Thursday, October 11, was National Coming-Out Day. The holiday celebrates the first coming-out day, back in 1988, when 500,000 people participated in a march on Washington, D.C. for gay rights. Participants marched for legal recognition of their relationships, an end to discrimination, and reproductive freedom.
We decided to investigate how advertisers have featured LGBT people in their ads over the years. How do ads illustrate a shift in society's perspective over time?
Well, there were some shockers. Like the 1950's ad warning children of the sick homosexuals wondering the streets, or the classy Guinness ad from 1995 that was never aired because it was considered too shocking at the time.
But, we have come a long way since those days. Ads today are both inclusive and respectful, and often boldly targeting the LGBT community directly. And, as Adweek reported, the LGBT community is currently estimated to represent a $743 billion market. That makes it is a seriously important market for advertisers to watch.
1940's: Jester Wools, "I've robbed the rainbow." At the time, the word "gay" solely acted as a substitution for "happy."
Homosexuality wasn't a part of mainstream media, so potentially homoerotic scenes were published in entirely innocent contexts.
1961: The Inglewood, California Police Department and School District's "Boys Beware" ad.
Homosexuality was only referred to in the context of anti-gay public service announcements. This PSA warned, "be careful when you meet a stranger, one never knows when the homosexual is about." Gay men were said to be sick, and stereotyped wit creepy facial hair.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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