Posts Tagged ‘Media’

That Newsweek story…

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So everyone is talking about the Newsweek story. To describe it in one sentence or less, the writer (gay himself) said that openly gay actors struggle to convincingly play straight characters. He referenced both Sean Hayes performance in the revival of Promises, Promises  and Jonathan Groff from Glee as two examples of not hitting the straight mark. It's fair to say that this article, and the response to it, has been a media explosion.

Let me give my two cents. I saw Promises, Promises last weekend, and I consider myself a Gleek. I was underwhelmed by Promises, Promises,  and my friend who went with me to see it agreed that the major problem was Sean Hayes. It's not about his acting skills, or his credibility, but for my generation, he is iconically known for Jack McFarland. Good or bad, once you put such an indelible stamp on pop culture like Hayes did for almost a decade on mainstream television, it is hard to separate yourself from your character. There were so many moments during the show where Sean slipped into Jack, whether he knew it or not. From head bobbing while dancing to his impeccable delivery of lines, there was so much Jack in him. And I think audiences came to see Jack on stage. So was he convincing as a straight man pining for a woman? No- but it's not because he is gay– it is because he made such an impression playing a gay man and his mannerisms from that character melded into this new performance. Plus the source material, not so great. It's not exactly the most macho role to begin with.

The Jonathan Groff example from Glee is interesting.  I saw Groff's breakout role in Spring Awakening on Broadway, and whether he was out or not at the time, he wasn't on my radar. His performance was so moving as a troubled teen in love that I didn't think twice about his sexuality. Now he is on Glee, and it is only now that I know he is gay. Does that make him less convincing on the show, where he pines for Rachel? No– because the two of them have such established chemistry, and no offense, but the show is about show choirs, where my experience (three years in high school) is that everyone is flamboyantly fabulous, no matter their sexuality.

So maybe the Newsweek writer was't eloquent in the point he was trying to make. But I think the point he is making is valid. Once you come out in Hollywood, it becomes part of who you are moving forward. It is the"talking point" about you. Every interviewer will ask about it, every studio casting director will think twice about it before casting you. The fact is, in my opinion, that there are probably hundreds of actors currently in the medium playing straight while being gay, and they are doing it convincingly. The sad part is that the culture is just not quite there yet to allow someone to come out without suffering professionally. Yes there are positive cases here and there, but there are certainly also cases where the impact is deafening.

Where I struggle the most with the Newsweek story is the tone of the backlash. We come from a community where we are labeled, good or bad. It's one thing for us to disagree with someone, but it's a whole different story for us to be vicious in attacking because of a difference of opinion and to put labels like "homophobic" on someone who is a member of our own community. It saddens me that sometimes, LGBT or straight, we feel that the best way to get our opposing viewpoint across is to scream it. This might come from the 24-hour cable news cycle, full of pundits who challenge each other every night to see who can speak the loudest. And believe me, I understand that our voice has been silenced for so long, and that we are still oppressed in many circumstances. But civility is so fleeting in an age where we can instantly share our opinions to the world.

So what's the lesson in all of this? I do love freedom of speech, for both the opportunity to share your opinion and to react to others. But when the dialogue becomes so weighted in viciousness, it becomes a battle with no winners.

Most people who reacted to the original story did not read the entire piece, instead focusing on the backlash. Read it first, and tell me what you think. Do you agree?

Have a peaceful weekend.

| May 14th, 2010 1 Comment »
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Coming Out in the South: A Q&A with Bobby Hilburn, Executive Director, LGBT Center of Raleigh

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As a Northern transplant, I’ve found myself pleasantly surprised, personally and professionally, by the city of Raleigh. While I had expected the hot weather and oh-so-charming accents, I was unprepared for how socially liberal and progressive the city is, especially regarding the city’s LGBT residents. Many states in the South, North Carolina included, still have NO state-level protection for LGBT employees. Southern states’ hate crimes laws also remain uninclusive of sexual orientation or gender identify.

