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Arya Davachi, senior experiential producer, The SpringHill Company // programming director, Do the WeRQ (he/him)

As Arya likes to say, his day job at the SpringHill Company is to manage, resource and execute against all of the company’s experiential work. His “gay job” at Do the WeRQ is to showcase the organization’s values and ideals through “engaging and thought-pushing programming,” while pushing for change and progress within the industry for LGBTQ+ people.

Arya’s mix of agency and in-house experience—spanning the aforementioned, plus VMLY&R COMMERCE, TBWA/Chiat/Day, SAG-AFTRA and others—helps bring his clients’ ideas to life. That commitment to pulling double duty shows how far he will go to make sure the LGBTQ+ community is felt and seen in all the work that he does.

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Chloe Stokes, visual senior designer and illustrator, Block (they/them)

Chloe’s work is bright, exciting and handcrafted, across branding and identity, illustration and graphic design. Their instinct to showcase those around them may come from their time spent as both a journalist at The GW Hatchet or while working at the Human Rights Campaign as an editorial and digital media manager. At the HRC they helped organize and curate pieces around the LGBTQ+ community.

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James Sorton, executive producer, Magna Studios (he/him)

According to Sorton, being “out” at work is his superpower: “I’ve enjoyed feeling different and as I’ve gotten older, have learned to embrace it, and feel empowered by it. Having an outsider view can make you better at your job, and it sets you apart from the mainstream.”

He uses this superpower to ensure the work that he and his teams create is never a “box-ticking exercise,” but a message delivered through authenticity. Sorton has also used this thinking as a judge on many panels throughout the years, most recently on this year’s Cannes Lions panel for Film Craft.

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These are all amazing individuals who are producing work in Adland at the intersection of talent and authenticity. But what organizations are specifically focusing on upholding that same level of care when it comes to infusing LGBTQ+ points of view with the work? And what groups are helping to organize such talent for folks to find them? Let’s dig in…

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Do the WeRQ, a platform dedicated to the creative potential of the LGBTQ+ community

Their mission: Increase queer creativity and representation in the marketing industry. This means inclusion, connection and brand experiences that drive sustainable, visible change for those still left out of the field.

Whether it’s through panel discussions, campaigns, thought pieces, judging panels or general outreach, Do the WeRQ brings its full self every time to enhance creativity through the community’s experiences. Most recently, the organization hosted a town hall discussion around bisexual representation in advertising and media.

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Queer Design Club, a directory for talent

The Queer Design Club helps coalesce profiles in order “to promote and celebrate all the amazing work that happens at the intersection of queer identity and design worldwide—from LGBTQ+ designers’ contributions to the industry to design’s role in queer activism throughout history.”

In the vein of Blacks Who Design, Latinxs Who Design and Women Who Design, the Queer Design Club puts the spotlight on LGBTQ+ designers from the branding, UX/UI, illustration, graphics and experiential spaces.

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Queer Ad Folk, an ongoing series from Campaign U.S., highlighting and interviewing queer members of the advertising and marketing community

The brainchild of John Osborne, group creative director of Cossette, and Oli Rimoldi, creative director of Mother, the Queer Ad Folk interview series and social pages were developed to “showcase LGBTQ+ talent out there thriving in adland so that everyone can see people like themselves in the boardroom and beyond.”

Not only does this wonderful series spotlight talent, but it fights the self-doubt many new LGBTQ+ folks in the advertising industry face about their role within their chosen industry—or even their own agency. Hopefully these stories that continue to be shared are enlightening for those individuals and for non-members of the LGBTQ+ community.

From producers to copywriters and agencies to organizations, these people and places are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to tapping into a rich tapestry of experiences, talent, and creativity that this community has within it. 

And if you’re still a bit lost, then ask! These and many more resources (including myself!) are available to help advertisers looking to focus on LGBTQ+ storytelling to deliver their projects and missions in the most truthful way possible.

Find a queer creative today, and let’s advance our story.

JPalm Hairdressing is a salon in Omaha, Nebraska owned by a queer married couple—Jordan Palmer and Alex Bauer—who are all about creating a safe, welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ people and anyone else who doesn’t feel like they’d fit in at a traditional boutique.

“We’re the only really openly queer femme salon in Omaha,” Palmer says.

Opened in 2019, JPalm is a two-person operation. Palmer is the lone stylist, and Bauer manages operations.

Yet this very small business—Palmer describes it as a “micro salon”—has a massive social media presence. The shop’s TikTok account, @jpalmhairdressing, is nearing 400,000 followers and growing every day. (You can find @jpalmhairdressing on Instagram, too.)

Positive, inspiring and a whole lot of fun, JPalm’s TikTok mostly features Palmer’s consultations with clients (as well as reveals of the stylish ‘dos she gives them); fit checks (the hairdresser, who uses she/they pronouns, is very stylish); and pep-talk videos.

