FH Out Front Blog

The Influencer: Q&A with AfterElton.com Editor Michael Jensen

Our Pride Month special focus series wraps up today with a Q&A with AfterElton.com editor Michael Jensen. At a time when entertainment continues to dominate much of our culture, and drive much of society’s engagement with our community, it seems fitting to talk about pride and what it means now with one of the leading online authorities on entertainment.

If you’re like me, you visit - and enjoy - AfterElton.com regularly. It is one of the most visited gay entertainment news sites on the Web. If you’re unfamiliar with AfterElton.com, it’s the site for news, information and commentary about entertainment for gay and bisexual men (the ladies have their own site as well – the fabulous AfterEllen.com).

As Michael explains in our conversation, the site reports news as much as it reflects it and it serves a really important purpose in holding a mirror up to the entertainment community to reflect what is important to gay- and gay-friendly audiences. In so doing, it influences a great deal of what our community has to say about entertainment and the media.

We think Michael makes a great case for the power of online communications and the power of sites like AfterElton.com to shape the conversation about gay and lesbian people. Once you’ve read his interview, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Now, on with the show…

Ben Finzel: Tell us about the business model for AfterElton.com. You’re owned by Logo and are part of the Viacom family. How has that helped your growth and development?

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:

The Musician: Q&A with Dave Koz

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be famous but not out? What are the career implications once you do come out? What goes through your mind through all of these changes? 

I’m so pleased to be able to share one man’s perspective on these – and other – questions with you. When he came out in The Advocate in 2004, Dave Koz instantly expanded his already large fan base and shattered a lot of myths about gay men and music. As Dave points out in our conversation below, many people assume that gay men only like club music. That’s not true (I, for one, have been a Dave Koz fan for more than a decade). And the idea that the only gay musicians are those that make club music has been forever banished with Dave’s bold action to say who he is fully, as a person and a musician.

I met Dave at the Out for Equality Ball here in Washington during the Presidential Inauguration in January. I walked up to him and introduced myself after his opening set at the Ball (I’ve seen lots of famous people, but never had the nerve to say anything before). What a nice guy Dave Koz is – he greeted my partner Mark and I graciously and even agreed to pose for a picture with us (that’s us in the photo to the left). Fortunately, he also agreed to conduct a Q&A with me for the blog. We’re running it today as a Pride Month special feature in advance of the kick-off of Dave’s Side by Side summer tour (with Brian Culbertson) on Friday, June 26 in Kettering, Ohio.

As I said to Dave in an e-mail after I read his answers to my questions, he is as well spoken with words as he is with music. I hope you enjoy reading Dave’s thoughts as much as I enjoyed the opportunity to talk with him. And if you’d like to know more about Dave, check out his Web site (or set up a Dave Koz channel on Pandora as I’ve done).

Ben Finzel: You came out publicly in an interview in The Advocate. What was that experience like for you? 

Is Progressive Living Up to Its Name?

In the latest Progressive Insurance ad, two men enter a Progressive Insurance store asking an agent for advice. Who knew that these two men would cause such a chatter?

To be honest, I saw the ad several times and questioned whether the men were gay, but never took a closer look.  Slate did. According to a Slate article, the men exhibit gay mannerisms, subtle body language toward one another, and one wears  a rainbow shirt. Additionally, the quirky Progressive associate, Flo, looks at both men when asked about their financial situation.

Because two men walk into a store together, are they gay? As a consumer, what components lead us to assume that these men are gay? Is it clothing, their body size, their voice or their mannerisms?
The ad was not intended to target gay audiences, but the ad itself does not have an overly masculine tone. So, it doesn’t alienate the LGBT population and it doesn’t upset anti-gay advocates. Does that mean Progressive’s ad is, in fact, progressive?

At the close of 2008, we predicted more gay-vague ads. Could Progressive’s ad campaign fall into this category? I think so. The ad has all the makings of a gay-vague ad, giving Progressive an opportunity to reach a broad audience, gay or straight. With this movement toward gay vague, companies maximize their marketing dollars, targeting both the influential gay population and the general market consumers.

So, the last question is – does Progressive allow gay couples to have joint car insurance?  I think I might give them a call now.

If you haven’t seen the ad, click here.

Snap Judgment: What Does the "American Idol" Outcome Mean?

As it does every season, “American Idol” has dominated headlines and online conversations. But, as bloggers at afterelton.com and elsewhere have pointed out, the conversation has been different this year because of the emergence of an “almost openly-gay” finalist. 

Now that finalist has finished second in his quest to become American Idol. Did his perceived sexual orientation have something to do with that finish? If so, what does that mean about the country and about the public’s mood?

As follow-up to yesterday’s Snap Judgment post on “American Idol,” I asked the Out Front Blog team to consider these ideas and then answer the following question:

“What does the outcome of this season’s American Idol mean for gay and lesbian communications?”

Our answers, in alphabetical order by first name, are reprinted below:

Snap Judgment: Does It Matter Who Wins "American Idol?"

Given all of the media attention and online chatter about "American Idol" and the “is he or isn’t he” questions about Adam Lambert’s sexual orientation, we thought we’d take the opportunity today (the day of the season finale) to consider what this national conversation means for gay and lesbian communications (if anything).

So, we’re going to try something new today (and tomorrow). Today, we asked the Out Front Blog team to answer the following question:

“Does it matter who wins American Idol?”

Here’s our take, listed in alphabetical order by first name: 

Way to Go, Wanda

Yesterday, I finally viewed video of Wanda Sykes performing at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner on the Washington Blade Blog (the media coverage discussing her comments about Rush Limbaugh have been tough to ignore). The event took place last Saturday, May 7th. On that evening, Wanda Sykes made history as the first African-American woman and first openly gay person to perform at the Correspondent’s Dinner.

It’s been an exciting couple of weeks for Ms. Sykes. She and her wife (married in 2008) welcomed twins Olivia Lou and Lucas Claude into the world on April 27th.

While I’ve enjoyed Wanda’s comedic performances over the years, I was most impressed with her involvement in the "Think Before You Speak“ campaign created by GLSEN and the Ad Council. Watching Wanda’s work got me thinking about the power of comedy and its ability to communicate a common message to diverse audiences through the universal language of laughter.

LGBT folks are lucky to have someone like Ms. Sykes on our side… an ally who clearly understands the power of laughter to communicate a message clearly.

As a tribute to Ms. Sykes and her pioneering work, I did some research into her background and discovered five facts I thought might be interesting to the Out Front Blog’s readers:

1.) Wanda was raised in the Washington, D.C. area.
2.) She attended Arundel High School in Maryland, Hampton University in Virginia and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing (like me).
3.) Her first job after college was as a procurement officer for the National Security Agency (NSA). She worked there for five years (now that makes me laugh for some reason… is that where she developed her signature droll expressions?).
4.) Sykes was married to record producer David Hall from 1991 to 1998. Hall has worked with a number of A-list musicians including Madonna, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and Usher.
5.) In March 2009, it was announced that Sykes would be the host of a new late-night talk show on Saturdays on Fox.