As regular readers of this blog, we know that LGBTs are often victims of verbal and physical harassment and discrimination and we all know how important it is to have a safe, supportive outlet (be it a physical place or a person to talk with) for overwhelming or unmanageable times. And one of Raleigh’s most glaring problems was that this diverse city didn’t have an official community gathering place for its LGBT citizens.

Thankfully, Raleigh will be opening its very own LGBT Center this Friday, May 7 on Cabarrus St. in downtown Raleigh, although the center is still shopping around for a larger, permanent location. I was fortunate enough to sit down with Bobby Hilburn, executive director, and discuss the center.

As in previous Q&As, we’ve broken this post into two parts: today, Bobby will talk about his history and career path and what it means to come out in the South. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about the LGBT Center and its grand opening. 

Erin: Bobby, thanks so much for spending some time with me and OutFront! I’d like to start by mentioning that you recently quit your very lucrative job as a financial planner to take on the executive director role full-time. That’s quite a decision – I’d love to hear more about it.

Bobby: Ha, yes. I recently left my practice to become the interim executive director for the LGBT Center of Raleigh (LGBTCOR). I’m from southeastern North Carolina, one of the more conservative parts of the state, and was raised in a very traditional, conservative family.

After leaving home to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I worked abroad and traveled quite a bit before finding myself back in Raleigh. As a financial planner, I worked with many members of the LGBT community, and as a way to give back, I wanted to become more involved in ongoing efforts to create a stronger, more unified LGBT “group.”

The more involved I became in LGBT affairs in the area, the more I realized that Raleigh NEEDED an LGBT community center. I quickly discovered that this was more than a weekend activity, that it had become my passion. For me, there was no question about it – I had to take on this new challenge in order to continue building support to create and maintain a successful center. 

Erin: Being a North Carolina native, why is this center important for Raleigh, and the South, in general?

Bobby: Being gay or lesbian or bi or transgender puts you in a minority, particularly in a small Southern city like Raleigh. People act differently when minorities are not visible – they’re much more likely to discriminate the idea of something rather than the reality of something. Having an LGBT community center in Raleigh will bring much needed visibility to our community and the South, both socially and politically.

Raleigh, and the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill) have large LGBT populations, yet we’re JUST opening our first community center for LGBTs. We must not self-segregate as a community and we cannot remain under the radar to policy makers. It is vital that the LGBT community, all ages, races, ethnicities, religions, have a fixed location available to them as a place of support and celebration. It is equally important to use that we are seen by those not directly involved with the LGBT community – both allies and non-allies. I strongly believe that the center will increase our visibility and establish our presence in this city, driving support and ultimately, equality.

Erin: What does it mean to be out in the South, a traditionally socially conservative area?

Bobby: Let me tell you, it isn’t easy for many people to be out in the traditional South. It often means being ridiculed, bullied and often, ostracized simply for being gay. Let’s face it, even with recent triumphs for the LGBT community – we have a long way to go as a society. Even in progressive areas, many gay, lesbian, bi and transgendered people are still scared to be open about their sexuality, orientation or gender identity. Little by little, we’re hoping to change that  – first, we’ll open a center for LGBT citizens, and then we’ll continue to support Raleigh’s “coming out” with education and awareness campaigns.

Come back tomorrow for the second part of our Q&A with Bobby Hilburn of the LGBT Center of Raleigh.

(Photo courtesy of the LGBT Center of Raleigh)

| May 4th, 2010 No Comments »
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Inreach — Community Marketing Breaks Down the Complex Diversity within the LGBT Market

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One of this great conference's organizers, Community Marketing Inc. (CMI), followed Barrios this morning. Known for their Gay and Lesbian Indices, leading materials that provide essential information about the LGBT community. In addition to typical stats on our community's buying power, loyalty and the like, they provided qualitative results from their focus groups. 

