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News & ArtsSaturday, May 7, 2011
Homo Google Chrome, It Gets Better, ESPN, and a Little Boy in Missouri Who Has Two Daddies
Posted by Dan Savage on Sat, May 7, 2011 at 9:40 AM
Posted last night to the "It Gets Better" Facebook page:
And that's why we agreed to do this ad campaign. (And, yes, Google's "It Gets Better" ad ran yesterday during an NBA playoff game. Thanks, Google, for getting it.)
4
"Buckle of the Bible Belt" - is that really Springfield's motto? or is he just being cute/funny like a writer for the Stranger?
5
How wonderful! I'm so glad to see the IGBP get national, primetime attention.
Please do your part, give someone 2 minutes of your time and help make it better for everyone!Thanks.
Please do your part, give someone 2 minutes of your time and help make it better for everyone!Thanks.
7
That is so sweet! I tend to forget how so many Americans' childrearing weekend routines don't involve nibbling truffle-oil fries at Smith while Hey Marseilles plays over the Muzak, but just watching TV together at a warehouse-club retail snack bar, in this case in the Ozarks.
And a reminder that the attitudes of those kids' playmates toward what's inside the box vs. outside is very much shaped by what corporate commercials show them about the world. Google's need to bolster its browser share with commercial-TV ad buys couldn't have come at a better time.
And a reminder that the attitudes of those kids' playmates toward what's inside the box vs. outside is very much shaped by what corporate commercials show them about the world. Google's need to bolster its browser share with commercial-TV ad buys couldn't have come at a better time.
8
That's such a big thing, isn't it? Seeing yourself mirrored in other people ("I'm in love, oh look, there's an in-love couple on that hallmark ad," etc.), which gays and lesbians, and the kids of gays and lesbians, don't get to see enough. Whatever the percentage is (1 in 8? 1 in 10? 1 in 20?), I'd like to see 10%, or whatever, of all of the couples and families that we see in ads and on TV as same-sex couples and families. Your Chrome ad is one huge step in the direction of normalizing all orientations to the point that someday it won't need to be remarked upon.
10
No, you'd be right, Canuck - finally eating breakfast now. Devoured "Stonewall Uprising" online last night, and it underscores so strongly what you were saying about it yesterday and what you mention here too - in the old days not only was there no kind of role modeling available in the culture or media for LGBT youth, what there was occurred only--only--in the context of talking about punishment for criminality, for deviance, for mental illness.
11
It was pretty powerful, wasn't it? I knew it was worse back then, but I didn't have any idea about the degree to which they pathologized it. It breaks my heart to think of the gays kids in that classroom, listening to that police officer--knowing, of course, that that very same lecture will occur in churches across North America tomorrow. Very sobering. And heartening to see the IGBP/Chrome, now.
14
IGBP during NBA, NOM's facebook page defected to the marriage equality side a few weeks ago, the slow but persistent poll trends and legal advances [I'm looking at you Perry V Schwarzenegger]...it is only a matter of time.
I'm looking forward to watching the Stonewall doc, but it sounds like I'll have to have some uplifting "GLBT win" on hand to wash it down.
I'm looking forward to watching the Stonewall doc, but it sounds like I'll have to have some uplifting "GLBT win" on hand to wash it down.
15
@10 &11
I saw Stonewall Uprising first at the NW Film Forum, then I re-watched it on KCTS a week later. Great film, that should be shown in every school.
I saw Stonewall Uprising first at the NW Film Forum, then I re-watched it on KCTS a week later. Great film, that should be shown in every school.
17
@14, yeah, see @15 - truly, a wonderful and uplifting film. Canuck was noting that it could be tough for younger gay kids to watch if they're easily frightened, and I can see that. But I don't see anyone coming away without a feeling of relief, and joy. I'd describe why but don't dare spoil it.
And not just joy, but such gratitude, too, for the men and women who got all this started. They weren't outsiders just to the straight culture, but from the leading gay culture of the time, too. They were considered the little people, the nobodies, throwaways. And today thanks to the work of historians, as we stand on their shoulders we realize what giants they were.
And not just joy, but such gratitude, too, for the men and women who got all this started. They weren't outsiders just to the straight culture, but from the leading gay culture of the time, too. They were considered the little people, the nobodies, throwaways. And today thanks to the work of historians, as we stand on their shoulders we realize what giants they were.
18
This is sooo awesome!