@jpalmhairdressing We want volume. We want fun. We want gay aunt hair!!! #Omaha #omahahair #omahahaircut #queersalon #babybangs #curly #shortlayers #omahasalon #omahahairdresser #jpalm #queerowned #lesbianhairdresser #genderlesshair #genderlesshaircut #omahasmallbusiness #shaghaircut #shagomaha #queer #queerhair #omahaqueer #queerhairdresser #mullet #mulletomaha #queersalonomaha #queeromaha #queer #consultation #hairconsultation #queertiktok ♬ original sound – JPalm Hairdressing

Alex, who uses she/her pronouns, also pops up on the feed to show off her latest hair color and take viewers behind the scenes of content creation, which she spearheads.

And we see the pair on the feed together, modeling life as a queer couple and business owners.

Here, the duo talk about their approach to social media and its impact on their business and the queer community in Omaha and beyond:

MUSE: Jordan, your consultations are so lovely and supportive. You always ask your clients if it is okay for you to touch them, and you share your pronouns and invite your clients to share theirs. What kind of reaction did you get when you first started posting these videos?

Jordan: The first consultation I filmed ever, we posted it, and it popped off. It went viral, and Alex said to me—I’ll never forget this—she goes, “You know what they’re talking a lot about in [the comments on] that video is the consent thing.” And I was like, “Whatcha talking about?”

She goes, “I don’t know if you know this, but you asked before you touched that person and that is causing a lot of conversation on our page. So, this is what I want you to do tomorrow: I want you to film another one, and I want you to share your pronouns, and I want you to ask consent. We’ll see if we can get more people’s attention.”

And boy, didn’t we.

Alex: One of the beautiful things about Jordan’s work is she’s able to model all of these things that we were not able to experience ourselves as young, queer people—having complete control over what our haircut looks like, over what we do with our bodies, over who we share our identity with, how we present ourselves, all of those things.

Jordan: Another thing that made the videos go viral is Alex responds to every single person who interacts with our page—all the nice people. She spends hours a day moderating the page and having conversation with the users.

Why do you invest so much time in interacting with people?

Alex: There’s a lot of young queer people who follow us, and they’re like, “Oh my God, you replied to my comment!” If that can make somebody’s day, I can take 30 seconds to read their comment and give them a thoughtful response.

How do you deal with people who share negative comments?

Alex: We get quite a bit of negative attention. I don’t care if you say something about me, Alex, as a business owner. Jordan doesn’t care if you say something about her, or the way that we run our business. Those things don’t affect us. But if you are going to say something negative about our clients [or say something negative that impacts them], it gets deleted, you get blocked, you’re done. That’s my hard and fast rule, because the whole point of people coming to JPalm is for them to walk out feeling good about themselves.

@jpalmhairdressing Replying to @Mikayla Schlage A little JPalm pep talk/ PSA for your first friday of pride! #Omaha #omahahair #omahahaircut #queersalon #babybangs #curly #shortlayers #omahasalon #omahahairdresser #jpalm #queerowned #lesbianhairdresser #genderlesshair #genderlesshaircut #omahasmallbusiness #shaghaircut #shagomaha #queer #queerhair #omahaqueer #queerhairdresser #mullet #mulletomaha #queersalonomaha #queeromaha #queer #consultation #hairconsultation #queertiktok ♬ original sound – JPalm Hairdressing

Do you have clients who have discovered you online and then traveled to the salon from way beyond Omaha?

Alex: People will drive from small towns in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, especially queer folks. I don’t know how much you know about Nebraska, but Omaha, and to a degree Lincoln, are these two kind of just—we call them blue dots. Omaha still is in Nebraska, so we still have all of the same challenges that most queer people living in America have, but it’s a little bit to significantly better than small-town Nebraska. I grew up in small town Nebraska, in a town of 2,800 people. Moving to Omaha was a really big deal for me when I was young.

Jordan has had quite a few people come from rural Nebraska, where they might be the only queer person in their entire town. They just need to have a safe haven to release some of that masking that we all have to do, acting that we all have to do to pass, or be a certain way to get by.

Jordan: Yeah, people from larger cities might fly in and see me. But I think that it’s really fantastic that these little gay babies in these small towns are seeing somebody and saying, “That’s only four hours away. I can drive there, and I can get that haircut.” That’s the Lord’s work, I’d say.

As a gay person, especially back in the day, it was always stressful for me to visit a salon because I was worried about being judged for asking for certain haircuts. I have had some bad experiences over the years, where I just did not feel welcome in a salon. Or I didn’t feel at all comfortable asking for the haircut I wanted. Or the stylist didn’t pay attention to what I wanted, and I left with baby bangs that I didn’t ask for. It feels so good to watch how you treat and uplift your clients. I am lucky now to have a hairdresser who does the same for me.

Jordan: Receiving a haircut is a universal experience. Everybody at some point in their lives is going to get a haircut. Everybody at some point in their lives is probably going to get a bad haircut and have a bad experience. People have trauma from getting their hair cut a certain way that they weren’t asking for, or being misgendered, or mistreated, or discriminated against because of the texture of their hair. So, I think that a lot of people are drawn to seeing a hairdresser be kind to their clients and just open to letting people be themselves. Come as you are. I’ll give you any haircut you want.

