about an innovative campaign from the USA Network. I also did my own research—I Googled (love how that is a verb now)! I typed in those magic words… “gay” and “marketing” and got a link to a Baptist Press article, “USA Network Ad Backs Gay Marriage.”

Faithful readers of my every-other-Friday posts know that I love me some TV. Which means, I probably watch USA Network for something (Check! I do enjoy the show “The Starter Wife”). There is an ad shown on that network with a male same-sex couple with one saying “I pledge because everybody deserves wedding gifts.”

Busted!

From time to time, we bring you examples of companies that go beyond “not getting it” and into territory in which they just get it wrong.  Here we go:

This company usually earns a high ranking on its LGBT efforts; however, in this case, it made an effort that was ill-informed at best and possibly just plain ignorant.

When I received the American Express winter ’09  travel  guide Escape, I was optimistically looking for a potential mention of gay and lesbian travel recommendations.  It was included on the back cover with a trio of niche recommendations from “escape experts” at AmEx.  One column was volunteer travel and another was celebration cruises. The gay and lesbian travel column noted anecdotes with the experts travel recommendations. 

“Top Tables” spotlights  West Hollywood’s O-Bar Restaurant and New York’s Lucky Cheng’s. ( Yawn … Clicheé.)  “Expert Advice” recommends the Travel Alternatives Group for TAG-approved hotels that boast non-discriminatory policies. (Ah…Good tip!)  “Cool Sights” note the White Party in Palm Springs (another clicheé!), but it redeemed itself by recommending Boston, noting it’s located in the first state to allow gay marriage.

“Hot Hotels” pushed Hyatt Resorts as gay friendly and family friendly (Nice touch.). But the bolded text in this grid recommended what the travel expert called “Las Vegas’ only gay resort.” I’ve been to Vegas a few time and, as an educated traveler, thought it was odd that I didn’t realize there was a gay resort there. It was then that I thought I knew the recommended "resort" from its advertisements as a clothing optional retreat touted in the classifieds of local bar magazines.

What's a Gold Medal Worth?

What’s a gold medal worth? If you’re a straight athlete, apparently quite a bit. If you’re gay, well, not so much. I was reminded of this fact again this week with the news that sponsor magnet and 2008 Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps has tarnished his image, while sponsor pariah and 2008 Olympic gold medalist Matthew Mitcham has burnished his (to no avail, yet).

As nearly everyone in the universe must know by now, Michael Phelps has this week admitted to acting in a “youthful and inappropriate way” after photos of him engaged in “inappropriate” behavior surfaced in the media. Phelps won eight gold medals in the Beijing Olympics and reaped millions of dollars in additional corporate sponsorship after his record-setting performance there.

Also this week, The Advocate put 2008 gold medalist Matthew Mitcham on its cover (again) and published an interview about his life since his dramatic gold medal performance in the Olympics that, all too briefly, electrified the sporting world. As The Advocate reports, Mitcham was then named Australian 2008 Sports Performer of the Year and Australian GQ’s Sportsman of the Year. And his corporate sponsors? Zero.

In The Advocate article, one of Mitcham’s training partners offers this explanation:

“Coming out may not have been very wise of him,” laments fellow diver Alex Croak, a longtime friend who trains with Mitcham. “I’m not an expert in marketing and don’t know what companies look for, but perhaps it [hurt him] as it is a risk for companies to take.”

A risk for companies to take? Wow. He’s likely right, but I find it remarkable that an athlete who performs at the highest standard of excellence but who is gay is somehow “toxic” while an athlete who also performs at the highest standard of excellence but who is straight is showered with attention and funding. We’re seeing the price of that kind of homophobia now with the backlash to Phelps’ admission of his behavior.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the lesson here is that you can admit to illegal drug use, but as long as you’re straight, you’ll be forgiven. Conversely, if you’re named Sportsman of the Year but you’re also openly gay, apparently you’re off limits. I'm not trying to pass judgment on Phelps' behavior (the media is already doing that for us), just trying to make a point about perceptions of our community vs. perceptions of the straight community.

