GLAAD

I am honored to have received the AYA Advocacy Award from Cannes Can: Diversity Collective during this year's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. In accepting this award, I called on brands and agencies to consider the outsized impact of advertising to create real cultural change. Advertising is not an opt-in medium. It can reach consumers who otherwise do not engage with LGBTQ content. It can show LGBTQ consumers they are valued, appreciated, and respected. GLAAD's Advertising Visibility Index in 2023 found that our community is woefully underrepresented in ads and the quality of the existing inclusion was inadequate and unrecognizable to consumers. The second annual Index is soon to be released in September, and while we've seen stronger examples of representation over the past year, our community is still underrepresented. I expanded GLAAD's media advocacy work into advertising four years ago with the support of Procter & Gamble, and our work to drive greater inclusion in advertising would not be possible without support from our corporate partners and amplification of our mission from organizations like CC:DC, led by Adrianne C. Smith. Adrianne, it is a privilege to have GLAAD working alongside your vision to change this industry and celebrate the diversity of all consumers and employees. I look forward to celebrating the brands and agencies who increase intersectional LGBTQ visibility this year on Inkwell Beach in 2025.

As the demand for quality #LGBTQ #representation grows, so too does the responsibility of video game creators to meet those expectations. Video game remakes have an opportunity to be better than the originals and, more importantly, set a higher standard for the types of stories, characters, and players that they want to better represent. https://lnkd.in/e7YKpbRw

The opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center by Pride Live is so important to have a place of our own that captures LGBTQ history and educates people about our history and the fight for LGBTQ equality in the United States. We have a lot of work ahead of us heading into the election this November. LGBTQ voters are poised to be the deciding difference in the 2024 election as they were in 2020. 94% of LGBTQ registered voters are planning to vote this year. There is a stark difference between the two presidential candidates' support of the LGBTQ community. Donald Trump has amassed more than 210 attacks against LGBTQ Americans before, during and after his presidency. Joe Biden has made more than 350 moves to include, protect and support LGBTQ Americans. Thank you Alex Witt and MSNBC for having me on to discuss the importance of the Stonewall Visitor Center opening and what's at stake for the LGBTQ community this November.

Hello Dallas, TX, and surrounding areas! The GLAAD Media Institute is coming to your city next week to offer you a free media training. Training Details: Date: Tuesday, July 16th Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Location: Dallas, TX \(*Please note that training location will be shared upon confirmation of registration.\) Training Title: Telling Your Story: Messaging & Media Tools For Today's Activist During this free training session, participants will: ✅ Learn about media structure and dynamics ✅ Discover effective storytelling techniques across traditional, online, and social media platforms ✅ Acquire best practices for engaging with diverse audiences and driving meaningful change This training aims to empower activists, advocates, allies, and storytellers with the skills needed to amplify LGBTQ voices and educate the public through compelling storytelling and strategic media engagement. Don't miss out on this invaluable opportunity to enhance your advocacy efforts and make a difference in your community. Please share with your network of organizations and individuals you think would gain from this experience. We look forward to seeing you there! Register now: https://lnkd.in/eQS__pws

¡Ojo! Brings you a selection of new and notable LGBTQ media curated by GLAAD’s Spanish-Language & Latine Media & Representation team. This week we are shining a spotlight on Latine LGBTQ media from the hope-filled summery “Hummingbirds,” Victoria Bazúa’s breakthrough role in “Land Of Women,” “Loot” with the sublime Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Omar Apollo’s new album “God Said No,” to Fernando Carsa’s iconic role in “Acapulco,” and more at the link in bio! Monica Trasandes Isabel Fernandez Read this week’s ¡Ojo! Here: https://lnkd.in/erZaZ6ad

“Social media platforms have a responsibility to all of their users — and to society as a whole — to maintain the safety of their products,” Harvard Law’s Alejandra Caraballo writes for Tech Policy Press, as trans people are facing an alarming rise of hate and harassment online. A year ago today, 250+ LGBTQ celebrities and allies sent an open letter to Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and X pleading with their CEOs to address the dangerous epidemic of anti-trans hate and disinformation. Signatories asked that these companies develop and publicly share plans about how they are dealing with this material in the context of their existing hate and harassment policies. But to date, no plans have been put forth. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gNqwbnhF

It’s more important than ever for brands to renew their commitments to inclusion in advertising. Regarding LGBTQ+ people and allies, this is not only the right thing to do but also a driver of brand loyalty. Perhaps the simplest, most effective argument for depicting LGBTQ+ stories in advertising is that gay, bi, trans, nonbinary, and queer people are permanently woven into the fabric of society. Advertisers must speak to the whole culture, not just part of it, if they want to grow. Holding space for LGBTQ+ lives, on a global scale, is the best way to achieve that feat. Read more about what Adrienne Hayes and I had to say about LGBTQ advertising here ⤵ https://lnkd.in/geHfPcJb

Hello Tallahassee, FL, and surrounding areas: The GLAAD Media Institute is coming to your city next week to offer you a free media training. Training Details: Date: Wednesday, July 10th Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Location: Tallahassee, FL \(*Please note that training location will be shared upon confirmation of registration.\) Training Title: Telling Your Story: Messaging & Media Tools For Today's Activist During this free training session, participants will: ✅ Learn about media structure and dynamics ✅ Discover effective storytelling techniques across traditional, online, and social media platforms ✅ Acquire best practices for engaging with diverse audiences and driving meaningful change This training aims to empower activists, advocates, allies, and storytellers with the skills needed to amplify LGBTQ voices and educate the public through compelling storytelling and strategic media engagement. Don't miss out on this invaluable opportunity to enhance your advocacy efforts and make a difference in your community. Please share with your network of organizations and individuals you think would gain from this experience. We look forward to seeing you there! Register now: https://lnkd.in/efRerk4f

Brands are stepping up, not stepping down. The majority of corporate executives and Fortune 500 companies are not backing down from Pride. They are supporting the LGBTQ community year-round. The future of this country, and the future of business, is inclusion. Listen to my conversation with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on the Bloomberg Business podcast where we discuss where the LGBTQ community is now and where I hope we'll be in five years ⤵ https://lnkd.in/eVAruKBt

After years of cruelty and attacks on Floridians by Ron DeSantis, the tide is turning — and our movement is winning critical battles. Thousands of parents, families, and volunteers across Florida are showing up to challenge DeSantis' extremist agenda of book bans, censorship, and government overreach. The work is hard, but GLAAD is proud to partner with Equality Florida as they remain committed to fighting every fight.