You have worked with some brands in the haircare and fashion space. Is there a dream brand that you would like to collaborate with?

Alex: Any time you see Jordan, she’s probably wearing at least one thing that’s from Wildfang. If Jordan’s birthday is coming up, or if I want to get Jordan something, it’s going to be a Wildfang item. Jordan’s been wearing Wildfang for over 10 years.

Jordan: It’s just part of my Queer mythos! My very first blazer that I got where I really, really felt myself was from Wildfang. And it’s been a love affair with that company ever since.

Alex: Our brand is also about the authenticity of who we are as people, as business owners, which is why Wildfang—and not Target—is a dream collaboration.

We all go to Target. But Target also is Target when it comes to Pride this year. [Target won’t selling Pride merch in some of its stores because of the backlash it received from homophobes and transphobes last year.] So, it wouldn’t feel authentic to align ourselves with those brands that aren’t authentic to how we live our lives.

Jordan: You could be an influencer within the hairdressing world—there’s a lot of hairdressers doing that already, though. I think that maybe our brand, our page, is for the consumer.

When we send out our media kit, it says in big, bold letters: “UNAPOLOGETICALLY QUEER.” So, I think the dream is to create a few channels where young queer people can see successful queer people running a business and whatever brands align with that. I think that is where we want to move. I want to align myself and collaborate with other people who are creating interesting things that are helping people be themselves.

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BMO – ‘Rainbow Deposits’

BMO for the third consecutive year invites folks in the U.S. and Canada to “deposit” photos of rainbows on the bank’s custom web app. All IRL and online rainbows count, with BMO donating $1 (up to a maximum of $50,000) to Rainbow Railroad, which helps members of the LGBTQ+ community escape violence and persecution. FCB Toronto developed the campaign.

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‘It’s Giving Space: Celebrating Queer Event Curators’ – BLK Dating App

The campaign amplifies Black LGBTQ+ stories within and beyond the community by focusing on Black event curators in cities across the country. Three LGBTQ+ party collectives are featured: Party Noire (Chicago), Global Warming (Brooklyn) and Lesbians in Houston.

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‘Mission Every One’ – Macy’s 

During Pride Month, the retailer, in partnership with The Trevor Project, is hosting an in-store and online donation campaign—benefitting The Trevor Project—to support youth across the country with critical resources, including 24/7 crisis services, advocacy and peer support. This PSA chronicles the journeys young LGBTQ+ people have made to find self-acceptance.

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Pride Lingerie – Bluebella

The luxe lingerie, nightwear and swimwear brand features a bevy of queer talent to showcase its swimwear collection in rainbow colors. Participating are BMX champion Shanaze Reade, comedian Rosie Turner, singer Benedetta Atti, Olympic rugby players Celia Quansah and Megan Jones, and @lesbiansupperclubpod podcast hosts Freya Evans and Scarlett Plott. For a second year, Bluebella is partnering with Outright International and donating 10 percent of the swimwear collection’s June profits to the organization.

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‘This Is Love’ – Calvin Klein

Jeremy Pope and Cara Delevigne appear in CK’s campaign, wearing pieces from the brand’s new Pride collection. The work celebrates families in the LGBTQ+ community. CK continues its partnership with PFLAG National and the Transgender Law Center to support LGBTQ+ education, inclusion and justice. Also, CK Australia is working with BlaQ Aboriginal Corp. to support the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQ+ community.

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‘Love Unites’ – Major League Soccer

The league partnered with Brazilian drag queen and singer Pabllo Vittar to create pre-match Pride Tops. MLS is donating to Athlete Ally during Pride Month, whose mission is to end homophobia and transphobia in sports.

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‘Proud to Be’ – Converse

The sneaker brand calls its 2024 Pride collection a love letter to those who pioneer a space for the queer community, past and present. A dedicated website includes members of the LGBTQ+ community, who express what queer joy and love mean to them. 

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‘Pride is Universal’ – NBC Universal

Universal Pictures All Access Channel on YouTube is running the spot below, which says: “We have many truths to speak. Our truths are vast. They are unique. They are always evolving. Most of all, our truths are universal.”

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‘Love Wins’ – MoveActive

Socks sport embroidered rainbows and festive grips, giving wearers a “touch of Pride” to celebrate the month “with every step.” MoveActive will donate $1 to Minus18, which promotes education and inclusivity across schools in Australia.

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Pride Profile Sticker Collection – Chispa

The dating app for Latine singles partnered with queer artist and activist Julio Salgado to create a collection of five Pride-themed in-app stickers exclusively for Chispa users: “Fluid,” “Rainbow Rebel,” “Panamor,” “Bisexy” and “Gender Explorer.” They are designed to foster inclusivity and self-expression. For each sticker displayed by a Chispa user on their app profile, the company will donate $1 per sticker to the Human Rights Campaign during Pride Month, with a minimum donation of $5,000 up to $10,000.