This situation won’t change overnight, but the continued performance of openly gay athletes and the resulting media attention that generates (even if “only” in LGBT media) will continue to chip away at the high wall of hypocrisy that exists in sports (check out Steve's post on Martina Navratilova's partnership with AARP, for example). In the meantime, we can continue to admire those individuals who refuse to compromise and who live their lives openly and with no apology.

Inclusive Education: From Crayons to the Cubicle

Last week left me feeling a little confused. The education and awareness campaign, No-Name Calling Week (which we highlighted) conflicted with messages I heard when a California ruling said private schools could expel LGBT students. How can we, as a nation, teach young minds the importance of equality when we communicate contradicting messages?

GLSEN reports that 9 out of 10 LGBT students (86.2%) experienced harassment at school in the past year.  Furthermore, the organization released a report in mid-January studying the unique challenges students of color face in the classroom and on the playground. Across all groups, sexual orientation and gender expression were the most common reason LGBT students of color felt unsafe at school. This victimization leads to poor grades, low self-esteem, and anxiety from feeling unsafe and experiencing harassment. To download the full report, click here. Oppression as a result of race, class, religion, and/or sexual orientation constructs barriers to the success of individuals and the community.

In the workplace, we have repeatedly stressed the importance of acceptance, inclusion, and visibility of the LGBT community. Workplace diversity is about people — people focused on embracing differences to achieve a common goal. If these messages aren’t reaching students, classroom structures, and districts, ignorance and bigotry will continue to cultivate in the workplace. Thus, if we are able to instill messages of inclusion in our children today, our next generation of the workforce will exhibit an improved morale, outside-the-box thinking, greater teamwork, and an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect.

The solution? Not sure if I have one, but I do have an idea – coalition building, key opinion leader outreach, and grassroots outreach. What if corporations’ diversity programs and initiatives developed an advisory panel on a nationwide level to stress the importance of diversity and inclusion training in school curriculum and structure, then discussed the negative effects “intolerance” has in the workplace? This highly visible advisory council begins to create a dialogue amongst themselves, with nonprofit organizations aimed at diversity education, and with both traditional and online media. Through a concerted effort, they reach out to school districts across the nation to disseminate a message of the necessity of inclusion education.

What are your thoughts on inclusive education in schools and its effects on the workplace?

GLAAD Announces 20th Annual Media Award Nominees

We’ve written before about the importance of LGBT visibility and its impact on everything from how we are perceived to how we are accepted in society. And we’ve also talked about the importance of honoring our own community. So I was really interested to see the press release today highlighting the nominees for the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. 

According to the press release (written, I think at least in part, by Out Front Blog alumnus Rich Ferraro), "The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their lives."

The list of nominees is much larger than I remember – 125 nominees in 26 English-language categories and 60 nominees in 16 Spanish-language categories. The list includes the expected (“Milk” for Outstanding Film – Wide Release and “Noah’s Arc: Jumping The Broom” for Outstanding Film – Limited Release) and a few surprises (my partner Mark’s favorite film “Shelter” up against “Noah’s Arc” and “Brideshead Revisted” up against “Milk”). MSNBC mainstays Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow are also nominated.

I was really pleased to see that "Brothers and Sisters" was nominated in the Outstanding Drama Series category (but it’s up against "The L Word" so I doubt it will win) and will be interested to see how ABC responds to the nomination for "Ugly Betty" since that network announced today that "Ugly Betty" will go on hiatus soon in favor of two sitcoms. Incidentally, ABC led all broadcast networks with six nominations and Logo led all cable networks with five nominations.

A Gay Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum…

I recently received an e-mail about Equality Forum 2009, one of the LGBT community’s long-standing events. This year’s forum boasts more than 30 panels, 65 collaborative nonprofit partners and 40 LGBT leaders – all detailed on its newly designed Web site.

After perusing the site (and seriously considering attending), I stepped back and examined the intersection of communication channels and the message their sending to our community and the public at large. First, as trade shows and conferences across the country experience a decrease in glitz and guests attending or cancelation thanks to the economy, Equality Forum’s strong panel line-ups, special events and length speak to its importance and support by the LGBT business and civic community. While largely stereotypical, Equality Forum 2009’s potential of strong attendance and tourism spend in Philadelphia reconfirms the importance of the LGBT dollar in a down or up economy.

