Dance Weekend

Coke's Great New Olympics Work

Finally, a social use for QR codes

From Leo Burnett Warsaw.

Dance Weekend

Obsessed.

Fame Friday - Making its Return on BrandFabulousness

"It is up to us to live up to the legacy that was left for us, and to leave a legacy that is worthy of our children and of future generations." -Christine Gregoire

"Time"

I'm so happy over the progress made recently with advancing toward marriage equality in Washington and Maryland, but so angry over what just happened in New Jersey that I wrote this poem to express this unique feeling of excitement and anger:

Time

Do they know

How it feels

When a stranger can pull a lever

And cancel your wedding

What are they forgetting

When one man can veto your dreams

To further his career

When your hopes are so near

But rest on a popularity contest

Do they know the difference

Between their blind faith

And our deserved place

In a society that promised us humanity

Yet we settle for this insanity

Our rights to life

Liberty

The pursuit of happiness

Are passing us

Can’t they see through the stained glass

Of those houses that profit from spreading false fear

Can’t they hear

Our silent cries

The plight of our pride

The meaning inside

What kind of liberty is this

When they can deny our existence

Exclude us from chapter 14

And frame it a political scene

How can they be so selfish

The struggle may be different

Than in 1967 from those who were black

Of our mothers and grandmothers from 92 years back

But our dreams are the same

And all that stands between us

Is time

Because we have a voice

Because we have a say

They’ll tear us down again

But we won’t go away

One day they’ll look back

In history in shock

But that day will come sooner

The more we stand up and talk

So come my brothers

And sisters

Even further on out

Let’s get mad

Let’s get together

Let’s scream and let’s shout

Take your passion from every pride parade past

And live it and breathe it each day – to the max

I know we can do it

I know we’ll be fine

But let’s hurry because

It’s about time

Illinois Launches LGBT Tourism Site

Illinois tourism officials have launched a website dedicated to promoting LGBT tourism in the state. The site lists resources available throughout the state as well as recommendations on the best places to eat, play, shop, and stay. Its clear the cash-strapped state is looking for its share of the gay dollar – the average LGBT person in the U.S. spends $1,974 a year on leisure travel.

Whitney Houston: 1963-2012

The world has lost an icon, and tonight's Grammy Awards will surely be one to remember. Rumor has it that Jennifer Hudson is pulling together a performance to honor Whitney in time for tonight's big show. Here are my favorites from one of my favorite artists all all time.

JCPenny Stands by Ellen Degeneres as New Spokesperson

As part of a corporate rebranding, JCPenny recently redesigned their logo (shown) and hired Ellen Degeneres as their new spokesperson. The latter decision didn't sit well with the social conservative group "One Million Moms," who started a vicious campaign to try and get JCPenny to change their minds. Well, they're not changing their minds, and Ellen took some time out of her show the other day to respond:

And JCPenny's CEO, Ron Johnson, reiterated their stance in support of Ellen this morning on CBS. Click here to watch.

Prop 8 Ruled Unconstitutional (Again)

Read the full decision here:
Ninth Circuit Prop. 8 decision

Winning in Super Bowl Advertising: A Leo Burnett Infographic

Super Bowl 2012: Meet today's fans

View more documents from Leo Burnett

Superbowl Infographic

Here's a cool infographic on the SuperBowl, just in time for the big event next weekend. As usual, I don't know who's playing, but I know who's advertising and who's performing at halftime.

Provided By - Diesel Mechanic Schools

Gays and Lesbians Leading the Nation in Mobile Internet Usage

Some new data was just published showing that gays and lesbians are among the leading groups in the nation when it comes to mobile internet usage. And no, hours spent on Grindr was not one of the survey metrics. It turns out that we're more likely than the general population to own Smartphones, and more than twice as likely to make purchases from them. In fact, in the past week, 28% of us have made a purchase using our Smartphone, 63% of us have found info on a local business using it, and 36% of us have used it to receive or redeem deals or specials like Groupons. The data was published in 5th Annual LGBT Community Survey by Community Marketing, Inc., which can be found here. 

Tel Aviv: The Next Big Gay Tourism Spot

That's right, Tel Aviv is emerging as an iconic international gay vacation destination. Did you know that Tel Aviv hosts the largest pride parade in Asia? Or that it was named by Out Magazine as the gay capital of the middle east? Or that the city devotes more than a third of its marketing budget to attracting LGBT tourists with campaigns like this one? Or that gays serve openly in Israel's military? I didn't. Here's an interesting article to learn more. 

Fortune Best Companies List Hits LGBT Milestone

For the first time in history, all companies on Fortune's best 100 companies to work for list have sexual orientation nondiscrimination policies. Google tops the list. 

