The Ad Council is launching a national effort to address LGBTQ+ discrimination across the country. The new initiative is part of its Emmy-winning “Love Has No Labels” campaign and comes at a pivotal time: Nearly a decade after marriage equality passed nationally, LGBTQ+ hate and violence are on the rise, and more than half of states still do not offer critical protections for LGBTQ+ people across fundamental areas such as housing and public services.
Created pro bono by R/GA and directed by filmmaker Luke Gilford via production company Golden LA, the “American Dreams” PSAs seek to bring together people from all walks of life to not only raise awareness of LGBTQ+ discrimination but share real-life experiences that drive people to take action to break down the barriers many LGBTQ+ people continue to face every day.
This PSA, “A Place To Call Home,” shows the housing discrimination LGBTQ+ folks face, in effect denying the American Dream of having a home to call your own.
“No one should face discrimination because of who they are,” said Ad Council president and CEO Lisa Sherman. “There is more that unites us than divides us, and this new campaign was designed to empower individuals across the country to see the inequities impacting so many and take actions that help ensure that LGBTQ+ people also have the opportunity to pursue their dreams.”
Today, 28 U.S. states lack laws that protect LGBTQ+ people from being denied housing, public accommodations and other services based solely on their gender identity and sexual orientation. This means that in more than half of U.S. states, LGBTQ+ people could be denied housing just because of who they are. Concerningly, 50% of LGBTQ+ Americans have been harassed, fired or denied a promotion at work because of who they are.
The new “American Dreams” effort highlights the barriers that exist in achieving equality and protection against discrimination and threats of violence. It then directs audiences to the LoveHasNoLabels website. On the site, people are encouraged to learn about the legal protections that do (or do not exist) in their state, read stories from LGBTQ+ people about their experiences with discrimination, and access resources to help foster more accepting communities.
“The Ad Council’s Love Has No Labels ‘American Dreams’ campaign is more than just a message–it’s a call to action,” said Robin Forbes, global CEO at R/GA. “It’s an urgent reminder that we must all take steps to ensure LGBTQ+ individuals are treated with the respect and equality they deserve. Campaigns like this are a critical tool in the toolkit we can use to highlight our shared humanity and emphasize that discrimination has no place in our society. R/GA is proud to partner with The Ad Council to tackle these issues head-on, reinforcing that we’re all human before anything else.”
