aprii 5.2002 • J u s t o u t , 9
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s sexual minorities continue to
address the A ID S crisis and
other serious health issues,
another silent killer persistently
has been stalking the commu
nity. Tobacco use kills 400,000 people in the
United States every year, and gay men and
lesbians smoke significantly more than the
general population.
Although no hard data are available, several
recent studies have found queers smoke more
than their straight counterparts. In fact, research
conducted by Ronald Stall of University of C al
ifornia at San Francisco revealed 41.5 percent of
gay met\ in Portland and Tucson, Ariz., smoked
compared to 22 percent of heterosexual men.
A s for lesbians, 21 percent smoked com
pared to 16 percent of women overall, accord
ing to a 1991 study by University of Califor
nia at Los Angeles. Because smoking is the
single most important high-risk behavior
associated with leading chronic diseases,
these high rates should he of great concern to
the sexual minorities community.
To generate awareness of this health threat,
the Oregon Department of Human Services
Tobacco Prevention and Education Program
will he a leading sponsor of the ninth annual
Oregonians Against Discrimination Luncheon
on April 10 at the Hilton Hotel. The event
raises money for Basic Rights Oregon, a non
profit organization dedicated to ending dis
crimination based on sexual orientation and
gender identity.
Stall suggests one reason for higher gay
smoking rates is marketing. Like the alcohol
industry, tobacco manufacturers understand
how to target disenfranchised segments of the
population. According to Stall, they conduct a
S ilent K iller
Tobacco marketing targets
sexual minorities community
by Mary Boehme
deliberate and well-funded campaign to seduce
the gay community to take up and continue this
deadly addiction.
And there is evidence to prove it. In the past
few years, several thousand industry documents
have been released as part of the massive,
nationwide litigation against the tobacco com
panies. According to some of this paperwork,
Philip Morris spent time researching gay male
smokers in San Francisco during the mid-1990s.
Joel P. Engardio of San Francisco Weekly said the
study even went so far as to “out" the Marlboro
Man, saying he is “the ultimate stud...orally fix
ated...and maybe a great one-nighter.”
“In a society where male homosexuality is
often interpreted to mean nonmasculinity,
Marlboro is particularly appreciated as a cue to
manhtxxl,” he reported. “Marlboro’s success in
this context depends wholly on the relevance of
this cowboy image to the world (fantasy and
real) of these gay consumers.”
Stall is appalled by the use of the Marlboro
Man to target gay men. “The ads are selling
masculinity. It’s a real setup for kids who feel
marginalized and unsafe as gay adolescents.
Here are these products marketed to prove
your heterosexuality— ‘You can be the Marl
boro M an!’ ”
Rut Philip Morris is not the only tobacco
company allegedly targeting the sexual minorities
community.
The Amer
ican Lung
A ssociation
also found in
released docu
ments that R.J.
Reynolds creat
ed a campaign
focused
on
queers in San
Francisco during
the 1990s. The
company called
the research “Project SC U M ”— or “Subculture
Urban Marketing."
R.J. Reynolds wanted to focus on gay smok
ing habits in the Castro district to improve the
presence of its Red Kamel brand. Beyond the
fact that this research was targeting them, the
project’s name was offensive to queers in San
Francisco.
“This is a reminder that, gay or straight,
black or white, we are all victims of the
tobacco industry,” said Bob Gordon, C oali
tion of Lavender Americans on Smoking and
Health vice president. “We all suffer because
of their greed.”
And the tobacco industry is making its pres
ence known in other ways as well. For years,
companies have been
sponsoring sexual mi
nority events and
causes. According to
a 1997 study by E.L.
Brucker of the King
County
Health
Department
in
Wash ington,
Philip
Morris
donated several
hundred thou
sand dollars to
A ID S-related
charities and
other queer
groups during
the
1990s.
Ironically, by
accepting tobacco
support, gay community
leaders, organizers, professionals and advocates
are helping enable an industry that is the lead
ing cause of the very health problems they are
trying to solve.
“Obviously, the G L B T community is a pop
ulation targeted by the tobacco industry,” said
Mel Kohn, Oregon Department of Human
Services epidemiologist. “Reaching them with
tobacco use prevention information is a top pri
ority for the Tobacco Prevention and Education
Program." j n
To quit the tobacco habit, call the toll-free O REG O N
Q u it L in e at 877-270-STOP or, in Spanish,
877-2-NO FUM E.
M a r y B o e h m e works for the Department of Human
Services Tobacco Prevention and Education Program.
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