Posts Tagged ‘Food and Drink’

Discrimination: We’re Not Lovin’ It

Posted by Erin Grohs

Zikerria BellamyEarlier this week, the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) filed a complaint against an Orlando McDonald’s on behalf of seventeen-year-old Zikerria Bellamy. Managers at the restaurant had refused Bellamy a job interview and subsequently a job after learning she was transgendered. One manager followed up those rejections by leaving Bellamy an obscene voicemail that explained why she wouldn’t be hired.

Bellamy has been living as a female for the past six years and was looking for a way to make some extra money when she applied at McDonald’s. Instead, she was laughed at by one manager when she walked into the restaurant and was verbally harassed by another – in addition to using gay slurs against her, the unidentified man on the voicemail also calls her a liar.

Now readers of this blog are well aware that Bellamy should never have been denied a job because she is transgender, let alone be the victim of anti-gay slurs. She should have been given the chance to earn a living without being refused for reasons that have zero to do with her ability to actually DO the job. Interestingly enough, Bellamy worked at another McDonald’s location for three years, so clearly she had experience working in fast-food, as well as experience working for this particular chain. Hmm…

Since the story broke, one of the McDonald’s managers has been fired. A spokesperson for the restaurant said that particular employee was not responsible for hiring and no longer worked there. There hasn’t been any mention of the second manager (the laugher, I’m guessing…?). It’s also been brought to public attention that McDonald’s has a zero tolerance policy prohibiting discrimination or harassment in the restaurant.

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| December 10th, 2009 No Comments »
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New Mediums: Goodbye Neon Lights, Hello Capes

Posted by Laura Nguyen

Ortega

Looking for a way to go against the grain? Well, one athlete may have succeeded. Matador Joselito Ortega will make a statement in his upcoming fights with the words, “Gay Up,” embroidered across his hot pink cape. 

Gay Up is a strawberry-flavored energy drink that is marketed to the gay community. The relatively new matador says he sees no issue, though the industry sees his move as controversial. The issue may be two-fold: the endorsement itself or the endorsement placing. In Spain, matadors are deemed as celebrities and symbols of masculinity. Endorsements inside the ring are new, let alone on something as sacred as the cape. Furthermore, does the actual endorsement of a gay product create even more controversy? I’d have to say so.

Ortega says, "I am a bullfighter. That is not going to change. I am going to go out into the ring as I have done until now, to risk my life, and the seven goring wounds on my body prove that. If the gay community welcomes me as an image or a symbol, that is fine."

Though Ortega’s action does provide visibility for products targeted at the gay community and the gay community as a whole, how will Ortega be received by bullfighting fans and the industry? For a highly conservative industry, it will be interesting to see the criticism Ortega might face and arguments for and against this endorsement.

What do you think of this new endorsement method? What does it mean for the gay community?

Photo: AP Photo/Sergio Torres

| September 28th, 2009 No Comments »
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I Scream, You Scream…

Posted by Bryan Blaise

HubbyHubby…today we all scream for Ben & Jerry's release of "Hubby Hubby,"a temporary month-long rebranding and availability of their Chubby Hubby flavor. As many LGBT Vermont residents begin to tie the knot today, the ice cream brand will offer free pints of "Hubby Hubby" from trucks across the Green Mountain State.

“The legalization of marriage for gay and lesbian couples in Vermont is certainly a step in the right direction, and something worth celebrating with peace, love – and plenty of ice cream,” said Ben & Jerry’s CEO Walt Freese in a press release.

The "Hubby Hubby" sweetness will only be available in Vermont this next month, as packaging rebranding would take a few months were it to hit retail stores. As media and many organizations continue to discuss and heatedly debate the topic, brands such as Ben & Jerry's and Absolut are taking risks and speaking out, adding their voice and thoughts into the marketplace. Time will tell if today's ice cream surprise will receive better reception than Ben & Jerry's summer ad, which received mixed reviews from LGBT consumers and bloggers.In addition to the rebranded ice cream, Ben & Jerry's and its partner Freedom to Marry are leveraging the rebranding to drive consumers to freedomtomarry.org with multiple resources and forums for discussion.

While not recommending you talk with ice cream in your mouth, Ben & Jerry's are showing, by example, the importance of beginning conversations about LGBT individuals and issues with all consumers. Have you seen other companies at work in your communities hitting the sweet spot when it comes to LGBT communications? If so, be sure to let us know here at the Out Front Blog.

| September 1st, 2009 2 Comments »
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A Label-less World

Posted by Bryan Blaise

Absolut For all you fellow fashionistas out there, calm down — we're not taking away your couture. But here at the Out Front Blog we continue to wrestle with how words and labels help or harm the LGBT community. As evidenced by this past year's child suicides and a recent story in USA Today that discussed psychologists' difficult role of studying sexuality in teens because of their broad self classification, labels are as complex as the human beings who create and attach them to others.

This morning I was again impressed by long-time LGBT-advocate ABSOLUT VODKA's new campaign, "In An ABSOLUT World, There Are No Labels." The company, who first placed its ads in gay meda in 1981, seeks to challenge consumers around the world to rethink labels and prejudice by introducing "a naked bottle — with no label, but with a lot of attitude."

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| August 17th, 2009 No Comments »
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The Hotelier: Q&A with Kimpton COO Niki Leondakis

Posted by Ben Finzel

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

N_leondakis3 Niki Leondakis is Kimpton’s chief operating officer and the creator of the company’s Diversity Initiative.  As she explains in her bio, the Diversity Initiative is “committed to creating a culture that acknowledges, understands, values and celebrates differences among people.” 

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

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

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

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| June 23rd, 2009 No Comments »
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