ABSOLUT-ly the Right Idea

 I absolutely heart awards season (hooray Kate Winslet!!) and film festival buzz. So, I was excited to get an e-mail from GLAAD announcing the sixth anniversary of “Queer Lounge” at the Sundance and Slamdance film festivals in Park City, Utah. Is the Queer Lounge just another nightlife hot spot? I learned after clicking through the e-mail that Queer Lounge is a GLAAD program sponsored by ABSOLUT® Vodka that presents activities at the festivals where LGBT and LGBT-friendly filmmakers, professionals and audiences convene and network at the festivals. In addition to the educational aspects, there were cool perks for visitors to the Lounge, including comprehensive printed guide to the festivals' films by LGBT filmmakers or featuring LGBT content, online access through HP computers and free Wi-Fi, and a hospitality lounge where journalists can blog and conduct interviews. This year, the Lounge expanded its panel lineup to include a discussion about the role of film in addressing issues important to the LGBT community.

Kudos to ABSOLUT® for collaborating with GLAAD on this sponsorship. What is cool about this approach is that it was more than branding and naming rights. ABSOLUT® and GLAAD knew that LGBT brand loyalty comes from understanding what we are interested in and providing resources and support to those causes. So while the vodka is a nice freebie, what’s even better is that there was a dedicated place for LGBT-focused education and networking amidst the crowds and celebrities at Sundance. And the Lounge got some big names, including Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor and Benjamin Bratt. Talk about attractive marketing…

Is it Real or Faux?

 

Have you seen the new Nike ad causing all the stir? Nike reports they did not know anything about it. And yet they are the subject of blogs and articles on this "homophobic" ad. What's going on? As it turns out, the Nike ad under scrutiny was published in CMYK Magazine, a quarterly magazine targeting advertising and design professionals. The ad was actually part of a quarterly student ad design competition. Designed by a student from Miami Ad School, the ad is not a real Nike ad after all.

What's all the fuss? The ad itself reads "The Only Thing Worse Than Going to the Ballet Is Going to the Ballet to Watch Your Son." The tagline says "Raise a Champion, Nike Kids." Even though the ad is fake, and no fault of Nike's, it is still causing a stink and offends some of us. CMYK's publisher does not apologize for printing it and argues that it could have multiple interpretations. In fact, it was only after bloggers became outraged and GLAAD became involved that CMYK issued an official apology. To me, even that is a bit lame as the publisher says he did not see it as antigay.

For Nike, they were just the unfortunate brand selected for the false ad. But, Nike has had its own share of problems with past controversial ads. In July 2008, Nike pulled their basketball shoe ad after concerns were raised that the ad was antigay. The ad shows a basketball players face in the groin of an opponent who is dunking the ball. It reads: "That Ain't Right." Nike agreed -- after complaints -- to drop the ad campaign "...to underline our ongoing commitment to supporting diversity in sport and the workplace."  Given these recent stories, I am hoping sensitivity to the LGBT market is top of mind for Nike.

And good news for the LGBT market and Nike. Nike received a 100% rating by the HRC Corporate Equality Index rating for 2008 and 2009. Clearly Nike is doing quite a few things right. Now, with that I am encouraged!

(Red) Empire

I spotted a (Starbucks) Red card recently seeing that they had joined the campaign for 2009,and it brought the complexities of the Product (Red) campaign top of mind again.

The program emigrated from the UK and finally launched in the U.S. in the fall of 2006. Ben posted about that much anticipated debut of the (Product) Red  campaign at the time as it broadened its marketing efforts to support the Global fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.

I’ve continued to see the items at Gap stores over the holiday and have spotted plenty of red iPods in the streets over the past year. I even have purchased merchandise from client Hallmark’s (Product) Red collection. But I hadn’t followed the campaign closely enough recently to realize the empire of modern marketing (Product) Red had had become, including the site’s (Red) Blog having continued with regular postings since May 2006.

Dollars for Business Sense

  Last week, as I was reveling in the glory that is vacation, I realized that it was time to make those dreaded resolutions. Every year I try to do it.  Spend more time with family. Eat better. Work out more (or work out, for that matter). Reconnect with old friends.