Wanda Sykes, thank you for your bravery, honesty, and commitment to the LGBT community. Despite the challenges we face, your presence always provides a laugh, chortle, and smile that takes the edge off the fight for equality.

*To be clear, this post in no way intends to comment on the appropriateness of Ms. Sykes comments about Rush Limbaugh. I imagine those comments entertained some and offended others.

Photo Credit: x-factor-e on Flickr.com

Cleaning Up Corporate Communications

Maybe it’s because I’ve recently been researching the hygiene industry for a client or because H1N1 coverage has me washing my hands with near paranoia fervency, but yesterday’s article, Fox Offends With Prison Break Soap Promo, by the Advocate piqued my germaphobic interest.  

Apparently Fox’s marketing team for the successful series about two brothers exposing a federal conspiracy while breaking in and out of jail repeated a 2008 promotional stunt by sending a bar of soap with press materials to media outlets. Fox’s communication pros were apparently hoping to “lather up excitement for the two-hour series finale airing Friday, May 15.”

Re:Post - Thank You for Being a Friend

As you may know, actress Bea Arthur died over the weekend. Much of the LGBT media and blogosphere coverage of Arthur's death referenced her fan base in the gay community. Arthur's star turn as Dorothy on The Golden Girls, her history-making role as Maude in the sitcom of the same name and her Broadway, film and other TV work endeared her to millions of fans. 

It's not always obvious why some people become gay icons or why some television programs resonate so strongly with different LGBT communities. Our very own Peter Klaus examined this issue more than a year ago right here on the Out Front Blog. In Bea Arthur's honor, we thought we'd run Peter's post again to give a useful perspective on that question. In this Re:Post, we present Peter's original post from January 4, 2008:

I’ve often wondered exactly why the classic TV sitcom The Golden Girls is a stereotypical favorite of LGBT community and what that communicates about this specific audience. I started thinking about this again when I stayed at a gay friend’s apartment (he’s in his late twenties) in NYC on New Year’s Eve and tripped over a stack of The Golden Girls DVDs the size of a loaf of bread (must have been every season).

Certainly, the razor wit of the dialogue, inclusion of LGBT-sensitive plot lines (according to Wikipedia, the show’s original pilot episode even featured a gay character named Coco who was the girls’ cook…who knew?), and the larger-than-life characters are key draws.

However, I think I have a more fundamental answer to the question after reading the results of a new study focusing on the behavior of older LGB adults.

Some of the study’s key findings are featured on 365Gay.com. It was conducted by Arnold H. Grossman and Eliza Dragowski of New York University, and Anthony D'Augelli of Pennsylvania State University and was published in the Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services.

The research finds that older LGB adults have a “history of caregiving” during times of illness and that social networks in this population often develop to fill unique support gaps, such as estrangement from biological families (based on homophobia or being closeted) or the inability to access health coverage through partner benefit plans.

Despite increased debate and discussion about gay adoption during the past several years, the fact remains that the majority of LGBT folks do not have children. Even though not all children may end up supporting their parents when they fall ill, I believe there is still a general societal assumption that children are obligated to support their parents when they reach an age when they can no longer care for themselves. 

Well, where does that leave most in the LGBT community? I know I’ve personally thought about this particular concern: “Who’s going to care for me if I become ill when I’m in my twilight years? Who is going to care for me and about me during that time?”

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:

Glamorous and GLAAD

This past Saturday, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) honored another set of celebrities and influencers in seven of this year's 41 media categories at the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles at the Nokia Theatre presented by IBM and ABSOLUT® Vodka.

Hosted by performer Miss Coco Peru with performances by Cheyenne Jackson and Jennifer Holliday, the night was filled with recognizable individuals who are daily using their roles or careers in the media to bring greater awareness and understanding about the LGBT community to the public as a whole. Those recipients at the LA awards include:

• Kathy Griffin, who received the Vanguard Award for continuing advocacy of same-sex marriage and the LGBT community around the world.

• The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Bishop in the history of the Episcopal Church, who has and continues to make a difference for the LGBT community, specifically among religious audiences, who received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award from Dustin Lance Black, Cleve Jones, and GLAAD President Neil Giuliano.

Nothing Grey About It

This weekend, my obsession will be unveiled on HBO.

Yes, I am talking about the much-anticipated premiere of the HBO Film “Grey Gardens,” starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange. “Grey Gardens” focuses on the Beale family, namely Big Edie (Lange) and Little Edie (Barrymore), who were the relatives of Jackie O famously chronicled in a 1975 Maysles brothers documentary that showed the world how these two women spiraled from fortune and fame into a rundown home in the Hamptons full of cats, garbage and wasted dreams.

I have been following the Beale women throughout their Hollywood journey. I stumbled onto the documentary after learning that one of my favorite musical theater actresses, Christine Ebersole, was going to headline a Broadway musical version of “Grey Gardens” in 2006 (saw it, LOVED it).  The documentary is truly a revelation—the first “reality TV” of its kind. For almost two hours, I was transfixed as both Edies told me their emotional stories, the journey they took to destroy each other, and the unbelievable bond they share while the world crashes down around them.

The original documentary, to be fair, is like watching a train wreck. You can’t look away, but at the same time, you feel for these women. What role did society play in their downfall? Did they do it to themselves? How could they live in such squalor? The Maysles were careful not to insert themselves into the documentary, instead letting the narrative unfold through conversations between the two women and powerful monologues from each Edie.

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

Top 10 LGBT Communications Trends

I was recently reviewing some top 10 trends in communications and decided the LGBT community needed our own. Our community, while not singled out in anything I have read, is made up of avid consumers of communications in a variety of forms. So I decided I'd develop my own list of top 10 LGBT communication trends. Let me know what you think.

1. What's the next twitter? Social media has consumed our communications lives, and the LGBT market is no different. So ask yourself about these new tools; del.icio.us, digg, reddit, stumbleupon. Any sound familiar to you? Check out reddit's active LGBT community here.

2. Let's be real. Authentic communications- the de rigueur for successful social media communications nowadays - is certainly something the LGBT community knows all about. Honest, real and sometimes cutting communications is what is demanded by social media today. It will only get more demanding as we tweet our lives away like Ellen.

3. Employees matter. I think the importance of employee communications will only grow as businesses tighten up their communications to keep the employees they have happy.

4. LGBT friendly jobs? Yes, now we can even search out gay friendly employers. That's thanks to a quick Google search and resources like the HRC and others we can quickly go online to search out new jobs that might just be gay friendly.