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‘High on Love’ – Gotham

The NYC cannabis dispensary, in partnership with Drew Martin, rolls out a month-long campaign featuring queer love stories.

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‘Grindr Rides America Tour’

The dating app inaugurates a Pride bus tour connecting Pride celebrations across the U.S. marking “the great gay American road trip.”

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‘SEA-Worthy Celebration of Love’ – Visit Seattle

Marking the 50th anniversary of Seattle’s first Pride celebration, Visit Seattle, alongside long-time agency partner Copacino Fujikado, created the initiative. LGBTQ+ couples across the U.S. renewed vows on Puget Sound. The event set a World Record for the largest vow renewal of LGBTQ+ couples ever.

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‘It Gets Better’ – Pride Village x Minecraft 

The global non-profit that focuses on uplifting LGBTQ+ youth through storytelling launched a “Pride Village” in Minecraft. Collaborating with Carper Creative, the effort kicked off with an unofficial Minecraft build relay across Twitch channels.

Nike teamed up with Soursop in Amsterdam to give us some representative filmmaking. Developed with queer writer-director Abel Rubinstein, “No Pride, No Sport” shows LGBTQIA+ athletes celebrating their values and identities while inspiring others.

The films are shot in 9:16. They combine native content, live action and archival footage. The first features Jarred and Hany, Berlin-based runners in the Joy Run Collective, where women of color and allies find camaraderie and support.

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The community vibes are strong with this one!

The second episode zips us to Paris, where Leone and Yassin describe their coaching work. Leone’s sports journey led to some serious self-realization about what it means to be non-binary. Yassin, who’s HIV-positive, cultivates an aura of confidence, approachability and strength. “You can be a sports coach, you can be successful, happy in life, have friends,” he says.

Both operate classes at the queer-friendly KAH fitness studio.

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Soursop assembled a creative team that reflects different facets of the LGBTQIA+ community in order to articulate authentically queer stories.

The first film received a fair share of internet hate when it debuted. This made the agency anxious about the safety of its team and talent. Nike ultimately posted a statement in support of the queer community, an act of empowerment that helped Soursop hold firm in defiance of trolls.

The second video generated more positive feedback, “showing progress is slowly being made,” the agency notes. Though they also concede, “We still have a lot of ground to cover.”

They view the work as a template for diversity and inclusion well beyond Pride month. Soursop hopes agencies and brands will take representation more seriously across all aspects of storytelling.

CREDITS

Agency: Soursop (Amsterdam)

Director: Abel Rubinstein

Production Company: Bullion Productions (London)

Because the video is meant for allies like myself, I couldn’t in good conscience serve as writer and director without doing my best to understand the queer experience in advertising. And that meant taking some risks.

At the start of the project, I met with the leadership of Do the WeRQ, and asked some admittedly ignorant questions—questions I was afraid to ask. I felt myself editing my language and doubting my word choices in real-time because, despite my allyship, I was suddenly very aware of my limited knowledge. I pressed on with the encouragement of their team—and risked making mistakes—so I could get closer to the heart of the matter. 

Then, armed with insights directly from the community, I worked with a talented group of both queer and ally volunteers to create a video that parodies the things we’ve all probably been guilty of at one time or another. Our goal was not to call out anyone directly, but to call them in—to have them questioning whether they are similarly hesitant when faced with opportunities involving LGBTQ+ inclusion.

The discomfort I actively chose in this process is something I hope more allies explore and push through to do the work of supporting positive change in our industry. It isn’t easy; you’ll make mistakes. But you’ll make them in the early stages of the process with positive intent and improved outcomes. You’ll be OK, and the work will be better for it.

For me, the discomfort proved worthwhile when one queer person who saw the ad commented, “This is ripped from my personal experience, so I love it.”

The end result is not about me, though, but the discomfort all allies need to face if we are going to truly support our LGBTQ+ friends we say we love.

CREDITS

Production and Creative: K&C 
Director, Writer, Producer: Carter Pagel 
Executive Producer: Kat Thay 
Associate Producer: Syd Smith 
Director of Photography: Andrew Baird
1st AC: Michael Cavazos
Gaffer: Noel Maitland 
Grip: MJ Johnston
Sound Recordist: Colin Perry
Wardrobe Stylist: Kate Smith
Hair and Makeup: Lainie Garcia
Script Supervisor: Tommi Ramirez
Camera PA: Mary Powell
PA: Alexandra Shoultz
Lenses provided by Shorthand Camera
Gear provided by Aduro Film

Editorial and Finishing: Nomad Editing Co.
Executive Producer: Meredith Roach
Producer: Marlee Cutbirth
Editor: Ellen Culver
Assistant Editor: Noah Legget
Partner/Editor: Ariel Quintans
Color and Audio Mix: TBD Post
Colorist: Brandon Thomas 
Sound Mix: Kyle Scribner
Post Producer: Rachel Kichler
Executive Producer: Ron Rendon

CAST
Dani Holder
Carter Pagel
Graham Nolan
Arthur Kurland
Dana Wing Lau
Ryan Kober
Syd Smith
Kim Bravo
Natalie Joy
Patrick Grover
Jeff Mills

If you’ve ever been to a Pride parade in a major city, it’s hard to square the reality of it with the fact that the LGBTQIA+ community is fighting harder than ever to secure their rights. In metropolitan settings, Pride feels like a community event. Friends and friends of friends turn out to show support; some people come just to enjoy the beauty of the event. 