Washington Governor To Introduce Marriage Equality Bill

For those who haven't seen this yet, it's worth watching - Washington Governor Chris Gregoire gives a beautifully articulate speech in support of marriage equality. This is perhaps the best example I've seen so far of someone utilizing my recommended strategy of focusing on the license itself and pointing out how legalizing government-issued marriage licenses in no way forces a church to marry a gay couple. Bravo. 

A Call for Digital Activism from Edna Jean Robinson

Oh how I miss seeing her perform at JR's in Dallas. Kudos to her for this inspiring video. 

LAN Airlines Launches LGBT Site

LAN, a Latin American airline, just launched a new microsite that showcases the diversity found throughout South America, and is a one-stop-shop resource for LGBT travelers there. LAN's new LGBT microsite features a host of information and resources for the prospective traveler to South America. It includes detailed descriptions of key South American destinations with information of interest to gay and lesbian travelers. The site also features recent LGBT-related news pertaining to countries throughout South America, as well as events of interest to gay and lesbian travelers to South America, including trips from leading LGBT tour operators.

2011 LGBT Year in Review

New Study: Openly Gay Applicants 40% Less Likely to Get Job Interviews

Openly gay applicants are 40 percent less likely to be granted an interview than their heterosexual counterparts, according to a study published Tuesday in the American Journal of Sociology. The study was the first of its kind to test the receptiveness of employers to gay male job applicants. It sent two fictitious resumes to more than 1,700 entry-level, white collar job openings in the U.S. The resumes were nearly identical, except each mentioned a different affiliation with a school organization. Read more here. 

New study on how gays and lesbians perceive advertising

A new study from the University of Miami interviewed 25 gay and lesbian Americans of different age, ethnic, and professional backgrounds on their reactions to commercials exemplifying dominant gay and lesbian portrayals. 
According to the study, five specific strategies emerged within these minority consumers to interpret the messages catered to them:

• Gay men accepted the perception of "higher disposable income of gay male households" and transformed material consumption into a definition of self-worth. "I was on many consumer panels because I fit the profile of gay men who have disposable income and travel a lot," one participant said.
• Participation in the mass market was equated to membership in mainstream society. "We got money. We contribute to the corporation. We contributed to big business. We got families. We are part of the mainstream now," a participant said.
• Targeted advertising was identified as an essential step in achieving social political inclusion. "Consumer rights and citizenship, civil rights are intricately connected in the United States […]. And when we express our identity as a consumer, that reinforces and strengthens our identity as a citizen," a participant said.
• Perpetuating problematic depictions of gays as effeminate men or lesbians as "sexualized femme" was tolerated in the interests of social inclusion. "I was ambivalent when watching this commercial. It's playing up the stereotype. But for me, if you can see gay people on TV in Texas, it's positive," one participant said.
• Participants were willing to give up something of their subcultural identity for the sake of total acceptance in society. "When we are truly accepted in the society, we will just blend in […] even that might mean sacrificing our uniqueness," a participant said.

Source: "How Minority Consumers Use Targeted Advertising as Pathways to Self-Empowerment: Gay Men's and Lesbians' Reading of Out-of-the-Closet Advertising" Journal of Advertising Vol. 40 No. 3 Fall 2011.

The Cost of our Prison System

Here are some interesting facts on incarceration in the US, which costs taxpayers 60 Billion per year. 

See Larger
More: Online Law Degree

Marriage in Australia: It's Time

Here's a fantastic new ad from GetUp Action for Australia in support of marriage equality. Next week, Australia's Labor Party will decide their stance on the issue. To sign the petition, click here. 

Group Urges Reframing the Marriage Equality Message

A group of high-profile Democrats and Republicans who back legalizing same-sex marriage are calling on advocates to shift the focus on the issue from an argument about equal rights to promoting the value of commitment. This is, in my opinion, an example of the need to speak in the language of your audience. While this might not be the politically correct approach in the minds of many in the LGBT community, it may certainly be the fastest. Staunch opponents of same-sex marriage either don't believe the LGBT community exists or believe being LGBT is a lifestyle choice - therefore the equality argument doesn't work since they see us as already having the same opportunity to marry somebody of the opposite sex. Hence why they always argue that we don't deserve "special rights." In essence, this new strategy is to seek equality without acknowledging that's what we're seeking. Read more here. 

70 U.S. Companies Formally Oppose DOMA

70 U.S. businesses are part of an amicus brief opposing the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in Gill v. OPM. The companies point out that DOMA forces them to treat their employees differently based on their sexual orientation, and as a result, the businesses assume an administrative financial burden to correct the inequity. Here are some of those companies: 

For the full list, click here.