5. How green are you? Sustainability is important to all of us. I see the LGBT community embracing the greening of America in new ways, being the trendsetters that we are. What's new and green for you?

6. Diversity rises. Thanks to millennial and the growth of moderate parties on both sides of the aisle, we are beginning to see the rise in support of LGBT issues. Most recently the approval of gay marriage in both Vermont and Iowa within days of each other.

7. Global is local. As our communications become easier and friendlier they also become more global. I see it everyday in blog responders from all of the world.

8. Techno-gays. Just like our communications, technology gets easier, cheaper, faster every day. so more and more of us are becoming techno-savvy consumers of all forms of media with our techno-cool devices.

9. It's all about me. User-created content continues to explode. Now businesses have joined the legions of consumers, including the LGBT community, who share more about themselves than we ever wanted to know.

10. Simplify. As communications explodes in some ways it has gotten simpler. Look at the iPhone, do I need to say any more?

 

Out's Power 50 List is Out...What About the Nominees?

Out has published their annual “Power 50” list again this year and true to form, the list is stirring up controversy again. Barney Frank is #1, which I suppose isn’t too surprising given the lead role he has had in much of the national conversations about the financial meltdown. There are other expected nominations – Ellen Degeneres, Rosie O’Donnell, Neil Patrick Harris. It's an interesting list and I enjoyed reading it. You could certainly contest the relative placement of this or that person or the omission of this well-known figure or famous actor. But what has generated the most interest so far is the inclusion of well-known figures who aren’t actually…out. 

I have to admit that I didn’t initially think of it this way, but Jeremy Hooper at Good As You and others have made the very valid point that a list purporting to identify the leading “out” influencers ought to list people who are actually out. Set aside (for a moment) the notion that they are allegedly gay and should be out, etc. and focus on the idea that if you’re not actually out you should not be listed as one of the most powerful “out” people. That makes perfect sense to me. 

We could argue (and have) about the merits of coming out and the importance of well-known news and entertainment figures being honest about their sexuality, but that’s not the point here. If you’re not out, you’re not a powerful out person. Out should use this list to actually honor those who are powerful because they are out, not in spite of the fact that they are not.

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:

Love Who You Love

Despite attending most of high school and college in Texas, my knowledge of country music is limited to Dolly Parton, The Dixie Chicks, Garth Brooks and Wynonna. I know the names of many of the big country acts, but couldn’t name any of their songs or recognize their band members. That is changing today thanks to our friend Jeremy Hooper at goodasyou.org. In a post today, Jeremy recounts an interview Rascal Flatts singer Gary LeVox gave to Country Music Television recently about the band’s new single “Love Who You Love.”

Here’s an excerpt from Jeremy’s post – from the interview on the CMT blog:

We actually have some gay people that work with us, and we have a lot of friends that are gay, too, and I know that this song [“Love Who You Love”] has inspired them,” said [Rascal Flatts] singer Gary LeVox during an interview at CMT earlier this month. “I know that coming out was tough on their parents and on them and the whole entire family. For a long time, some of them didn’t get to hear ‘I love you’ from their dads or be accepted in that way. … It’s helped a lot of our friends.”

“That’s what’s cool about our music,” says guitarist Joe Don Rooney. “You can interpret (it like) that. If you get that — it’s perfect. If you are someone who’s gay or someone who’s straight, you still feel something from the song, and that’s what we want.”

GLAAD Spanish Language Media Awards

As the GLAAD Media Awards gear up for the end of the month in New York (with other cities to follow), I wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate all the nominees for their great work, specifically, everyone nominated in the Spanish categories. This year, there are 60 nominations in 15 Spanish language programming for the awards – let’s take a closer look.

In regards to big broadcast networks, Univision takes the lead with 14 nominations, followed by NBC’s Telemundo with 4 and the list trickles down to HBO Latino with one nomination. People en Español and La Opinión, the country’s largest Los Angeles-based Spanish language daily, both received two nominations.

In the “outstanding newspaper article” category, I am proud to highlight Texas’s own Don Juan Corzo for his Mother’s Day-themed article focused on lesbian families for the Houston weekly, SEMANA News. In this category, Don Juan and the newspaper are running alongside some of the most recognized U.S. Spanish language media names such as Hoy (Los Angeles), El Nuevo Herald (Miami) and The Associated Press.

Specific television shows being recognized include “Ugly Betty”, “Ventaneando America” (celebrity gossip show) and Noticiero Telemundo (Telemundo News).

Lucia Méndez, whom we’ve blogged about was also nominated for her work on raising awareness on LGBT issues-related teen suicides. 

Although these great networks, programs and individuals have been nominated for great work, what is even more comforting is the great work that continues to develop. For example, GLAAD has been counseling Telemundo New York’s "Las Comadres con Gloria B" to feature the first-ever transgender daily TV personality in Spanish language media history. A huge undertaking, and not just to Spanish TV, but general market as well.

As communicators, we seek these leaders and partnerships and make them relevant to our client’s businesses. We take part in telling the stories through different platforms, such as a blog, and sometimes help shape the outcome of some of these nominees and the community at large.

Goodbye L Word

Last Sunday, viewers across the nation awaited the much anticipated series finale of Showtime’s iconic The L Word. For six seasons, The L Word made her-story as the first women-centered, lesbian-dominated drama. The series not only took on the sometimes complicated relationships between women, it addressed: the first hearing impaired lesbian; bisexuality; drag kings; cross dressers; the military’s don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy; biracial identity and relationships; gay parenting; transsexuals; transsexual pregnancy; self-mutilation; sexual abuse; breast cancer; sexual exploration and sexual discovery … all in six years. The L Word gave lesbianism a voice, a variety of faces and complex stories.

As a devout fan, I can’t help but wonder - does the end of the series mean the end of visibility for the lesbian community? In six years, the series was able to extend beyond the show, reaching audiences through LGBT media, traditional national and local media, online media and corporate partnerships unlike any other show has before. The show, its creator and actors all became public figures for the LGBT movement – helping to bring to light our issues and our lives. For outlets that have extensively covered The L Word, such as Curve, what will the end of The L Word mean? Online outlets, including SheWired.com and AfterEllen.com, have dedicated whole sections of their blogs, forums and Web sites to the series. Will The L Word have a lasting effect or will these outlets face difficulty with highly relevant and engaging news?

The end of The L Word leaves open the possibility and opportunity to engage a now untapped audience. The millions of lesbians who participated in the show’s season premiere and finale parties are left waiting for the next big “L” thing. The L Word creator, Ilene Chaiken, is awaiting news on whether the show’s spinoff, The Farm, receives the green light. If this show can succeed and expand on its predecessor’s impact remains the question. For a show with a distinct niche audience, The L Word was able to broadly engage a variety of audiences, within and outside the LGBT community. It was able to educate audiences — allowing us to move forward and create change.