They opened up the session talking about Inreach — the need to market and look inside at your company or target market before marketing outwardly. With that, the went through 30 minutes of important statistical and qualitative affirmation of what we've been seeing in the LGBT market. The information from their study of 50,000 self-identifying LGBT individuals is overwhelming and I can't wait to get home and download the full presentation. In the meantime, below are the highlights from this morning's discussion:

Basic Stats

  • The largest portion of their respondents (41.1%) live in urban areas, giving marketers easier access through media and local events to reach our community
  • LGBT and loyalty is common knowledge among marketers. The most recent study found that 51 percent are loyal to brands that are committed and engaged with them, as well as willing to try new brands (the concept of early adoption)
  • Almost all – 95 percent – favor cause marketing
  • The LGBT community is well-educated – nearly 70 percent have a bachelors degree or higher – and were largely unaffected by the recession, with 82 percent employed.

LGBT in Business

Our community works hard — to serve employers and additionally in the movement for equality. This year, CMI's study found out that nearly half (45%) of survey respondents were owners or officers of their companies. With that purchasing power, 60 percent of these individuals noted they were influenced to purchase from other LBGT businesses or those that support their community. We focus so much on the Out Front Blog on business-to-consumer communications, but these stats show the importance of remembering to market to other businesses your company's commitment to LGBT equality.

Focus Group Highlights

If I say "LGBT communications" do you think of shirtless, muscled guy with immense sex appeal? If you do, you're not alone. But these images, though fading thankfully out of all LGBT ads, only touch one letter of LGBT (and actually only one segment of the G, to be honest). CMI's biggest point they drove home over and over is — LGBT is diversity. We represent a complete slice of the world's diversity in age, gender, ethnicity and culture. There's many opportunities (and some challenges) when targeting us with communications.  Below are some notes from their discussions with the under represented "letters" and segments:

  • Lesbians are largely tired and even angry of being left out of "gay" advertising that's largely male-dominated. Marketers must remember to market them as women first. Imagery is crucial, too. Check out a future post on new terms to learn the evils of "hetero-cropping" and its use in advertising to lesbian.
  • Gay parents are growing in recognition, given recent legislation. In Chicago, we've seen a gay couple on the cover of Chicago Parent and the famous Food Network Hearty Boys reached out to former governor Mark Huckabee and his abrasive comments about gay adoption with an invitation to experience their family dinners. Of the survey respondents, 5 percent were gay percent and 20 percent were lesbian parents. Market these individuals through direct media such as Gay Parent and Proud Parenting.
  • The under 30 focus groups really resonated with me. We're ethnically diverse, as opposed to our largely out white predecessors. LGBT millennials differ by location, are less influenced by LGBT media and look for integration of LGBT content. We don't need a separate gay advertising, show or channel — we want to see ourselves in everyday media and marketing. And we want to see all the colorful faces of our community, too.
  • Out Front's Erin Grohs recently talked about the plight of LGBT individuals older than 55. CMI covered this demographic as well. They're turned off by ads that focus on youth and sexuality, but rather prefer accurate images of older LGBT couples and individuals. They also prefer gay-exclusive locations and channels — a stark difference from the following generation.

CMI didn't stop there and also covered other slices of our community including ethnic, personal identities (circuit, bears, etc.), professional organizations, bisexual, transgender. 

For communicators, this information echoes more general trends we're seeing — mass advertisements and communications won't achieve the same results if you directly speak to the age, ethnicity, and interests of your target consumer.

| April 30th, 2010 No Comments »
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GLAAD-itude for Amplifying Our Community’s Voice

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Live from New York…it's the opening keynote of the Gay & Lesbian Marketing Conference. Sitting in the front row (yes, I'm still that nerd), I met and listened to GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios' address on the organization's current efforts and the role of storytelling in bringing about equality — whether between a mother and son or between a celebrity and the public. He opened with a story about a young man in Chicago (actually a good friend of mine — small world) he had mentored before whose family for more than 10 years had been uninterested in his life, his relationships, his hopes and dreams.

And two weeks ago, it changed. The young man's mom asked about his being gay. And why? Two words. Ricky Martin. 

