Archive for November, 2009

Give Thanks: LGBT Communications

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J0422463 It’s the Monday before a brief Thanksgiving break. Your dreams are taking you to a place of turkey, pumpkin pie and shopping heaven. It’s lovely there isn’t it? You’re reminded of family gatherings and that indescribable warmth of being home. For some of us in the LGBT community, this holiday season brings heartfelt and heartbreaking stories.

In preparation for holiday fun, I got to thinking about the things I'm grateful for. Here are a few (in the world of LGBT communications, in no particular order):

  1. Washington Blade – After 40 years of delivering LGBT news, the Washington Blade shut its doors after its parent company, Window Media, filed for bankruptcy. Thank you to the Blade for sharing LGBT news when others didn’t. Emerging at a time when the majority of the LGBT community was still in the closet, the Blade provided us with an outlet, a unified message to stand behind. It armed us for action and gave us a voice. The Blade’s editor, Kevin Naff, intends to launch a new LGBT publication. We look forward to seeing the new paper Kevin! For more on The Blade check out Michael's post from last week. 
  2. Young advocates – Fifth grader, Will Phillips and 17-year-old, James Neiley. Will Philips recently received much attention after he refused to say the pledge of allegiance to a country that discriminates against the LGBT community. James Neiley, a volunteer for Outright Vermont gave a moving and heartfelt speech to the Vermont Senate during the equal marriage rights debate. Cultivating young advocates is essential to the battle for equal rights. They provide a unique perspective and an unmatched passion for change. Young advocates fuel our progress. For a more intriguing list of the top 100 honorees by Out, go here. 
  3. And finally, Lady Gaga. Though many people may call her odd, I do appreciate Lady Gaga and all that she brings to the music industry and to pop culture. Lady Gaga takes any opportunity to be vocal about homophobia and fight for equal rights. She thanked God and the gays in her MTV VMA award win, performed at Pride Festivals and the HRC gala, and walked with us at the National Equality March in October. Ra-ra Ga-Ga! 

So tell us, what are a few things that you’re grateful for this year?

| November 23rd, 2009 1 Comment »
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Blade of Glory

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Washington-blade I'm blogging this Friday from the nation's capital. Hanging out with my colleagues here and enjoying the town I once called home.

When I first moved to D.C. back in 2004, I was on the cusp of finally coming out to my family. Was D.C. the catalyst? Probably not. But, coming out in an evironment that accepted- no embraced- the LGBT community was certainly an incentive.

An integral part of the LGBT community here is (now sadly "was") the Washington Blade. This was a must read for fabulous Washingtonians (or in my case, Washingtonian transplant). You could read about social issues. Hot parties. Upcoming events. And you could always count on some biting social commentary from a gay or two.

When the news broke this week that the Blade was closing down, I became immensely sad. Sad about the continuing decay of the media industry. Sad that the LGBT community will have one less "gay rag" to follow. But mostly, I was sad that this week, somewhere another Washingtonian transplant who is looking to come out has one less "voice" to cheer him on.

But fear not– in breaking news, several former employees of the 40-year-old gay and lesbian newspaper said that they plan to launch a new, more modest version of the paper today. Publisher Lynne Brown and Editor Kevin Naff said in a letter posted online that "the staff of the paper remains united," and currently is working on a volunteer basis.

With layoffs happening across all media sectors, what will happen to traditional journalism outlets? Clearly I am a fan of blogs. But, I'm also a fan of the smell and feel of a fresh newspaper. Heck, I was the editor of one in high school. It's how I fell in love with writing and communications. I hope that while the economy continues to spiral, somehow, we can maintain the original "fourth estate" while embracing the new virtual estate.

Up next- Friday musings:

  • Ok. I was just getting back into the world of Oprah. She entices me this week with her interview with Governor-Vice Presidential Candidate-Hockey Mom- Author Sarah Palin. Then, she teases me even more with an interview with the cast of Nine (so excited!!). Today? She calls it quits. Big O, I love you so.
  • Tomorrow, I'm seeing "Twilight: New Moom." I saw the first one on a plane back from Europe in the comfort of my own seat. Now, I'll have to see it with a bunch of screaming fans at the theater. Oh wait, that's just me screaming. I know I'll regret not seeing Precious.
  • Who do you think should become the new anchor of "Good Morning America?" I'm loving this behind the scenes gossip and backstabbing. My money is on Georgie to get the gig- but I just don't see him comfortably interviewing Dancing with the Stars castoffs or the cast of Lost (Tuesdays, 9PM, starting Feb. 2). But, who do I want to get it? Paging Anderson Cooper…or Kiki Couric anyone?