To watch a tribute to series go to Sho.com or visit IN THE LIFE for their “Women Through the Lens” special of a behind-the-scenes look at the series when it first emerged.

Parents, Family and Friends Unite!

I am so glad to see PFLAG membership growing nationwide. What can we attribute this to? It seems California's Proposition 8 alongside other states anti gay initiatives are all part of the spark. And films like "Milk" are reminding the public of how long the LGBT struggle has been underway. And a new film, "Prayers for Bobby" is about a mother’s journey from rejecting her gay son to becoming an advocate for LGBT rights.

PFLAG reports a rash of inquiries into starting new chapters locally. They currently are in 500 communities. PFLAG's national executive director, Jody M. Huckaby reports "If there is a silver lining to the set-back our families experienced on Election Day, it is that our allies in communities across the country have started to mobilize at the local level and work for change." What are some of the issues PFLAG is organizing to fight? Gays seeking adoption of children, constitutional amendments banning same sex marriages..... Many parents and families see their well adjusted, successful adult children in healthy partnerships with same sex partners and are asking why can't they have what we have?

While the fight remains the same one many of us are familiar with, adding in the power of PFLAG and it's growing membership gives me reassurance that our LGBT voices will be heard in some new ways.

A Woman with "Issues"

Faithful readers of this blog know that I follow the inside scoop of the TV news industry. Having survived a stint in cable news, nothing makes me smile/cringe more as when I see the latest efforts of a network flack pushing talent in print profiles.

Last summer, I loved following the meteoric rise of openly-gay Rachel Maddow over at MSNBC. Now it seems that the primetime cable news lineup has added another sister to the squawking roundtable.

In Monday’s NYTimes, former TVNewser creator/blogger/turned reporter Brian Stelter dedicated more than 1,000 words to an interview with HLN host Jane Velez-Mitchell. What intrigued me about this interview was the very first sentence:

"Jane Velez-Mitchell is a true-crime author, a television talking head, a lesbian, an animal activist, a recovering alcoholic and a vegan."

A true-crime author? I'm shocked! Flabbergasted! Seriously folks, how cool is it that Jane and Brian both recognize that this woman, and all other women for that matter, can't be confined to one labeled box. Some people might be surprised to know that she's a lesbian. Others, that she is a recovering alcoholic. Me? I find it refreshing that Jane lays it all out on the table and embraces her background. The story just puts the lesbian aspect out there and moves on.

Blogging and The Big O

For those of you still debating the power of self-publishing and blogging, do I have a story for you! This Monday, I blogged about Academy Award winner Dustin Lance Black and his acceptance speech that won the hearts of millions. In it, I personally expressed my appreciation to Black for using his hard-earned, well-deserved moment of honor and fame to unselfishly deliver a message of beauty and love to gay and lesbian youth, and those of us “newbies” who have only recently come out to friends and family.

On Wednesday afternoon, a producer from the Oprah Winfrey Show contacted me and asked me to attend today’s live show in Chicago where Black would be Skyped in to talk with Oprah and gal pal Gayle King. After reading my post, Oprah’s production team wanted me to speak with Black about his speech and its personal meaning for me, as a rather young gay man who is continuing to reconcile his religious upbringing, personal faith and emotional attractions for others.

When Times are Tough, the Tough Go Online

What's important to you during these recessionary times? I have been thinking about it in light of friends being laid off of work, home foreclosures rising to record numbers, businesses large and small folding, new cars stacking up on docks. So here are my top 3 most important things that I try to focus on and remember during these tough times:

1. Relationships.

Relationships are one of the few things I can control. My relationships with my friends, co-workers, relatives, partner, even strangers is something powerful and important to me. So, online sites like LinkedIn and Facebook have become a lifeline. I have reconnected with probably 25 friends over the past 4 weeks. All online. And I love being able to go online to send an e-card to a friend to help lift their spirits or go online to LinkedIn and write a recommendation for a former co-worker. And the LGBT market has such a wealth of websites and blogs (like this one) that can lift my spirits. I like to cruise through 365gay.com and gayagenda.com to catch the latest news in our world.

2. Style and Fashion.

I love this one. Shopping on a budget is possible! Even in these difficult times you can find great sales to stay stylish. Some of the sales in retail stores are incredible. And what you can find online is equally as enticing. And that includes some high end brands. I bought a new yoga mat the other day and added a yoga bag and yoga pants to my order from Gaiam because of the great pricing they were offering. I noticed in the March issue of OUT magazine the first 6 full pages are fashion advertising........someone must still be buying Gucci and Prada. I check out gay.com/style to stay up to date on all kinds of style tips for my home and my life.

3. Entertainment.
               
The LGBT market loves to be entertained. Whether we are actually traveling to an exotic beach or watching a movie like Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire, we can be entertained. I find the vicarious experience of watching movies a great way to experience a foreign country, especially when I am not going to be able to travel there any time soon. Even having friends over for a little grilled food and glass of wine has become more fun than going out to eat nowadays. Planetout.com has a great entertainment section for the latest on celebs, movies, books, etc. Right up my alley!

I'd like to hear from you. Please share with me what's important to you in these times?

Beyond the Party

I was in South Florida this past weekend and was able to get a sneak peak at this week’s Winter Party Festival in Miami Beach. As we always say on this blog, there is no singular LGBT community profile. We’re as diverse as any population. So programs targeting us should also be diverse.

With that in mind, I was pleasantly surprised, while attending a pre-opening reception, to see the depth of programming planned for the past few days through this weekend of what some might call stereotypical parties.

Hearing about the events, it was obvious that local leaders and members of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force certainly know how to portray their message of advocacy across a wide spectrum of our community during this event.

Hope to Live Life

 

I’m not a movie-goer. In fact, unless the film includes singing and dancing, Quidditch or four girlfriends in couture, my general proclivity is for other forms of arts and entertainment on the weekends.

That said, every February without fail, I set myself in front of the television to watch the glamour and glory that is the Oscars. It’s a captivating affair, from the style to the speeches. Penelope Cruz said it best last night in her acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress. “…This night is a moment of unity for the world because art in any form is and has been and will always be our universal language.”

And last night as the unified world watched films’ greatest artists, Dustin Lance Black, winner of Best Original Screenplay for Milk, gave a thoughtful acceptance speech that embodied the hope and message his award-winning film shared with audiences around the country.

Holy Lesbian Wedding, Batwoman!

  February is Black History Month. But this February, it also seems to be “Lesbians Making History Month,” as two pop culture walls were torn down thanks to girl power.

