Crush: Gay Military Marriage Proposal (Romantic & Smoke-Free)

Ray Ban’s New Gay-Inclusive Campaign

The New Civil Rights Movement reports: 

Sunglass manufacturer and style icon Ray Ban five years ago began their “Never Hide” campaign, but now it’s become gay inclusive — a gorgeous development. Begun in 2007, Never Hide was created to make the now-75-year old company more enticing and appealing to a younger market. One of their newest ads features two men dressed in 1940′s-era business suits, walking down a cosmopolitan street, holding hands, with the headline “Never Hide,” at the top of one version, and on the bottom of another. The image is part of a campaign by the advertising agency Marcel, in Paris, France.

“Never pretend. Never be afraid. Never give up. Never Hide,” a 2007 press release reads:

• The campaign, comprised of a film and a series of situations for print media, outdoor and the Internet, was created and is developed around the concept “NEVER HIDE.” Having the courage to express your true self, your thoughts and your personality genuinely, to stay faithful to the values of authenticity and uniqueness have, in fact, made up the DNA of the Ray-Ban brand since its beginning in 1937 to today. And it is these qualities that characterize true leaders.

There’s also a Ray Ban Facebook page with lots of photos and videos, as well as a Never Hide website loaded with photos and videos.

The gay Never Hide ad is also featured on Ads Of The World.

This is the first obviously gay Ray Ban ad we could find, and we’re hoping they do a great many more, including more diverse ones, because the more we see ourselves, and the more the non-LGBT community sees us, the more equality and acceptance we are capable of achieving.

And just in case you’re wondering, we aren’t associated with Ray Ban in any way, and are not compensated for this piece at all — we just really love the campaign and the gay-inclusivity and really hope to see more!

United Kingdom: Homecoming (#MarriageEquality)

To my Brit readers, please sign the petition here!

FCKH8: It Doesn’t Get Better (For Homophobes)

Liga Contra El Cáncer Wants You To Think Of Your Balls As Toys To Fight Testicular Cancer

A Peruvian anti-cancer organisation has come up with this genius idea. By putting some fun gadgets in the testicular area of briefs they intend to make everyone to think of their testicles as toys (not that most of us don’t think of them as toys already) to make everybody to auto examine themselves and early diagnose testicular cancer, which is a growing threat among younger men. And of course, they’re selling this cleaver idea to raise funds for their campaigns.

Hockey Players Against Homophobia - You Can Play

The New York Times reports:

Hockey is joining the drive to end homophobia in sports with a public-service message featuring eight N.H.L. players, including Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers, Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks and Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators. You Can Play, the campaign the players will introduce, is another in a series of efforts by hockey’s Burke family to open doors for gay athletes to participate in sports. It is intended to “make locker rooms safe for all athletes, rather than places of fear, slurs and bullying,” said Patrick Burke, a scout with the Philadelphia Flyers and a founder of the project.

Russia: Don’t Go There

Rumor has it that Hate Groups are pushing for a Federal Law similar to this homophobic law in Saint Petersburg.

(@4to5Movement) 4 To 5 Movement: It Needs To Get Better At Notre Dame 

Grindr Goes Political On Gay Rights

Via Grindr’s website:

About the initiative
Grindr has grown to be a global community of over 3 million users in just two and a half years. In that time, using our geotargeting software and massive global user base, we have been able to participate in some of the most significant recent events in the GLBT community including the overturning of Proposition 8 and the recent passage of marriage equality in New York State.
Grindr has a greater capacity to provide assistance within the GLBT community and harnessing the power of our global user base is where the idea for Grindr for Equality was born. The ability to contact people in specific geographic areas en masse aided us in swaying voters in California and enabled users to contact their representatives in New York to vote in favor of the marriage equality bill. There is strength in numbers and this initiative will enable our users to use our platform for the greater good of our community.
The goal of Grindr for Equality is to raise awareness for GLBT issues and spur action across the globe.
Submitting is quick, easy and truly makes a difference
Grindr for Equality welcomes any and all information pertaining to the GLBT community. All that we ask is that submissions are in the following format:
Your name
Your location (Please include your country)
Best way to contact you
A news link related to your submission (not required but would be greatly appreciated)
A brief description of how this relates to you and the GLBT community
How Grindr for Equality could provide assistance
If applicable, a contact person close to what is going on
Please send all submissions in an e-mail with your location, country first, in the subject line followed by “Submission” (example: “Italy: Rome, Lazio - Submission” or “USA: Salt Lake City, Utah - Submission”)
Submit or send submissions to equality@grindr.com

NOH8: Ten House Reps Pose For Campaign 

Super Model Daniel Garofali For #WEREHUMANTOO

Gosh, he scared the crap out of me! He quite delivers a strong message with this video, thou.  

United Kingdom: Campaign On Male Rape Launched

Via Campaign The Work:

Survivors UK, the charity that supports victims of male rape and sexual abuse, has launched a new campaign by start-up Johnny Fearless.‘Real Men’ aims to play to the fact that rugby players, irrespective of sexuality, are seen as the archetypal ‘alpha males’. The poster campaign launches during the  England home games at the 2012 6 Nations Rugby tournament across London Underground, Waterloo Station and selected OOH Sites on a very limited budget.

I just find the tag line a little confusing. But that’s just me.

Reporters Without Borders (@RSF_RWB): Censorship Tells The Wrong Story

PSA: Russians Against Gay Ban

Benetton Makes The Vatican Nuts Over Campaign Ad, Pulls Pope Image

Joe.My.God. reports:

After furious complaints from the Vatican, controversial fashion house Benetton has pulled the Pope’s “Unhate” image from their campaign featuring world leaders kissing on the mouth… 

“This shows a grave lack of respect for the Pope, an offence to the feelings of believers, a clear demonstration of how publicity can violate the basic rules of respect for people,” said Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican’s spokesman. He said the Holy See was considering taking legal action against the fashion company. The image, which is guaranteed to offend Catholics around the world, briefly appeared on a banner which was draped over the side of a Renaissance stone bridge near the Vatican, in the centre of Rome. Hanging the banner was part of a series of “guerilla actions”, the company said, which included the unveiling in Paris of an image of Nicholas Sarkozy smooching Angela Merkel and the unfurling of a banner outside Milan Cathedral depicting Barack Obama kissing his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao.

Among those complaining yesterday was the Vatican-owned NOM, whose blogger Thomas Peters took to Twitter and his Catholic Vote blog to express outrage.