As Misterb&b, a gay travel and accommodations service, observes below, Pride parades are designed to be inclusive by nature—which is why the flag, like the acronym, keeps evolving. A wide spectrum of communities are invited to represent themselves in the spectacle, which is as diverse and kaleidoscopic as identity itself.

But Pride’s sprawl has created new, unexpected problems. The parades are crowded, and hot weather is often a factor (June saw record heat throughout the world). The decibels are high, and parades aren’t designed with accessibility in mind. For these reasons, at least one group often gets excluded: the very generation that fought for such marches’ existence, folks now in their senior years.

“Silver Pride,” created by BETC Paris, highlights the touching stories of a number of these figures in the French capital. We learn how they contributed or took part in the original Pride marches, and why they stopped attending despite their desire to take part.

Along the route of the Pride parade in Paris, Misterb&b rented apartments equipped with balconies, air conditioning and easy-access features such as elevators. Accommodations were made available for 80 seniors to enjoy the festivities they worked so hard to see realized. The Pride flag added a silver stripe, to represent those who, slowly but hopefully surely, will enter this stage of life. (And the ones who have done so already.)

This solution jibes with Misterb&b’s business proposition. “A lot of straight people ask me why the LGTBQ community needs their own ‘airbnb’,” says creative director David Martin Angelus of BETC Paris. “What they don’t understand is that in many countries, prejudice can lead to home owners or hotels denying rental to individuals. I have friends who have been asked to leave hotels and apartments because they were gay or trans.”

Misterb&b also worked in partnership with nonprofit organization Les Audacieuses et les Audacieux, which supports LGTBQ+ seniors in danger of isolation. “Our elders are the generation that fought for our rights. If the march exists, it is thanks to them. Knowing that they are excluded is just impossible for us,” says Michel Simon, president of Les Audacieuses et Les Audacieux.

Misterb&b will bring “Silver Pride” to Europride Valletta in Malta on Sept. 7, and to Atlanta Pride in the U.S. on Oct. 15.

“As part of the LGTBQ community, I wanted to do something that really makes a difference,” says Angelus. “Everyone ignores the hardships that LGTBQ+ people face as they get older. Most don’t have children, and loneliness and depression are common. That’s why Silver Pride is such an important initiative. It brings them back to Pride and makes them feel supported and embraced by their community.”

According to the organizations involved, 65 percent of LGBTQ+ seniors live alone; 90 percent have no offspring or caregivers. The suicide rate is two to seven times higher than the heteronormative populace. The community itself fills that crucial role of family. 

According to Angelus, the Paris Silver Pride initiative took three months to put together. “Implementing the initiative in other Pride walks like in Europride, Malta and Atlanta, USA will be much easier,” he notes. “We have most of the assets and we will be probably looking into partnering with similar local associations in each city.” He also hopes to accommodate as many seniors as possible, and to spread to more locations. 

“Nobody talks about the senior generation in the LGTBQ+ community,” Angelus tells Muse. “We all ask ourselves, where do they go, they seem to vanish after 75. Once I got in contact with Les Audacieux, I was shocked by the data.”

For these reasons, and personal ones, the project was a labor of love. “I realized that the community itself needed to be reminded that we can’t forget the generation that fought for our rights. We needed to bring them back to Pride, honor them, celebrate them. In Paris the initiative really moved people. Influencers interviewed them, the generalist press shined a light on the issue and we made special pride flags with a silver stripe available so the younger generation could march with them. It was beautiful to see everyone looking up at the balconies cheering them on. It was very emotional.”

CREDITS

MISTERB&B – SILVER PRIDE
BRAND: Misterb&b
BRAND TEAM: Matthieu Jost, Marc Dedonder
AGENCY: Betc
AGENCY MANAGEMENT: Mathieu Laugier, Aude Devaux
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Stéphane Xiberras
EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: David Martin Angelus
LEAD COPYWRITERS: Elisa Bernard, David Campese
COPYWRITER: Olivier Mille
LEAD ART DIRECTORS: Chloé Thivel, Julien Lefèvre
TRAFIC: Elodie Diana
AGENCY PRODUCERS: Charlotte Lancelot, Aurelia Blatry
PRODUCTION HOUSE: General Pop
DIRECTOR: Bastien Dupré, Fabien Faure
SOUND PRODUCTION: Gum
1st ON AIR: 30.06.2023
DURATION: 1 year
TERRITORY: France
MEDIA: Digital, Social media

Pride Month is here, that time of year in June when brands and agencies suddenly look in the mirror asking, “Have we been inclusive enough in our LGBTQIA+ advertising?”