Happy Weekend. And since I'll be stuffing my face with leftovers next week, Happy Thanksgiving!

| November 20th, 2009 No Comments »
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School Projects and Protests

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Picture1 This past weekend I took a vacation to Atlanta to visit childhood friends and relax with mindless and entertaining activities. While perusing BuzzFeed in the beautiful 70-degree November weather that makes all Chicagoans excited, my friends and I came across photos, videos and comments on "35 Amazing Science Fair Projects." You can see for yourself why the post had us laughing heartily and talking about our own experiments in grade school.

Science Fair Project

Then the laughter stopped. I saw the above picture of a young student's project called AIDS: The Gay Plague. While his procedure and hypothesis are unintelligible, his "results" are clear. Homosexuality and bisexuality result in "the gay plague," while heterosexuality and whatever he was implying with "Man on Horse" are safe.

Read more »

| November 18th, 2009 1 Comment »
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Flash Mobs: Communicating Silently

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Over the past couple of months, I’ve seen many organizations attempt the infamous flash mob. Though flash mobs emerged only six years ago, they have stopped society in our tracks forcing us to stop, listen and watch. The latest flash mobs have been used to successfully promote a cause, utilizing word-of-mouth.

The latest flash mob occurred in Ohio, lead by a group of students from the University of Cincinnati. The goal – “to demonstrate the effects of harried and inaction.” Last Tuesday, a group of 25 students wore duck tape and t-shirts the quote – “Are you listening?” The quote was from Lady Gaga at the October gay rights march in Washington, D.C. Blake Jelley, a sophomore at UC said, “Flash mobbing is a different form of protest that uses actions and body language as opposed to words.“It’s much more effective because most people haven’t seen it – most people are used to seeing protesters with signs and screaming. When people take the time to watch you they take the time to absorb your actions and think about what you’re doing.”

Check out the video below.

This specific flash mob was in response to Maine’s vote to repeal equal marriage legislation. What makes flash mobs effective is their ability to interrupt your reality and force you into another’s reality. For example, the UC flash mob obstructed traffic and exercised ever-powerful non-verbal communications.

Communications is rooted in both what we say and what we don’t say. This can also be said for our LGBT community. Our visibility and presence is equally as important as our voice and our ability to impact change. For companies and organizations that are seeking ways for inclusion, sometimes it’s not about saying anything at all – it’s just about opening the door to listen.

| November 16th, 2009 No Comments »
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Here’s to the LGBT who Lunch…

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Synergy1 It's been some time since I last provided an update on Gay Games 2014 and Cleveland + Akron's journey with the Federation. It's Friday, so why not?

This week marked another milestone in our "My Games Rock" story. On Wednesday, I had the great honor of participating in a luncheon panel discussion at the Cleveland City Club titled "The Gay Games 2014." For those who have never been to the Cleveland City Club (like me before this panel), let me give you a little background. The City Club is the oldest continuous free speech forum in the country, renowned for its tradition of debate and discussion. This place gets presidential candidates. Robert Kennedy spoke here and gave a moving eulogy of Martin Luther King, Jr., just weeks before his own assassination. This stage is sacred.

So, imagined how overwhelmed our panel was to have the opportunity to speak about something so important to us on such a visible platform. City Councilman Joe Cimperman, a rockstar in his own right, moderated the discussion in front of a sold-out crowd.

A sold-out crowd who came to the City Club to hear about the Gay Games.

From three gay men and two straight allies.

For more than an hour, people listened to our story, asked us questions, and hopefully walked away enlightened about not only the Gay Games and the Federation itself, but how important the LGBT community is here at home. The opportunity was a perfect case study in marketing– it provided us an opportunity to speak directly about LGBT issues and actions to an audience who may not have had us on their radar before. And, if we changed one mind as a result, that's a success.

We were also fortunate that day to have representatives from Team Cologne in town to promote the 2010 Gay Games and register local participants to take part next year. We held a registration/information event at the beautiful Tregoning Gallery, and Team Cologne gave a presentation on how exciting and beautiful the Gay Games will be in Germany next year. Cleveland was the last stop on a U.S. tour for Team Cologne– they went to LGBT markets all over the U.S. to promote their Games. Again, a great marketing strategy– bringing Cologne to the U.S. so the U.S. can come to Cologne. I know I'll be there!

Now, back to the previously scheduled Friday Pop Culture musings:

  • Gossip Girl: First, Chuck Bass kissed a boy. Now, a menage a trois? This show is sinking. FAST.
  • Melrose Place. Heather Locklear as Amanda. Returns next week. Thank you TV Gods.
  • Glee– This week's exchange between Kurt and his father was priceless. More priceless? The Diva-off on "Defying Gravity." I now see that song as a gay anthem.

 Talk next week.

| November 13th, 2009 No Comments »
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