Good As You

Oops....forgot OCT !! is ALSO ....(besides the March) NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY.

PS. Did you see Cleve Jones on with Rachel tonoc?... she showed video of Feinstein announcing the murders (which she also discovered herself!) of Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk.. isn't that Cleve Jones next to her?

I like these, but I am wondering who they are targeting? Or maybe more to the point, how are they planning to disseminate them? The format seems like it wouldn't work well for PSAs simply because they are too lengthy. Two plus minutes, while it is being utilized well, just seems a bit over-sized for most slots. They do seem more like diversity training curriculum, and that is perfectly fine. It just seems like the message might be equally appropriate for consumption by the general public, if it were a bit more condensed.. it that is even possible.

Or, maybe they are targeting LGBTs, in an effort to get more of us to be more open about ourselves. Since this is a National Coming Out Day effort, that is probably pretty likely. In which case, I suppose that they are hoping that the internet reach will encompass their entire audience. And, I can understand a "come out, come out wherever you are" as a goal that is achievable, and that should be encouraged, and even that could (if achieved) greatly benefit the equality cause.

I guess I'm really am hoping that they aren't just throwing spaghetti at the wall, and hoping it sticks. I mean, without identifying a target audience, and actually attempting to ensure that it reaches it's intended audience, then it seems like a wasted opportunity. And, the more cynical side of me is hoping that they haven't produced these with the primary purpose being to solicit money from whales who need a little bit more convincing. Fund raising is important, but it should be an means to an end, not an end in and of itself.

Dick - thanks for your thoughtful questions. I produced the videos so I wanted to address some of your concerns. The videos are directed at both LGBT and straight audiences and are designed not for television but for a web-based audience.
For LGBT people, the hope is that it will make us think about how we can seek more support among our straight friends and families. They're our natural allies but often we're afraid to speak up or ask for their support. The "success stories" element of the videos is to help us remember that there's power in sharing out stories.
I also hope LGBT people will share this with the straight folks in their lives so they think about how they can reach out to LGBT people to make us feel embraced and empowered. Straight people often say they don't know what to do or how to be supportive so the videos give a few examples so they have some license to ask questions and aren't afraid of "saying the wrong things."
Hope that gives some clarity.
And no, we're not using them for fundraising :)
cheers
mc