This year I wanted to be different. In addition to making a personal resolution that I will undoubtedly break, I wanted to make a LGBT-olution that I intend to keep. My idea? Research and support more companies and organizations that are making a concerted effort to communicate directly to me as a gay man. Instead of my routine retail therapy stops (Target, Best Buy, Banana Republic), are there companies that try to know me better? Know my interests? Support causes that are important to our community?

Not so GAY at CES

We know that studies show our community is largely generalized as a collection of technophiles. Are you one of those? Here is a test. Do you really want a 150-inch Plasma HDTV? 

That is one of the gadgets expected to be attracting attention when the annual Consumer Electronics Show – CES –  opens tomorrow.

Oddly enough, CES itself hasn’t quite caught on to tapping into our community as a prime target for the consumer trade show. In a year where the economy is threatening a smaller CES crowd than usual, that omission may be a misstep for organizers that is corrected next year.

Meanwhile, you can check out the latest CES news at any number of sites and of course see reviews with “us” in mind at gaygadget.

The Next Gay and Lesbian Communications Challenge

LGBT news, comment and opinion sites and newspapers have been filled for weeks with commentary about the selection of Rick Warren to provide the invocation at President-elect Obama’s swearing in this month. Many have asked how a leader presumed to be pro-gay (despite his stance on marriage) could pick an evangelical preacher who has compared gay relationships to incest and pedophilia. Others have wondered why the selection even matters when it’s just the invocation that Warren is delivering and not a pronouncement on government policy. 

This decision reminds me of the line often paraphrased from the movie "Cool Hand Luke:" what we have here is a failure to communicate.

The fact that a largely pro-gay politician (and his presumably pro-gay staff) made this selection and don’t now understand why the selection was so bad speaks volumes about the power and peril of gay and lesbian communications today. 

In a year in which gay and lesbian people earned the right to equal marriage in two states (California and Connecticut), more gay and lesbian actors and other public influencers came out (and fewer people cared) and companies large and small did even more to reach gay and lesbian consumers, its tempting to think it strange that political leaders might be so off in their calculus.

But maybe it isn’t. Society often leads politics. Corporate America is often ahead of the American government in recognizing the value and worth of citizens and consumers (witness the high numbers of companies now scoring 100 on the HRC Corporate Equality Index, for example). Community leaders and community organizers on the ground are often much more aware of the realities of our lives than the political leaders that purport to serve us.

How ironic then that the first “community organizer” in generations to win the presidency could be so out of touch on such a fundamental community issue even before he gets to the White House.

Why does all of this matter? Because what we say, how it is said and who among us says it has the power to influence millions of people. By conferring legitimacy on incorrect, hateful comments about LGBT people, the Obama team has highlighted the fact that there is still much work to be done on both communications and education.

What’s the answer?  How do we get past the “failure” communicate? In short, keep going.

The LGBT community must continue to talk about these topics, explain what they mean, and demonstrate by the power of our lives, what the difference is between a “difference of opinion” and an opinion that makes a damaging difference.

The business community and other influencers already engaged with the LGBT community must continue to be engaged and to leverage the power of their actions as an example for others to follow.

The elected officials, community organizers and public at large must continue to listen and be open to learning more about who we are and why equality is more than just an abstract concept subject to “differences of opinion.”

To me, this is the next great gay and lesbian communications challenge. Let’s hope this is the year that events, actions and opportunities conspire to bring us together to talk, listen and learn.  Then, perhaps we will begin to address it. 

The Out Front Forecast for 2009

Yesterday we shared our thoughts on the year that was 2008; today we’re going to offer our fearless forecasts for 2009. After the events of the past year it’s harder than ever to make predictions about the future, but in this time when literally anything can happen, perhaps we stand a greater chance of being right!

We hope you’ll stick with us this year to find out. You can subscribe to the blog (in the upper right hand corner), follow us on Twitter (right below the subscription area), become a fan on Facebook (Out Front Blog) or just stop by every business day to see what we’re talking about. We look forward to hearing from even more of you even more often in the New Year (and we’re considering ways to make it even easier to follow us and share your thoughts about us with others).

