When you hear a call for “human rights,” who do you recognize under this umbrella term? Do you think of the poor, child soldiers, domestic abuse victims, refugees or sweatshop employees? These thoughts drum up images and reports from foreign correspondents, celebrity activists, and specialized non-profit organizations that invite us to export our compassion and support.
With our altruistic sights set on foreign countries, it is easy to overlook issues at home. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights, in particular, are still largely at odds against governmental policies and mainstream social acceptance. As recorded by advocacy groups like the Human Rights Campaign, LGBT equality is fragmented both across and within state borders.
So where does this disconnect between LGBT equality issues and “human rights” issues that Americans are so fond of purporting stem from?
This is something I have been stuck on lately. To date, my blog posts have been concerned with people and events outside of the U.S. However, before I recast my net from American shores, I’d like to catch a few of the stories I feel nibbling at my toes. (That’s right, I just drew an analogy between LGBT rights issues and minnows.)
The It Gets Better Project serves as a good entry point into an exploration of the LGBT branch of human rights. Following the tragic gay teenage suicide epidemic in the U.S., triggered by bullying, this outreach project uses video testimonial to assure LGBT teens that it does get better.
What struck me most about this LGBT solidarity project was the fact that it found its way to an advertising slot on Fox TV, reaching a wide viewer demographic that may not otherwise have made the effort to visit its website. Google Chrome featured the It Gets Better Project in search engine promotional ad that aired during a prime time slot of Glee on Tuesday night: (What? Sometimes I need my high school musical fix.)
While I caught this commercial live, I never saw it again. A quick Twitter and Google search showed that the online hype of this commercial was also rather short lived. This powerful commercial began to feel more like an apparition than a public assertion of LGBT rights. Sensing some lost potential, I wanted to revive this inspiring ad and invite readers to share their reactions below.
Thanks.
Madison, WI connection:
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/university/uw-madison-student-s-anti-bullying-video-receives-lady-gaga/article_36d8df3a-4bad-11e1-a716-001871e3ce6c.html
UW-Madison senior Colton Boettcher produced this “It Gets Better” video – choreographed to Lady Gaga’s “Hair” – and she endorsed it on Twitter!