On Monday, ABC sudser “All My Children” featured the first lesbian wedding in soap opera history. Characters Bianca Montgomery and Reese Williams were united in designer dresses and copious amounts of flowers for millions of viewers. The two-part episode received great attention in the mainstream media for its groundbreaking nature and commitment to showing a true life cycle of a couple’s relationship. Granted, there’s not many places we can actually get married, but still…

The show also received accolades from the LGBT community, with GLAAD president Neil Giuliano commenting that the show “simply reflects what's happening in the real world." Of course, the residents of Pine Valley also received their fair share of detractors, but here’s the thing—it got people talking. And, that’s good marketing. Push the limits. Expand (and actually talk to) your audience. Show us who we are, not who you want us to be. And we’ll be loyal viewers.

Sweet Travel: Q&A with Sweet CEO Shannon Wentworth

  Just last year, Sweet, a lesbian travel company, emerged to offer our traveling community another vacation option which encompasses sea, land, domestic and international destinations. You may already be familiar with them as a result of their recently announced partnership with Southwest Airlines, or from the media love they’ve been getting for placing an importance on “voluntourism” and carbon-free cruising.

Shannon Wentworth, 36-year-old CEO and co-founder of Sweet kindly reached out to us and we are happy to have the opportunity to conduct this Q&A with her.

Ivette López:  You are just about year old and entered the market at the brink of the economic downturn – what steps have you taken to introduce Sweet to the gay and lesbian market and what sort of response have you received?

Shannon Wentworth: Since launching Sweet at Club Skirts’ Dinah Shore in April 2008, we’ve sponsored over 50 lesbian events, aired a commercial on LOGO, advertised in most of the lesbian magazines and Web sites in the United States and have had had tons of exposure in the print and online media (most notably, a story in The New York Times). The response to Sweet is overwhelming. Seriously, pinch me. It feels like the best dream. We’ve been received with open arms by the LGBT community and media, as well as by the mainstream business community and media.

Ivette López Sisniega: I see you have profiles on Facebook and MySpace. Can we expect to see Sweet embark on a digital project to connect with your customer base?

Shannon Wentworth: Sweet wants to connect with its future guests wherever they hang out and it so happens that tons of them are on MySpace and Facebook – both which are great tools to get to know people. While Sweet plans to always use technology to reduce the use of natural resources (i.e., more e-mail than direct mail), we don’t have plans to launch our own social network. Our website, www.discoversweet.com is rich with cool web 2.0 features, like the ability to upload a blog item directly to your favorite social network, an RSS feed, our events calendar and the Sweet jukebox. We also launched our Sweet community forum recently.

Ivette López Sisniega: Congratulations on your recent partnership with Southwest Airlines. Would you mind walking us through the process in selecting them? Did you consider other airline partners?

Shannon Wentworth: We were looking for an airline partner that provided both value and service. After speaking with several airlines, we found Southwest to be the best and most enthusiastic partner. Southwest’s commitment to customer service and customer-friendly policies is a wonderful fit for Sweet. Southwest shares our commitment to the lesbian and gay community and to the environment.

Ivette López Sisniega: I love the idea of volunteer-oriented “voluntourism” vacations. How was that was inspired and why you think that’s a great fit for the gay and lesbian market?

Shannon Wentworth: We think the idea of having a blast while leaving the world a better place is totally Sweet. In addition to hosting off-the-hook parties on board with a high-profile promoter like Club Skirts, makers of the legendary Dinah Shore Weekend, and offering amazing performances by superstar lesbian comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer, “Last Comic Standing” semi-finalist Erin Foley, comedians Gloria Bigelow and Sandra Valls and music by award-winning singer-songwriters Jen Foster and Edie Carey, we’re offsetting all of our carbon emissions, doing volunteer projects in the ports we visit and matching our guests’ philanthropic contributions. So far, the lesbian community loves the idea of a fun-filled vacation with a purpose.

We certainly hope to see great things from our friends at Sweet and wish them the best as their plans begin to take off! To learn more about Shannon and the rest of the “Sweet” staff and concepts, be sure to check out their site.

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?

Tackling Double Standards (from the sidelines)

Every year I have to share my birthday (or birthday weekend) with one of the most celebrated all-American, largely masculine events of the year – the Super Bowl. Not one for touchdowns and injuries, I typically join in the social aspect of the event and enjoy the commercials that cost a fortune and captivate us all.

And while we’re not here to debate whether this year’s selections were a hit or a flop, I was intrigued by DiversityInc.’s article about one ad that was left out of the collection. Reporting off a longer story from 365gay.com, DiversityInc. examined how GetToKnowUsFirst.org, an LGBT advocacy group in California, was unable to air its commercial featuring an African-American gay couple during the Big Game on KNBC-TV in Los Angeles. The same ad was rejected for inclusion during the inauguration ceremonies weeks earlier by California’s KABC-TV.

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.”

Logo Hispanicized

 

Is Logo becoming more hispanicized? “Hispanicize” is a term I have coined over the years and it has to do with making something a little more Hispanic/Latino. I was working from home the other day, one of my favorite company perks because it gives me the opportunity to have daytime TV in the background and learn new things; which is how I learned of Logo becoming a little more Hispanicized.

Monday morning, Logo aired a Latino coming out segment titled “Latino Beginnings.” In a reality TV format, like most forms of TV entertainment is nowadays, it followed three Latinos in their quest to come out to their mom in LA, run for student government president in New Mexico, and form part of the Latino Ball in Miami.

The three individuals made fantastic (and I mean fantastic only because they hit so close to home and were extremely real), cultural statements such as “being gay just shames the Hispanic family,” roughly translated, “you have to be macho and hard, and that’s just not typical of a feminine gay man,” and “our culture is one of machismo, getting tested for HIV is like the social admittance that you’re gay.”

Clearly, the program showcases the different social challenges of being a gay Hispanic even in the States. Last year, Logo aired a similar segment titled “Los Otros.”

The network is also producing a segment of sorts (I have not been able to find out more regarding this new program, so if you know what it’s about, please let me know) with Project Runway’s most liked or most detested candidate, Santino, and Latina icon, Charo. Charo is a native of Spain and has been a sensationalist actress /entertainer for decades known for her “cuchi cuchi coo.” To the surprise of many, it turns out that the talented woman actually knows how to play the classical guitar. You can see her in this QueerEdge (she has a decent gay fan base) interview.

Finally, that same evening, Logo was airing “Clandestinos.” A film set in Spain about a troubled teen that is infatuated with a separatist and tries to get his attention via a terrorist act. The film features a gay character and Logo played the Spanish version with English subtitles.

I find all of this programming extremely interesting and applaud Logo to no end for focusing on the Hispanic audience at this time of economic distress. Why the correlation? Well, during corporate budget cuts (which is no secret are taking place throughout the country) one of the first areas to lose funds for work is multicultural outreach, including  both Hispanic and gay and lesbian outreach. Instead of narrowing their audience to the “mass” majority market, Logo continues to expand its Hispanic programming to cast a wider net of viewers. Well done! I look forward to what is to come from Logo and the rest of our gay and lesbian media allies.

