Clear Channel Outdoor rejected two innocuous billboards of friendly gays from Florida’s largest gay pride march in St. Petersburg on June 26. What scared them off?
Gay biracial couple with a kid: cool. Fierce drag queen: awesome. Homos with their foreheads touching: scandal!
Clear Channel says they’ve run more provocative campaigns before, but they also have a long history of censoring “undesirable messaging” such as ads critical of the Iraq Invasion, 9/11, and Yeehaw McStarWars.
So fine, St. Pete’s Pride just won’t spend cash with Clear Channel promoting that scary “gay skin touching” billboard. Or any of them.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Kieran
Advertising two happy, healthy, good-looking, masculine gay men hugging might A)confuse children and B)offend the preconceived notions of straights about who and what gay people are.
But men dressed as women ALWAYS = Gay.
Jimmi
Since Gay Men are always trying to sweep us Queens under the rug and treat us so shitty with all that macho crap–call it Karma.
Michael
@Kieran: Exactly. How often do we see homosexuals portrayed as these two men are. They’re either grossly overweight and very unattractive or they’re total queens.
jason
Clear Channel is a homophobic organization. Do not associate yourself with any of its media. Do not buy any of its products.
As for the drag queen getting the OK, this is how straights prefer to see us. That is, as harmless, funny tragics, sort of like a clown.
jason
Straights – both conservative and liberal – are terrified of the sight of two men kissing erotically or doing anything that suggests their interest in each other is erotic or physically loving. Drag queens are a form of stereotype that makes them feel safe. Drag queens are like sexless circus acts that make you laugh.
Jimmi
@jason: Hunny, you have never been to a drag show.
That Bitch Téa Delgado
The more important question: is the reporter gay and is he single? He’s yummy!
alan brickman
Trannies are a homophobe’s delight!!!!
Jesse Helms
Maybe they did want to see a white gay man with a Negro gay man. Homosexuals do discriminate within the gay community based on race and skin color.
Lamar
It could be fear of a backlash from the black community for portraying a black man who’s gay but Clear channel should do the right thing no matter who gets “offended”.
Jimmy
Clear Channel is evil. Don’t have anything to do with them. Ever.
Tessie Tura
@Jesse Helms: And you can get over that, Mary. I will, to my death, reserve the right to discriminate in the bedroom, and you and Al Sharpton cannot make me change my mind.
REBELComx
I’m very confused by Clear Channel. At the same time they keep on that damn Dawson McAllister who has no credentials and is basically a 60yr old priest trying to give advice to america’s youth and tries to get the questioning lgbt teens that calls his “Hopeline” to go over to Exodus international.
But at the same time they work really closely with the stations (particularly Q102) and the LGBT community in Philadelphia. Their local station there is even a big sponsor of the Equality Forum and the Pride events and the station advertises it on their website.
I wish they’d make up their minds…
Grace Jones
@Tesse: Are you saying you are a racist and don’t find blacks attractive? White gays need to clean up their act regarding racism and white supremacy. How do you expect black gays and lesbians to be a part of the gay movement in this country when you white gays discriminate against them with racial prejudice. Look at the gay prides around the country, thousands of white faces are portrayed as being gay and lesbian.
Ronbo
Come out, Come out, where-ever you are!
Just got back from church with my lover. Unity is a fantastic church for LGBT individuals.
Have you been to your Baptist or Catholic church lately? Tell your priest or minister that you are gay AND God accepts you. Tell them that there is a reason He created you and continues to create homosexuals. Ask them if they KNOW they preach against gods own, purposeful creation?
Ask them if Religious Bigotry is acceptable. Ask them if it is in the Bible, then is Slavery acceptable? Is Religious Killing Acceptable? Where does Jesus come down on homosexuality? Is the Old Testament more important than the New Testament? Don’t allow Religious Bigotry to overcome you as it has overcome President Obama. Evil exists – even with a well spoken Harvard background.
Stand up in your church – or be put down!
MMDD
You know, I can’t believe I’m saying this, and I know I’m going to get absolutely fried alive for it, but I actually AGREE with Clear Channel’s decision. And you know why? Take a look at the billboard of the two women and the two men again. Notice anything different about the one with the women? It’s WAY too erotic and comes across like they’re getting ready to go at it, if you know what I mean. Notice it’s the only shot where the models aren’t staring directly into the camera. Why not show them lying next to each other and smiling, or even holding each other, and facing into the camera like the others?
I imagine Clear Channel may have reacted the same way and felt it was only fair to reject the one with the two guys too. Of course, that’s just a guess.
I know a million people are going to disagree with me, but that’s what I thought as soon as I saw the billboards.
Jai
“Since Gay Men are always trying to sweep us Queens under the rug and treat us so shitty with all that macho crap–call it Karma.”
LOL! I can’t believe you’re THAT stupid, Jimmi!
mb00
@Jesse Helms: NEGRO?!!! what fucking century are you living in…1955?
Jesse Helms
@MB00: I am living in the 21st century. According to Webster’s Dictionary, Negro is a member of dark skinned peoples of Africa, or person having African ancestors. You people don’t know what to call yourselves. You called yourselves colored, Negro, black, and now you want to be called an African American. Most of you fools have never visited the continent of Africa. Africa has many countries within the continent. Be specific fool, are you Nigerian American, Egyptian American, Sudan American, etc.
Dumb gay Negro.
mconyc08
Queerty, what’s the point of having a “Flag the comment” option if it’s not correctly enabled?
There are plenty of comments here that are completely inapropriate and should be removed since they are only written to push people’s buttons and are not contributing anything relevant to the discussion.
There’s a big difference between freedom of speech and HATE speech. Way to run a “pro-gay” media property!
jason
MMDD,
You make an interesting point. It’s conceivable, also, that Clear Channel objected only to the male-male one but not the female-female one, but then decided to ban both on the basis of appearing to be morally consistent.
MMDD
@jason: You could be right, Jason.
David in Houston
@MMDD: That would explain the (possible) rejection of the lesbian billboard. The billboard of the gay couple is pretty straight forward. I’d hardly call a guy putting his hand on another guy’s shoulder objectionable. My guess is a homophobic (closet-case) employee at Clear Channel thought that the two men were too sexy.
Jesse Helms
Clear Channel has missed the mark. There was nothing overtly sexuall in that advert.
How much longer do we need Clear Channel and Apple censoring Lgbt content?
I for one am sick and tired of big corps trying to censor my voice.
Zach
@Jimmi:
You really do despise gay men who aren’t exactly like you, don’t you?
MMDD
@David in Houston: That may be, David.
Jesse Helms
You low life Queens want to prefer censorship and remove my comments. James is a depressed lonely Negro Queen living in Mass. wearing diapers in a Nursing Home. @MB00: I am living in the 21st century. According to Webster’s Dictionary, Negro is a member of dark skinned peoples of Africa, or person having African ancestors. You people don’t know what to call yourselves. You called yourselves colored, Negro, black, and now you want to be called an African American. Most of you fools have never visited the continent of Africa. Africa has many countries within the continent. Be specific fool, are you Nigerian American, Egyptian American, Sudan American, etc.
Dumb gay Negro.