Cue the rainbow capitalism within some brands, seemingly inclusive but mostly for profit, without actively supporting our community beyond the month of June. By releasing rainbow-themed merchandise, slapping rainbow logos on products or launching targeted marketing campaigns, brands capitalize on the increased visibility and marketability of LGBTQIA+ issues. This type of performative support fails to address the issues we face in society and in turn lacks the effort to help create long-term change of inclusion and acceptance.

As a gay woman, I can tell you that hollow gestures with lack of accountability and authenticity do not  resonate with us as consumers. It can actually perpetuate harmful stereotypes. Disingenuous advertising fuels cynicism and erodes our trust, leaving members of our community skeptical of corporate motivation.

Ad agencies and brands, I encourage you to be loud, to be brave, to include us by hiring LGBTQIA+ creative voices to craft authentic stories and messaging. When you write and create from what you know, experiences one has had, there is an undeniable connection with the viewer.

My wife Jill and I starred in the Showtime docu series The Real L Word in 2010. Asked why we put our lives on television when I have a successful career behind the camera, I simply answer—visibility matters. Seeing relatable stories, especially stories that don’t feel heavy handed for a ‘themed month” are validating and empowering.

Humbled and appreciative, Jill and I have since been featured in many commercial campaigns over the years, with brands that show true commitment to LGBTQIA+ stories. Merrill Lynch worked with us about the importance of managing money and protecting your assets as an LGBTQIA+ family. Ergo Baby told our story about being two moms within my breast cancer journey. Campbell’s Soup showed us as a couple, who happened to be two women, just enjoying soup and a salad on the couch, “real, real life” as they said, while watching our favorite television show. Expedia launched “Find Your Understanding” about our family, a testament to my late father-in-law and his journey of acceptance of his gay daughter and our marriage.

The campaign garnered global awards and accolades inclusive of Ted’s Top Ten Ads of the year. It was shortlisted at Cannes, Clio, won at The One Show and Adweek’s Tear Jerker, but most importantly, Expedia’s campaign helped move the needle, propelling the Supreme Court’s pending decision on DOMA and Proposition 8, as gay marriage was not yet legal in 2013.

This kind of true brand allyship involves actively listening to and uplifting the LGBTQIA+ community, supporting and advocating for inclusivity. By engaging in such messaging throughout the year, it aligns a brand with authentic inclusive values and demonstrates commitment to social progress.

Let’s do better than just waving that rainbow flag for June Pride optics. We have the collective power to raise awareness, challenge norms, and truly inspire action in advertising.

In the course of my work, as I mull LGBTQ+ representation in the creation of advertising, I realized I’ve seen campaigns featuring trans, gay and lesbian people, but either…

1. No commercials featuring bi people, or…
2. Hundreds of commercials featuring bi people.

No one, IRL or fictional, has a sexual identity defined by any one act. No one kiss or handhold or more intimate interaction defines sexual orientation. Through a personal, intricate and ever-changing process, people decide their own orientation. Society gives some shortcuts to communicate these identities. And on the flip side of those communications, we’re culturally trained to make certain assumptions based on people’s behaviors.

Because of those cultural norms, as obvious as it might have felt for my entire life, I have committed a big offense of erasure: I assumed every man I’ve ever seen kissing a woman on screen was straight, and every man I’ve seen kissing a man on screen was gay. I disclose this information at the risk that I’ll be seen as part of a problem, for making oversimplified assumptions about complicated matters of identity. But because part of doing the work of DEI is looking inward at your own biases, I’m admitting that yes, I am part of the problem.

The gap of representation in advertising is two-sided. It resides in both the assumptions of the audience, and the lack of cultural resources to express bisexual identity in ads. An LGBTQ+ activist friend told me just yesterday—unprompted—that she and a number of informed colleagues just had a very involved conversation, with “baffled curiosity about how an advert featuring bisexuals could play out in a 30-second spot.”

More than half of LGBT Americans, 57 percent, indicate they are bisexual. That percentage translates to 4 percent of all U.S. adults. Yet we have so few conversations about bisexual representation in advertising—whether it’s the industry or its product. The most high-profile bi-cultural moment is Bi Visibility Day, which makes the statement: See Us. But where is the cultural coding to express bisexuality in short-form storytelling made by a well-intentioned brand that wants to say, “We DO see you?”

Suddenly, bisexual lighting became a thing, but is it well-known enough to convey representation to mass audiences? Also, how much can we rely on that one filmmaking technique? The hilarity of this Reductress meme that reveals another problem: the answer won’t be in showing that people love something traditionally masculine AND something traditionally feminine.

Because we’re in the business of communication, and increasingly fixing our inclusion biases, we must ask: What elements of bisexual representation in advertising would differ from more generalized LBTQ+ discussions? And what is the ideal for respectful and engaging bi representation in commercial creative? 