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.

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…

Inaugural Invocation Redux: The Next Gay and Lesbian Communications Challenge

If you were fortunate enough to be on the National Mall for the "We Are One" concert yesterday, you may have seen (or, thanks to the size of the crowd, just heard?) the invocation by openly gay bishop Gene Robinson. If you watched the show on HBO (like we did), you missed it. As we hinted in our Twitter feed yesterday, HBO didn't show the invocation on their live broacast. This morning we learned why (thanks to John Aravosis at Americablog): the invocation was delivered ten minutes before the show started and was therefore not part of the "regular" broadcast.

We don't know why this timing was deemed appropriate or the reasoning behind it (particularly after all of the coverage about Robinson's participation and the signal it was supposed to send), but it would appear that once again gay and lesbian visibility has been minimized. And so, we thought it appropriate to break with tradition and post a previous entry again. The text below is from my first post of this new year on Tuesday, January 6, 2009. It seems particularly timely, still. 

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 "New" Advocate

As you may know from following our Twitter feed (see upper right hand corner), the latest issue of The Advocate is the debut of new, monthly format. I’ve now read a good bit (but not all of it) and can say that I think the new format is a positive development. Although the change means we’ll get half as many issues of The Advocate per year as previously, I think that's okay. I never thought the old bimonthly schedule worked. In the past, it always seemed that The Advocate was several steps behind the news because they had to print so early to make publication deadlines. So, while the magazine tried to be timely, it rarely was. As a result, it was always out-of-date before it even appeared in our mailboxes or on the newsstands.

With the new monthly schedule, the editorial team at The Advocate is seemingly freed from the need to be timely and can focus on being topical and reporting on longer-form features that provide more context and information than breaking news. The February issue shows they’re off to a good start. They’ve added new sections including: Advance, which includes short news features on interesting LGBT-related developments; and The Advocates, which includes one-page “expert advice on life- as you live it” from LGBT experts on food and drink, style, finance, fitness, health and travel. I was pleased to see our friend Ed Salvato (editor of outtraveler.com) included as the travel expert on the latter panel and I enjoyed his page of travel news in this month’s issue.

If the magazine continues in this direction, I think they’ll be in good shape. Moving to a monthly schedule has changed the tone of the magazine as well: it’s now set to drive the news rather than being driven by it. I just hope their new corporate parent sticks with the magazine and helps them to grow circulation and increase their influence. As I’ve written many times before, we need gay media and none of us is served by its demise.

Have you seen the “new” Advocate? What do you think? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

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.

Milk's Message

The name Harvey Milk has once again spread throughout the nation. His story, one hailed as a model of activism, created and continues to instill a unified spirit of engagement among the LGBT community. Last month, Michael discussed the marketing campaign behind the release of the movie. But aside from the movie’s stellar reviews and Sean Penn’s expected Oscar nomination, there is so much more to Milk.

For many, it is a textbook example of gay activism — one of perseverance, coalition building and outreach to minority communities, including African Americas, Hispanics, and Asian Americans. This strategic approach ensured an inclusive grassroots movement that engaged each individual, while enlisting key influencers as allies. Milk’s movement more than three decades ago united people who were seemingly worlds apart, all without the marvels of today’s technology. Through a concerted effort, he was able to mobilize and organize a community to promote the movement. Each moment mattered.

Today, Milk has left another message for hope and it has spread. As part of Milk’s legacy, we know governmental representation is pivotal to the equal rights movement of the LGBT community. On New Year’s Day, Portland became the largest U.S. city to welcome an openly gay mayor, Sam Adams. On a local level, people across the nation are utilizing social networks such as Facebook and MySpace to disseminate Milk’s message and organize in opposition of Prop. 8’s recent passage. The movie itself has created conversations about the community and activism. This conversation is the beginning of a movement, the beginning of change. Ah… the power of Milk.

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:

Sing Me a Song

 For the past two years, we have blogged about different ways to get your message out to different audiences. Perhaps the best way is through a song.

In September, I joined the North Coast Men’s Chorus, which is a gay men’s choir based here in Northeast Ohio. This weekend, we had our holiday concert—my first as a member.

Now I love me a spotlight, don’t get me wrong. The minute that curtain opens, I get in the zone and just really live in the moment of harmonizing with some talented guys and putting on a great show for friends and family.

Back to the show. This was the first “gay-oriented” event that my mom and sister were able to attend. Now that I moved back to Ohio, they have an opportunity to be more of a part of my personal life. I was extremely nervous—how would they react to two hours of more than 80 men (and two in drag) singing Christmas carols? Would they laugh at our version of “Mr. Santa” (bring me a he, make him the cutest boy that I’ve ever seen)? This would also be the first time they would meet my boyfriend. A root canal was sounding better and better by the minute…

Pillow Talk

Hollywood continues to be cloaked in the mystery of who is really gay in Hollywood. Why are LGBT people in Hollywood not out? Partly I suppose to protect their jobs, careers, and faux marriages. But what about those brave folks who have come out?  The recent Out 100 from Out magazine highlights some of our heroes, our heroines, our idols and our favorites. From actors, musicians, artists, designers, producers, architects, correspondents, directors, editors, writers, promoters, filmmakers, comic book writers, campaigners and even a knight (Ian McKellen)- they have it covered. An impressive list of folks, many gay and out of the closet. All interested in advancing the LGBT conversation. And interesting backgrounds each.

      
So, why is Hollywood still cloaked in mystery? Many of us still remember Hollywood in the Rock Hudson and Doris Day years with movies like Pillow Talk, one of my favorites. The movies they made together made us laugh and fall in love with both of them. And the mystery of their sex life was OK back then. No one seemed to need to know what was really going on behind the curtain. While we suspected, we kind of enjoyed the mystery. Today, no mystery goes uncovered. While I can say I am proud of so many people in Hollywood coming out, I am also sometimes shocked. Most recently I read that Clay Aiken came out by appearing on the cover People magazine -- for $500,000. We don't need to be paid to come out, do we?

The Media and the Closet

We’ve written a great deal here about the way in which the media covers issues related to the sexual orientation of famous actors, television personalities and politicians. There’s been a real trend in the past few years of more, and more intense, media coverage of the lives of people purported/assumed to be gay. And so it was with great interest that I read an advocate.com story last night referring to the late Van Johnson as a “gay heartthrob.”

I’m a fan of old movies (just ask me to quote lines from “Singin’ in the Rain” or to talk about the fabulous Katherine Hepburn and Lauren Bacall) and I was sad to see the headlines this weekend about the death of Van Johnson at the age of 92. But I was taken aback to see The Advocate so casually refer to an icon of “old” Hollywood as a gay man.  Did I miss that memo? I’ve never heard that before about Johnson. It’s not as though I’m not aware of the rumors about many famous or public figures (in Hollywood, in New York, in Washington and beyond), but this one slipped right by me. I guess I’ll have to brush up on my TCM movie watching or give Netflix a try.