(are we past the pity stage?)
Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,
As to be hated needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
we first endure, then pity, then embrace.
surely we've reached Gommorah?
(are we past the pity stage?)
Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,
As to be hated needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
we first endure, then pity, then embrace.
surely we've reached Gommorah?
19
Ophian, as gus said, it has an incredible, powerful message of hope, ultimately. My concern, as gus also said, was that for teens, they may not have the perspective, or enough self-esteem (what teen does?) to watch certain parts without internalizing it.
I loved the woman who, after the riots, said, "What about a parade?"
I loved the woman who, after the riots, said, "What about a parade?"
23
Sure, it gets better for almost everyone...except for heterosexual dudes who don't want to be physically assaulted. Then it gets worse. And in fact, SLOG, encourages the sexual assaults and blames the victim.
So which side do you stand on, Mr. Savage? When it comes turn to apply justice for all? Shouldn't you take a stand against David Schmader? Shouldn't you support the right of heterosexual men not to be harassed physically?
Well.....?
http://www.thestranger.com/slog/archives…
27
@4 I grew up in Springfield, and most of the citizens who are tired of the bullshit call it that. Literally almost everyone on the city council is either on, or married to someone on the "Council of Churches" and use their positions to attempt to legislate every aspect of what people do. Example: They attempted to rezone all of the downtown spots occupied by bars as residential loft housing a few years back, coincidentally at the same time that the COC was approaching the bar owners to try to get them to sell/close. You can't buy alcohol after 6 pm on a Sunday and not in a bar as they are required to be closed, and all bars are required to close by 1:30 am every other night of the week. Bars that are concert venues can't just stop serving liquor at 1:30 and let the show go on, they have to close. The only people who can seem to get a permit to use the city square after it closes at 9pm are COC allies, everyone else using the space risks a ticket if they are out past that time. In other words: That isn't the official motto of the town, but it should be. I'm glad I moved.
28
@17 @19 One of the things that blows me away about this is the realization that this is a history directtly relevant to who I am today and what sort of world & opportuties I have (or don't have) because of what specific people did for & against LGBT folks. The other is the casual near-erasure & rewrite of this history by the dominant paradigm. It's another way of killing us.
I am left alternately angry at the lengths homophobia goes and blown away by the courage and grace displayed by the "the lowest of the low" and so proud over what they did with that the next summer -- when they could have so easily stayed home & not marched...
I am left alternately angry at the lengths homophobia goes and blown away by the courage and grace displayed by the "the lowest of the low" and so proud over what they did with that the next summer -- when they could have so easily stayed home & not marched...
29
BEG, it looks from the "free preview" pages online at Amazon of the David Carter book this movie sprang from, "Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution", goes into rich detail about what they did to keep the spark alive during the following year. I realize getting the book is the ultimate no-brainer - think about it: a 300-page book to flesh out a documentary whose entire transcript online is only thirty-two generously spaced pages...
35
@23, FWIW if I beat the shit out of every guy who didn't take "lesbian" for an answer there would be over a hundred dead men out there and I'm guessing you wouldn't be defending me. But I'm sure you'd say it's only when a gay guy touches your pee-pee that he deserves to get beat up? When a straight guy does it, boys will be boys, right?
The negative sexual attention lesbians, especially femme ones, get from hetero men (up to and including attempted rape in my case) is far worse than the negative sexual attention hetero men get from gay men so quit whining.
The negative sexual attention lesbians, especially femme ones, get from hetero men (up to and including attempted rape in my case) is far worse than the negative sexual attention hetero men get from gay men so quit whining.
36
I just saw the It Gets Better commercial it run on after the Amazing Race finale. Which is pretty apropos since the amazing race is one of the most gay friendly shows on TV, they have had several GLBT couples compete, as well as GLBT individuals competing with family and friends.
37
I saw the ad during Glee, well my DVR version. It was well done and I'm glad google didn't overly brand (except for showing the youtube frame) Didn't even realize that it was google related until the end. Glad you did it and glad it is airing. I think it will have a positive impact and maybe reach some kids who are not aware of it.
Kudos to you and Terry for doing this ad. You are making a difference!
Kudos to you and Terry for doing this ad. You are making a difference!
38
Back to the real point: various town, cities, and states have been referred to as "the buckle on the Bible Belt" for many decades. The movie "Inherit the Wind" referred to heavenly Hillsboro that way, but the phrase goes back farther.
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