In the meantime, onward into 2009. As is our custom, we asked the Out Front blogging team to answer one question about the new year:

• What will be the top trend (or trends) in LGBT communications in 2009?

Here are our responses:

Out Front Blog Looks Back on 2008

What a year. Is it just us or did 2008 seem like a Technicolor explosion of ideas, events, history and controversy? If 2007 was the year when the “blogosphere seemed to touch every aspect of our lives,” then 2008 was the year when every aspect of our lives was reported, analyzed, discussed, and broadcast over and over again. And not just in the blogosphere, but everywhere (and from members of our own community as Laura and Michael point out below). We did our best to address many of the high- and lowlights in gay and lesbian communications in 2008 and we’ll keep going in 2009. 

As has become our custom at the end of the year, we’re going to take a moment to consider the year that was 2008. Just as we did last year, we asked the Out Front blogging team to give us their take on one question:

• What was the most significant/important/memorable LGBT communications breakthrough or LGBT communications campaign of 2008?

Here are our responses:

LGBT Films Delivered to Our Doorsteps

It’s beginning to feel a little more like the holiday season. The snowflakes, outlines of buildings in multi-colored lights, and hot-cocoa-filled cups make us feel cozy and comforted. Instead of trekking out in the cold to rent a movie, we opt for something warmer and more convenient, like Netflix. Well, maybe it’s more than the convenience factor.

According to this month’s Curve magazine, Netflix and Logo have entered an agreement to distribute gay and lesbian programming. Logo will make its original Logo series, documentaries, and select specials available on DVD to Netflix customers. The agreement is part of Netflix’s overall attempt to attract more customers by reaching exclusive agreements with content producers.

This agreement is an opportunity for Netflix to broaden its marketing horizons to the LGBT consumer, while also providing the overall audience an option for LGBT entertainment. My experience is that Netflix provides an array of LGBT films, aside from its new LOGO offerings. However, it will be interesting to see if other rental and online subscription services follow Netflix’s lead and target the LGBT audience as well.

The variety of LGBT films available to our audience is few and far between at rental stores such as my local Blockbuster store. Personally, I know that it would be nice to walk into a rental store and pick up a movie besides The L Word. Until then, I look forward to red envelopes in my mailbox.

Calling In with Mixed Messages

“Sorry, boss. I won’t be making it in today. I’m gay.”

Yesterday across the country, gays and lesbians were encouraged to deliver the line above to employers as part of “Day Without a Gay," a national “grassWeb” effort for LGBT individuals to again make a statement against the recent passing of anti-gay legislation in Florida, California, Arkansas and Arizona. What started as a creative idea by Sean Heatherington and his partner to show LGBT individuals’ contributions to society by leaving the workforce for a day and volunteering that time to volunteerism, quickly grew into additional components including protests and shopping boycotts enacted by a growing sector of new advocates.

We’ve watched and posted frequently here on the communications surrounding the election and passage of Proposition 8, debates on the No on Prop 8 campaign effectiveness and resulting advocacy efforts. “Day Without a Gay” was no exception – I waited to read the news coverage this morning to see if “Day Without a Gay” had a large effect. Following are some clips from major media: Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle, Reuters and the San Jose Mercury News.

The Voice of LGBT Business: More Q&A with NGLCC Co-Founder and President Justin Nelson

Yesterday, we began a conversation with National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) Co-Founder and President Justin Nelson about the organization and the role of LGBT marketing in an economic downturn. Today, we conclude our conversation with Justin's thoughts on corporate engagement and future trends.

Ben Finzel: NGLCC has an enviable list of corporate partners and you've made real inroads into corporate America in just a few years. What do your partners tell you about this marketplace? What have you learned from them in terms of how to communicate the value and worth of our marketplace?

Justin Nelson: I like to start almost every conversation with “diversity also means diversifying your revenue stream.” And now that I have their attention, we can move on. The NGLCC has always understood that companies will do the right thing sometimes, but will do what makes business sense all the time. We present companies with a strong business case for being involved. The bottom line matters and educating corporate America how we fit into theirs has been paramount to our success. Along the way, many of our partners have learned that by doing the smart business thing — whether or not they knew it then — also means they are doing the right thing. This is almost the reverse of what has been talked about for so many years and by so many people.