Whether or not I’m out of touch on the sexuality of Hollywood legends, the story brings up a larger point.  Is it okay for media to openly declare, or assume, the sexuality of famous/public people? We’ve seen it a great deal in the past few years, after the deaths of Merv Griffin, Susan Sontag and others. But it seems that the media is becoming much more willing to assume the sexuality of someone, whether or not that person has ever publicly disclosed his or her orientation. 

And this is happening with people who are still very much alive, as well. A case in point is Florida Governor Charlie Crist. Rumors of his sexual orientation have floated around gay media and the Internet for years. With his wedding to a woman this weekend a topic of conversation in gay media for the past several months, many outlets have been directly referring to the Governor as a gay man even though he has denied he is gay on several occasions.

Although this phenomenon is largely limited to gay media and online outlets for now, it won’t always be. The role the Internet plays as a great equalizer of information means that this type of conversation will be conducted in so-called “mainstream” media as well (and indeed already has, at least in the case of Mr. Griffin). That brings up all kinds of issues of free speech, privacy and the role of communicators in addressing all aspects of our lives.

What do you think? Is it okay to make these kinds of public assumptions or should media wait for confirmation or proof before openly declaring the sexuality of famous or public figures?

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.

A Tall Glass of Milk

December traditionally marks an onslaught of studio publicity for award-hungry films. We have all seen the ads, and product placement galore, for “Australia” (how awkward was the Samantha Who? reference to the movie?) We can’t escape the buzz surrounding Brad Pitt’s new film, or Will Smith’s latest holiday blockbuster. Heck, even Beyonce is getting yet another chance to prove her acting chops this holiday season.

One movie is taking a decidedly different route. "Milk" is the heroic and tragic story of Harvey Milk, a San Francisco gay rights activist and city politician who was elected to San Francisco's Board of Supervisors in 1977, making him the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the U.S. The following year, Milk and the city's mayor were shot to death by a former city supervisor. Sean Penn stars in the film, which opened in limited release last week and continues to open nationwide throughout December.

How do you publicize a movie, with an inherent LGBT focus, to audiences all around the country? 

Lens on the Movement: Q&A with Photojournalist Jerry Pritikin

Photojournalist Jerry Pritikin now calls Chicago home again, although he resided in San Francisco from the early 1960s through the 1980s, with a front row seat during the country’s gay rights movement currently documented in the movie Milk. In the early 1970s as a freelance photographer and publicist, Jerry was somewhat of a pioneer, specializing in photography for gay clients and businesses. As a result, he became involved in the gay rights movement, including politics and the first gay sports leagues.  His images have appeared in books, including Randy Shilts’ The Mayor of Castro Street, as well as documentaries and numerous photo exhibits. His images of Harvey Milk and San Francisco will be featured in UK's Wonderland Magazine this month.   Jerry’s stories and images of his days in San Francisco also can be found here.  

Having recently completed an exhibit at Chicago’s Center on Halsted and preparing to show his works in January at the city’s Gerber/Hart Library, Jerry took time to reflect on his career and his connection to gay movement icon Harvey Milk. 

Steve:You were working as a photojournalist in San Francisco during the start of the gay rights movement. Did you have any idea that your photos at the time would become a sort of documentation of that movement?

Jerry: I never thought that I was recording history in the making, in fact , most of us were only interested in the "now" and changing the status quo. By osmosis, I became involved in gay politics and sports league movement at a time when it was not yet fashionable to be openly gay, even in San Francisco.

Steve:How has gay and lesbian-produced media changed from the 1970s to now?

Jerry: The early gay magazines and newspapers were back room operations that seldom paid their workers. I found that being a freelancer usually meant that publishers expected story and photo submissions to be given to them free. Today, especially for gay journalists, there are unions and professional organizations to represent their work and worth. Today, with the Internet, it is easier to get your story out now, through blogs and syndication services.

A Gay and Lesbian Ad Campaign Designed to Reach Teens and How it Can do So Much More

Just this fall, the Ad Council launched a national celebrity-infused campaign, Think Before You Speak,”
featuring Wanda Sykes and Hillary Duff. It focuses on the use of the word “gay,” specifically in teenage lingo when used to describe something that is “dumb,” or “un-cool.” In addition to celebrities, the ad campaign also features an interactive Web site that encourages teenagers to submit their own videos on the topic.

The ads are airing during a time when media is focusing on the anti-gay marriage ballot initiative Prop. 8 that passed in California earlier this month. Now, if we step back from the teen-centered approach and look at the big picture, especially as it relates to California, this campaign can impact more than just teenagers and their use of the word “gay.” I’m referring to how its spokespeople, and specifically Wanda Sykes, can impact the African American community at large.

In a recent blog, I mentioned the significance the votes of African Americans and Hispanics in California had on the outcome of Prop. 8’s passing. Majorities of these two minority groups voted in favor of the anti-gay marriage ballot initiative.  Because Wanda Sykes recently came out to the public, partly as a result of Prop. 8’s outcome, she is positioned as a great spokesperson for the ad campaign as she will likely resonate well with African Americans and other minorities in California and, hopefully, will start making progress within the communities.

However, as strongly positioned as the ad campaign is, we have to consider the timing of the campaign as it relates to Prop. 8’s passing, and more importantly, the contradicting messages citizens are receiving. As this recent Mediapost.com article puts it: “this current repudiation of same-sex marriage will only make it harder for the Advertising Council's new effort to educate teenagers about how painful and harassing anti-gay language can be.”

We can question if the ad campaign’s message be heard loud and clear among the noise and confusion Prop. 8 is causing, I personally believe this could not have happened at a better time, now that  gay and lesbian equality and issues are top of mind for many. Additionally, I believe the use of an African American spokesperson will really impact perceptions of gays and lesbians within the African American community, and perhaps even they way they vote.

What are your thoughts? Feel free to comment.

Six Degrees of Out

Of late, a number of celebrities have publicly outed themselves as lesbian or gay. Some were slightly surprising or slightly anticipated while others were a major yawn to everyone most people. Still, others were notable yet barely a blip on the public radar.

And other celebrities are firmly entrenched in a gray area of the glass closet or straddling the fence publicly.

The latter case of Lindsey Lohan is the issue I recently re-read an Afterelton post about how media can or should cover celebrities leading gay or lesbian lives, aka “When is Out Actually "Out" When it Comes to Covering Gay Celebrities?” from September.  Of late, mainstream and even LGBT media pair Lohan with DJ Samantha Ronson as a “gal pal” with a wink. Most recently I’ve seen less ambiguous labeling in coverage of a PETA protestor flouring fur-clad Lohan as she entered a Paris event with “girlfriend” Ronson.