GLAAD understands the power of media to create bridges at the personal and national level. Barrios noted that while the U.S. media (and as we covered here) noted the event as "obvious" or "coming from some time," the story continues in Spanish-language media today. It continues to open that community to greater awareness of a leading celebrity's  life and sexuality, very similar to Ellen's coming out in the United States many years earlier. He also highlighted the results from GLAAD's recent study with Harris Interactive in which they found that 20 percent of those surveyed view gays more positively than they did 5 years ago.

So what led this change? No surprise, this change was largely led by individuals coming out to friends, family, and others in their community. I life lived out front and transparent is help moving the minds and hearts of America. And following personal storytelling, is the media. Barrios painted a quick and clear picture. Think back 30 years ago — you know, Three's Company on TV, Anita Bryant and the movie Cruisin were some of the only images or quasi-images of LGBT people. The LGBT community, as many of you know, was doing so well at that time. 

Fast forward to today. News stories are growing more fair, accurate and inclusive. We've got Ellen, LOGO-TV, and major brands such as Levi's, Bertolli, Progressive and long-standing LGBT supporter Absolut with inclusive corporate advertisements that present our community in both LGBT and mainstream media. 

Barrios covered in his address and in the following Q&A many of the organization's leading work (many of which we've covered on the Out Front Blog) in recent months with CNN's story on the young boy in Arkansas who won't pledge allegiance until there's LGBT equality, CNN's error on their ex-gay story, their stance on the recent Tribeca film Ticked Off Trannies With Knives. Read more on GLAAD's work at those links — also check out their new brand, which we totally dig!

Barrios summed it up well. We, the LGBT community,  are part of the phrases "We the people" and "United, we stand" and others that are the foundation of the United States. He place the work ahead for greater equality change on us — as individuals and marketers within Corporate America. Equality is achieved through media and Corporate America, not legislation first.  That's what follows. 

So we'll keep being out front and hope you will too. We're changing hearts and mind. We'll lead, and (I hope, soon) the government will follow.

More too come…

| April 30th, 2010 No Comments »
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GLAAD for the Glee-ful Single Drag Racers

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Happy Monday! Or, I can't believe it's Monday! Spent the weekend on domestic chores as the BF is trapped in Germany due to the volcano. I swear it feels like a really cheesy Lifetime movie– he's trapped over there, and I am left having to mow the lawn. And my swearing while mowing was very similar to a volcanic eruption. Come home soon.

Speaking of things important to me– Glee has its Madonna-centric episode this week, and I could not be more excited! Even Madonna loves the show (about Madonna!). Those kids on Glee must be the hardest working cast in show business, and the accolades keep on coming in. On Saturday night, the show picked up the "Outstanding Comedy Series" award from GLAAD as part of the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles. No surprise here– Glee is one of the most progressive shows in terms of portraying the LGBT community in a positive– and realistic– light, whether that means showing how Kurt deals with being openly gay in high school, or how Rachel is raised by her two dads. Any show-choir themed show has an inherent LGBT story to tell, and I am proud of creator Ryan Murphy, and for GLAAD, for recognizing the invaluable opportunity Tuesday nights at 9PM can provide.

Glee wasn't the only entertainment program recognized on Saturday night. The film A Single Man picked up an award for "Outstanding Film," and RuPaul's Drag Race scored for "Outstanding Reality Program." Both Drew Barrymore and Wanda Sykes also picked up awards for their commitment to our community, and Telemundo walked away with recognition for Spanish-language journalism segment.

GLAAD has really turned these awards into a forum for discussing how important it is for the media and entertainment worlds to accurately portray, and include, the LGBT community in programming and news coverage. While these awards have the glitz and glamour of Hollywood red carpet events, there is an important educational overlay into using media coverage…of media coverage.. to spread GLAAD's mission of promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Thank you GLAAD!

P.S. Super-excited that the mega-LGBT musical, La Cage Aux Follies opened to rave reviews last night on Broadway. This means that we have yet another forum to talk about the importance of owning and respecting the LGBT identity. As the song from the musical goes, "I am what I am, and what I am needs no excuses." Checking out the show in May– so I will let you know how it is!

Have a great week.

(Photo courtesy of 2010 Chris Weeks/WireImage)  

 

| April 19th, 2010 No Comments »
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