When bisexual people deserve to be seen, what’s the right way for our business to let them know they are? Some notions from industry friends and colleagues…

“There are simple, clever ways to approach the bi experience beyond just trying to solve it through character engagement and dialogue. Like, why wouldn’t Burger King create a ‘Have it Both Ways’ campaign? Twix could come out with a bi-pack of different flavors. The Brawny Man could come out as the bi king we know he is. As an out-and-proud member of the bi community for over 20 years, the first step is to have more of these conversations which include us. Make us feel seen and heard by seeing and hearing us. Hire us bi folks to come up with the work, cast us, integrate us into the fabric of the creative and strategic process.”
—Kindra Meyer (she/her), freelance executive creative director (“Bi Boss Barbie”)

“I know so many folks that identify as bi or pan—but how do we represent them in ads where even clearly same-sex couples read as friends to audiences? I think you’d have to go big and write a concept speaking directly about a bisexual character. Or let the character speak to the complexity. If we want inclusion to go beyond the superficial we need ads to go there, too.”
—Ryan Murphy (he/they), VP creative director, M Booth

“I think the lack of conversation around bisexual/pansexual representation boils down to society’s unhealthy obsession with binaries and an aversion to nuance. People like things to belong to one category or the other, to be easily identifiable. Bi/pan folks exist in that inconvenient grey area. So we have to reframe the perception that the queer community is a monolith, [similar to the] work we’ve done for years in the multicultural marketing space. We have to redefine our own perceptions, too. For any same-sex couple shown in an ad, not automatically assuming they’re both Kinsey 6s.”
—Diego Andrade (he/him), SVP, ECD, Orci

“Thanks to representation shortages, we’ve become experts in spotting representation when it does exist or creating our own; there’s no need to beat us over the head with it. Casting bisexual public figures—as themselves, not characters—is a great start because we know and love our bicons. Leaning into symbols of bisexuality is another great option. Signifiers of bisexuality can range from more mainstream ones like the bi flag to more niche creations of online communities like finger guns, an inability to sit in chairs correctly, and lemon bars. Most importantly, hire bisexual people to help get it right.”
—Sam Laubach (they/he), strategy analyst, Siegel+Gale

“Bisexuality feels like one of the least represented portions of the LGBTQ+ community in all of media. And when that representation is used, we see it falling prey to a variety of villainous or promiscuous tropes. But as advertisers, we can help push a more positive discourse forward with authentic storytelling that neither exaggerates nor limits this part of our congregation. Find those authentic voices and let their natural stories unfold. Don’t force untruths to make these people fit within your narratives. Instead, let their lives fulfill the story on their own.”
—Paul LaFleur (he/him), design director, Hook

Pride wasn’t always an event that major brands acknowledged and celebrated. And this year’s commemoration seems especially subdued, following a backlash against corporate support for LGBTQIA+ rights.

But through the years, many brands have stepped up, and their groundbreaking efforts—oft created in eras of heightened prejudice—deserve some extra recognition.

With that in mind, Terri & Sandy posted Pride ads throughout the month on Instagram, paying homage to campaigns (both recent and decades-old) that support the queer community.

As agency co-founder Terri Meyer says in her opening post:

“This is a critically important moment in time for our industry. Leading up to #PrideMonth, brands find themselves in the middle of a culture war. Just say ‘Bud Light’ and fury erupts on all sides of the political landscape. And Target, a longstanding ally of the LGBTQIA+ community, dropped Pride merchandise after receiving threats on their employees’ lives…”

“Throughout June, we’re paying tribute to the brave advertisers who paved the way in supporting this marginalized community. Our series, #PioneeringPrideAds, is a collection of revolutionary portrayals of the LGBTQIA+ community. These campaigns represent the very definition of Pride. By looking back at these bold examples from the past, may we all be inspired to continue forging a path toward progress.”

Here’s a chronological survey of Terri & Sandy’s “Pioneering Pride” series:

Absolut Haring, 1986

It was once customary for alcohol brands to target the LGBTQIA+ community by advertising in the back pages of gay pornographic magazines. But in a revolutionary act of support, Absolut Vodka commissioned openly gay, pop art trailblazer Keith Haring, and plastered his work in mainstream journals. By working together, they created one of the most widely replicated pieces of art in advertising history—and raised the bar for alcohol brands everywhere.

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United Colors of Benetton, 1990

During a period when advertising scarcely portrayed same-sex couples, creative director Oliviero Toscani’s provocative image was a bold act of protest. This campaign clearly struck a chord with the public, stirring up conversations about gay marriage.

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Ikea, ‘Dining Room Table,’ 1994

Despite protests from conservative and religious groups, Ikea refused to stop running this campaign. The ad is generally acknowledged as the first national commercial featuring a gay couple. The men are seen picking out furniture for their home. This wasn’t a side of LGBTQIA+ life depicted at the time. But the quiet moment was heard around the world.

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Subaru ‘Different Drivers. Different Roads. One Car.’ 1999

In the macho and conservative category of automobile advertising, Subaru stood out from the sheet metal. Of course, the phrase: “Over-indexing with lesbians” may have scared off lesser brands. But Subaru leaned in, showing queer-themed license plates reading “PTOWN” and “XENA LVR.” (Google ’em, people!) Now, THAT’S what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.