Afraid of Gay?

This post marks our 500th post on the Out Front Blog. In just over two years, we’ve now reached a milestone in thought, opinion and dialogue. How ironic then, that as we continue and expand the conversation, the so-called “mainstream media” seem less interested in gay and lesbian communications.

The past several weeks have brought a number of examples of what looks – to me, at least – like fear of gay people and gay issues. For example:

--An almost utter lack of “mainstream” media coverage about LGBT ballot initiatives and the role of gay voters in elections across the country before the presidential election (coverage since then has been dominated by blogs and LGBT outlets)

--The sudden, unexpected dismissal of an actress playing a lesbian from “Grey’s Anatomy,” the hit television show on ABC

--The return of juvenile, humorless “let’s make fun of gays” antics on NBC’s Saturday Night Live

It’s almost as though media has somehow forgotten what to say or how to cover our lives. Whether they are concerned that they’ll “offend” us in some way or they think that the passage of anti-gay ballot initiatives is some indicator of the mood of the country (meaning they shouldn’t talk about us), the result is the same: less attention to our lives and an almost embarrassment of talking about us openly and honestly.

Left unchanged, does this trend mean we are becoming personae non grata in newsrooms and scriptwriter planning meetings? 

With the exception of the hit ABC television show “Brothers and Sisters,” which ran an excellent gay-themed show Sunday night that featured no less than three same sex kisses between a married male couple, straight media seems to be heading right back into the closet and dragging popular entertainment and media coverage with it.

Why do we wonder about the reasons people stay in the closet when straight society’s acknowledgement of our relationships is not to acknowledge them at all?

I think that’s the reason we saw such lackluster coverage of Proposition 8 before the election – a reluctance to address “complex” issues such as gay marriage in media coverage. Wanda Sykes, in her “coming out” speech in Las Vegas last weekend, seemed to reflect the outcome of this coverage when she said that she didn’t previously think she needed to be out, but that the passage of Prop. 8 made her feel “personally attacked” and pushed her to be more vocal.

My thoughts on this theory of “fear” of gay people aren’t new, and I’ve written about them lately here. I really do think a big reason for this renewed silence is fear of the unknown and fear of doing or saying “the wrong thing.” This seems to be true particularly among well-meaning people who think of themselves as "gay-friendly." In a day and age when we can finally elect an African-American person to the highest office in the land, we ought to be able to fully and honestly acknowledge all of the people in our society.    

Fear is ugly and divisive, particularly when fear of the “other” drives discrimination and bigotry and serves as a convenient excuse for ignoring an entire community of people. It’s okay to be gay and it should be okay for media and “straight society” to acknowledge that now and forever.

Top Trends – Questions and Answers!

Many of us are curious about trends and trend spotting. We ask questions such as: how do we spot a trend? what is the life cycle of a trend?  and what are the upcoming trends for 2009? We have addressed trends affecting the LGBT market before. Well, a just published report on the website www.trendspotting.com has some additional answers for those of us who are trend spotting.

             

Checking out trendspotting.com’s Top 15 Questions (and Answers), they admit right up front that spotting a trend is a bit tricky, and a lengthy process. However, they offer a quick 4 step process to help us along the way. I decided to start with the first and most important question to kick off my curiosity; “How do I actually spot consumer trends? And then how do I apply them?”

          

Here’s their recommendation- Ask yourself if a trend you’re tracking has the potential to:

            

1. influence or shape a company’s vision
2. inspire someone to come up with a new business concept or brand
3. add a new product, service or experience for a certain customer segment
4. speak the language of those consumers already ‘living’ the trend; show them you know what they’re excited about in your campaigns, branding and your conversations with them

Think of trends in the LGBT community that began with us. LGBT-exclusive travel has been popular for many years –think Olivia Cruises, Atlantis or RSVP. We often are among the first to set the trends in fashion and routinely jump quickly into new technology. And as we age, we have LGBT retirement communities in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Fe and elsewhere.

                  

So, ask yourself what new trends you can spot in the LGBT community using the 4 step process above. You might just discover the next consumer trend.

Jumping The Broom

The Noah's Arc movie "Jumping the Broom" opens today in theaters nationwide. Noah's Arc was Logo's groundbreaking series about the lives of four gay men in Los Angeles. The show was somewhat inexplicably cancelled and Logo then announced plans for a movie to take the show to a broader audience and wrap up all of the story lines. 

I have been a fan of Noah's Arc and look forward to seeing the movie. For me, this is one of those films that is a bit "review-proof" meaning that I will likely see it regardless of the reviews it gets. There just aren't that many opportunities to see stories like this in popular media and for that reason alone, I want to see the movie. Of course, the chance to find out what happens to each of the characters is a big draw, too.

What do you think? Do you have plans to see the movie? Why or why not?

Did You Know?

October marks the celebration of 31 icons as part of the Equality Forum’s “GLBT History Month.” I’ll admit I didn’t know we had a month—but I am definitely going to register at Target to celebrate!

Check out Equality Forum’s Web site which lists the icons recognized each day of this month. Some personal favorites:
• Stephen Sondheim: I am a musical theatre groupie, and Sondheim is a master of the beautiful dance between words and lyrics.
• Alice Walker: The Color Purple is an amazing book, and an amazing movie. Walker’s ability to understand women, and the dynamic of women falling in love and appreciating each other, is unparalleled.
• Tony Kushner: Angels in America. Enough said.
• Rosie O’Donnell: Love her. Love her opinion, love her confidence, love her compassion for children and our community. Mostly, love that she put the women of “The View” in their place.

And today’s icon? Philip Johnson. He’s a Cleveland native (all the good gays are…), and an astounding architect, creating such visual works of art as the 648-foot AT&T/Sony skyscraper in New York City and the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, which is the largest gay inclusive church in the nation, with 3,000 regular worshippers. The Cathedral was described by Johnson as his crown jewel, because it sent a startling visual message that “all gay people are children of God, too.” Johnson came out later in his life, spending most of his life with his partner of 45-years, David Whitney. He died in January 2005.

These icons have helped our community in many ways, but mostly, their noteworthy contributions to society have helped others see us in a positive, substantive light. Many of the icons, including Sondheim and Kushner, communicate through their work, and in turn, spread awareness and appreciation for all of our contributions. Their spotlight helps us reach and impact audiences all around the world.

So, happy GLBT History month to us all. I’m proud of our history, but even more proud of the history we continue to make. To those of you who are pioneers in your field, and to those of you who everyday make a difference in someone’s life, thank you. 

My contribution to GLBT History month? A pilgrimage to Miami Beach next week to see one of my icons on stage—Tina Turner. I’ll take photos of me and Ms. Tina for those interested…

Who is your icon? Let us know in the comments section below.