Within hours of airing their latest PSA, the Give a Damn Campaign had people talking about the unexpected announcement that True Blood's Anna Paquin is bisexual. In this day and age, a person's sexual orientation shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, but this announcement was a shocker for many. And this is exactly the kind of publicity that the organization wants. The foundation's goal is to promote equality among straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered individuals and they want the straight community to be a part of it.
Origin of the Give a Damn Campaign
The Give a Damn Campaign is a series of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) on behalf of the True Colors Fund. True Colors is a music touring organization originally conceived by Cyndi Lauper. In 2007 they made their first tour to 16 cities in the United States. Their tour consisted of celebrities with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) interests that included Cyndi Lauper, Rosie O'Donnell, Margaret Cho, and many others.
In 2008 they expanded their tour to include 24 cities and had additional talents including Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Sarah McLachlan, and Regina Spektor. It was also in 2008 that they expanded their message to the straight community urging them to be active participants in supporting the GLBT community. In 2009 they launched the True Color Cabaret in New York and now they are working on a series of PSAs with the 'Give a Damn' tag line.
GLBT in the Media
Using celebrities is a smart move to bring GLBT interests into the limelight. It seems not a month goes by without a big name making their orientation announcement. Just last week Ricki Martin made the announcement that he was proud to count himself among the homosexual community. Celebrities are adored by people of all orientations, including the straight community and it serves as a bridge to help bring the two communities together.
Even Washington is tied up with GLBT issues as it works to accommodate gays in the military. While they currently operate on the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' clause, it can be difficult to maintain that kind of secrecy. Obama is slowly working with politicians to change the rules, but it is difficult to convince such a conservative military to allow gays to openly serve. However, it is with much hope that Obama believes that given some time, the military will be able to change their policy concerning the GLBT community. The Give a Damn Campaign hopes that in making the straight community aware of the inequality that more people will rise to the cause and support the GLBT community in these public battles.