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Levi’s, “Change,” 2007

Not long ago, fashion brands felt that by alluding to homosexuality, their ads would provide an adequate representation of LGBTQIA+ individuals. Levi’s changed all that. This same-sex romance was courageously overt, erasing any doubts about where the iconic denim company stood. Its bold stance still rings true today, proving that real inclusion never goes out of style.

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Chevrolet, ‘The New Us,’ 2014

Russia isn’t exactly famous for its stance on human rights and personal liberties. Never mind the government’s lack of tolerance for the LGBTQIA+ community. So when Russia was selected to host the 2014 Winter Olympics, Chevrolet wanted to make a statement. For the first time, a spot featuring LGBTQIA+ couples ran during the opening ceremony.

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Apple, ‘First Dance,’ 2018

Apple has a long history of supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. But it was this spot, which aired after Australia won its fight to legalize gay marriage, that danced its way into people’s hearts. It served as a reminder that Pride isn’t really about rainbow merch, but the right to love who you love. 

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Oreo ‘Proud Parent,’ 2020

Coming out can be a tough decision for many reasons, but one stands out: Fear of being ostracized by family. In a stirring short film, Oreo tackled the complicated relationship between parents and their LGBTQIA+ children. What seems like a father’s apprehension blossoms into a proud, colorful expression of love. Smart cookie!

With the corporate world’s nearly complete embrace of Pride over the past several years, it’s easy to forget that what’s increasingly become just another date on the marketing calendar is actually rooted in the very real struggle for LGBTQ+ rights. As events of the past year have shown, not everyone is committed to recognizing such rights.

For members of the queer community, the passage of the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida and the recent eruption of antipathy toward trans influencers like Dylan Mulvaney powerfully demonstrate that our work isn’t done.

This may be the first time (or the first time in recent memory) that many marketing execs have had to truly confront the political nature of Pride. They’ve discovered that beneath the rainbows, drag queens and fun is a political mission of equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community.

In a sense, seeing Pride through this earlier lens is a reflection of how far we’ve come. And a reminder that for brands with the courage of their convictions, there’s opportunity today to do heroic work that can actually make a difference. Think Ikea’s landmark 1994 ad featuring a gay couple shopping for furniture, or Levi’s 2009 “White Knot” supporting marriage equality.

When I began my career 20 years ago, Pride wasn’t a major event for most mainstream brands. There were exceptions, but in general it was just too political a topic for marketers to touch. This was a time when most of the political establishment was opposed to marriage equality, and employment protections for LGBTQ+ people were minimal or non-existent in many states. Being out in the office and with clients was also a potential minefield and a part of my identity I kept under wraps at early jobs.

For the brands that were doing Pride campaigns, the simple fact of acknowledging the community was a political statement. So it’s no surprise that most of the companies doing so were supporters behind the scenes as well. Subaru, which was one of the earliest companies to advertise specifically to LGBTQ audiences, extended benefits to its employees’ same-sex partners starting in the 1990s. IBM established a policy prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in 1984. Absolut Vodka’s engagement with the community also goes back to the 1980s. Not only was it one of the first mainstream brands to advertise in gay publications like The Advocate, it was an early partner supporting the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’s (GLAAD) advocacy efforts.

The point being, any Pride activities were an extension of the companies’ existing support for the community, not something they activated for one month of the year.

As the cultural and political environment began to shift toward greater support for the LGBTQ+ community, more companies began incorporating Pride into their marketing calendars. They often paired these efforts with support for civil rights organizations (GLAAD, The Trevor Project, the It Gets Better Project) and moved beyond simple recognition to advocacy. In 2013, Expedia aired a TV ad featuring two women getting married. And Honey Maid prominently featured two dads and their children in its 2014 “This is Wholesome” campaign.

Following the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, the floodgates for Pride advertising really opened. With this greater mainstreaming came less of a need to commit on a deeper, more political level. Companies could flip the rainbow switch to celebrate in June and then go back to their regularly scheduled programming. Essentially, Pride the political movement and Pride as a month of marketing fun began to disengage.

This year, the politics came rushing back. The fact that even experienced Pride marketers like Bud Light and Target seemed completely unprepared for backlash shows just how comfortable many had gotten. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. While we can argue about the corporatization of Pride, we ultimately do want to live in a world where LGBTQ+ rights are acknowledged, as a matter of course, by everybody.

Clearly, we are not there yet. This year’s controversies are a reminder that Pride does matter and what brands do can have an impact. Marketers can and should continue to celebrate Pride. But with a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment—according to GLAAD, over 500 bills have been proposed this year with the intention of limiting LGBTQ+ rights—they should remember that even if Pride means rainbows to them, it means basic rights for others.

Not every brand needs to be a crusader, but if they are going to do Pride, they should be prepared to stand up for their convictions.