From MattHillNC and from email directly from OUTgreensboro, we learn that a marketing company in W-S refuses to work with a GLBT group in Greensboro citing the hackneyed “your ad is too controversial” refrain that sadly just doesn’t apply in this case. (I just called Grafitti Ads and got voicemail; I did not leave any but will call them again shortly.)
Grafitti Ads, LLC has refused to produce an ad for a movie night that OUTgreensboro wants to market. They have replied twice in email that the subject is “considered controversial.” The ad itself is hardly controversial. See the full-sized ad here.
After Grafitti Ads was contacted a second time, they responded with,
I discussed this with my partner, and unfortunately, we are afraid the subject is just too controversial for graffiti ads at this time. We will keep you in mind in case things change in the future.
Thanks again for your interest.
Regards,
Name Removedgraffiti ads, LLC
445 Springdale Ave.
Winston-Salem, NC 27104
This is stunning, outrageous, and indefensible. It is clearly an anti-gay (term used generically) policy and I wonder if those companies on the Grafitti customers’ page are aware of this practice.
The Grafitti company also claims that
Our readers have greater than average discretionary income. Our boards allow you to target your customer by age, gender, income, lifestyle, geographic location and interest. [bold added]
This is anti-gay bias, pure and simple. I hope Grafitti Ads rethinks their policy and issues a public statement that they do not discriminate against clients based on gender or lifestyle and then apologize publicly for this explosive stance. They certainly don’t appear to be the kind of business practices that fit into that fourth “T” of “tolerance.”
(Disclaimer: my company hosts the outgreensboro.com Web site and I am personally acquainted with some of the Board members.)
why is the term “youth” included in the ad?
That’s the name of an organization whose acronym is QCYNT.
that in itself is contraversial
Why?
I just left a comment over on Chip’s website about this topic and the way he blogged it, have you read it yet?
It is one thing for a gay group to advertise a movie night, it is another for the group to involve youth.
Basically, what Chip is saying is that those that are gay, obviously aren’t young. So somehow or another, there’s this crazy link between gay and youth that corrupt the youth to become gay. Somehow, there’s some indecent touching involved too, since he mentioned pedophilia. Now what I want to know is how he knows so much detail about these things… maybe it’s firsthand experience? :p
I might also add… religious groups involve “youth”. So do women’s rights groups, minority groups, and I could go on and on. I guess there’s some issues there too. :p
They have the right to choose who they work with, regardless of any other issue.
Darkmoon- crossed a line, did you not? Youth means what to you? Don’t be so condescending. There is a very real difference between gay youth and gay adults. I was dead on right that it is contraversial as an advertisement. The pedophilia comment had to do with the ad as well, not the group. But you are too full of judgement for that.
Gate, you’re probably right and they can choose who they work with. Perhaps having an anti-gay reason for that still astounds and saddens me but moreover, the companies on the Grafitti list of clients also have the right NOT to work with Grafitti, so I guess this is informational for them as well.
Kudos to Sue. This Chip obviously has no idea what he his talking about. I volunteered for ART back when it ran the hotline. I have personally fielded phone calls from distressed ‘youth’ potentially on the verge of suicide. Have you bothered to read the mission statement for QCYNT?? It is a group for college students, of college students, by college students…�to better create awareness, tolerance and acceptance�. There is nothing at all sexual about the group. If Chip can read anything sexual in to the mission statement of QCYNT, then he is the pervert.
Steve- Why not stick to the subject? The gorup’s purpose has nothing to do with it. I say the ad is contraversial because of the Queer College and Youth name in it.
So I have to get this right: to have “queer” and “youth” together is somehow affecting to “youth”? Like somehow by the mere mention of the word “queer” to a “youth” the “youth” may actually become “queer”? You can’t minimize a lifestyle. And, btw, todays youth are tomorrows adults.
The people at whom the ad is aimed – and people with basic cable who are at all paying attention to the larger culture – understand the context in which the word “queer” is being used – and are not threatened or offended by it.
Those who don’t are not likely to hang out in the places where these advertisements are placed. Take a look at the list.
I’m hoping that now that the story is being picked up in the blogosphere and hopefully in the print news soon, Grafitti will discover that its made an error in judgement and will mature into a 21st century company.
[...] W-S company refuses to work with GLBT group in Greensboro Sue Polinsky [...]