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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 2005)
rrnrminews N aked G uys E mbracing U nder an A merican F lag Gay.com ads cause furor in Boston i»ui flaming by Sarah Dougher he billboards have probably taken speak to that very relevant experience for our you by surprise—what are two audience,” said Schaefer. “The campaign depicts naked men doing wrapped in an two men who overcome their political division American flag? And why does it by finding a personal connection as they debate say “Come Together”? In a style of their passionate viewpoints. For our campaign, advertising generally relegated to the back pages we chose the American flag as the object of of gay newspapers, the images are the work of debate and the hero.” Gay.com, a San Francisco-based online dating But the group in Boston has raised a stink. In and news Web site. The billboards (one of reaction to a billboard in Cambridge, Mass., The which you can see above Embers on Northwest Boston Globe reported July 28 that an organiza Broadway in downtown Portland) were the tion called the Article 8 Alliance had been call Web site’s summer ad campaign. Until a few ing in complaints to the Clear Channel corpo days ago, they had not received any vocal com rate headquarters. The alliance is an anti-gay plaints locally or nationally. group based in Waltham, Mass., that is actively But a conservative group from the Boston working to overturn marriage rights in that area has placed a photograph of the ad on its state. Brian Camenker, director of the alliance, Web site, along with instructions on calling said people affiliated with his group made the Clear Channel, the media company that rents complaints. There were about five protest calls, the billboards, to complain. The Web site read: according to the Globe. “How much worse does it get? Two naked men Apparently, the Gay.com ad was scheduled embracing, wrapped in an American flag, adver to come down anyway, but the company tising a pornographic homosexual ‘h<.K>kup’ Web removed it immediately in part because of the site. This is where the gay move- ment is taking you, unless you take action.” Global media company Plan- etOut and its flagship site, Gay.com, launched a major mar ket print and outdoor campaign in the United States in April featur ing two gay men who “find under standing, love and comfort under the protection of the American flag,” according to a press release associated with the launch of the campaign. The campaign, designed to pro This billboard, one in a series of three, evoked outrage from mote the Gay.com brand, was fea conservatives and radicals alike. tured on wallscapes, billboards and transit shelters and in gay-focused print media in key markets including San Fran complains. The Globe reported that Spencer Moore, a spokesman for Gay.com, said the com cisco, New York, Los Angeles and Boston, as well as in mid-sized markets including Houston, Dal pany was not upset the ad is coming down a day early. las, Portland, Atlanta and San Diego. “This is a message about inclusion in an The Article 8 Alliance, on the other hand, considered the action a victory, trumping: environment of exclusion,” said Lowell Selvin, “One-day service!! Billboard company swiftly chairman and CEO of PlanetOut. “We strongly reacts to public outrage. Offensive sign came believe that gay people deserve to love, to be together and to enjoy all the ideals and privi down immediately!” The conflict over the image of the American leges that the American flag represents. We also flag is certainly nothing new, and the risky and think that this campaign will elicit an emotion provocative images put forth by Gay.com beg al response in gay and straight people alike.” wider questions within the queer community: According to the press release, the “Come What role does patriotism have in the image of Together” campaign was designed to make a the queer community? Is it appropriate for a flag strong, affirming statement, as well as to draw to be displayed as it is in the advertisement? members and subscribers to Gay.com. The story Should a flag be exploited to sell anything? of the campaign evolves through each of three The popular queer Web log site Queer Day executions. In the first, called “Anthem,” two understood the impact of the advertising as men stand defiantly before the American flag, meant to touch on emotions and had a negative strong in their separate beliefs. Through the reaction. Its editorial team wrote: “Our emo next two executions, called “Embody” and tional response is outrage. With a government “Comfort,” the men unite, finding love and set on eliminating our rights, not to even men companionship. tion all the blood on our flag these days, we now “Come Together" was prixJuced by an inter have reason to hate Gay.com beyond their con nal creative team including Christy Schaefer, tinuing visual homage to body fascism.” jFl director of PlanetOut’s Creative Services Group, and graphic designers Ivan Vargas and Just Out would love to hear what you think about Donovan Smandra. The campaign was shot by these ads. Please e-mail News Editor SARAH San Francisco photographer Erik Butler. DOUGHER with your comments at “Gay issues were an emotional and polarizing sarah@justout . com. force in the last election, and we wanted to 1 aciTo HEFT UWl WR T IfiThat does a sexually confused teenager have to do to get into Juilliard? 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