This Campaign Combats LGBTQ+ Discrimination in the US

Today, the Ad Council launched the latest effort in its Emmy-Award-winning Love Has No Labels campaign to raise awareness of the ongoing discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ people and to remind audiences how they can help create a more accepting and inclusive society.

Since the initial launch of the campaign nearly a decade ago, hatred and division still plague our country, with rising discrimination targeting LGBTQ+ people and increasing their risks of experiencing housing and broader discrimination, as well as threats of violence. But as disparities persist, many people across the country are unaware of the present-day threats and the realities of LGBTQ+ people. The new effort - 'American Dreams', developed pro bono by R/GA, a global digital design and advertising agency, directed by Luke Gilford, and produced by Golden LA - was created with this in mind, emphasising the shared humanity, dreams and hopes of people across all walks of life, juxtaposed against the reality for LGBTQ+ people.

"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 US 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 US states, LGBTQ+ people could be denied housing just because of who they are. Concerningly, 50% of LGBTQ+ Americans have also 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 for all. It then directs audiences to the 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 chief executive officer 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 emphasise 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."

The campaign's latest initiative was funded by California's BRIDGE Project Fund to support Love Has No Labels' ongoing mission of spreading messages that change hearts and minds, and inspire the public to take meaningful actions that create a more inclusive society.

Love Has No Labels partnered with a range of issue experts and non-profit organisation partners to develop this work, including GLAAD, The Human Rights Campaign, the Movement Advancement Project and The Trevor Project. The campaign's advisory committee - comprised of leaders from Deutsch LA, Equality California, Evans Hotels, iHeartMedia, J&Z Strategies, National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, TransFamily Support Services/TransYouth Liberation and The Williams Institute - helped advise on the development of the latest initiative.

The campaign will appear nationwide in advertising inventory donated by the media industry, including iHeartMedia which also produced audio assets for the campaign. In addition to widespread reach through the PSAs, 'American Dreams' will meet audiences where they are through custom content with celebrities and other trusted messengers, media partnerships and more to extend this critical message.

Since the campaign's launch in March 2015, its PSAs have exceeded 430 million online views and LoveHasNoLabels.com has had more than 34 million unique visitors. According to a survey commissioned by the Ad Council and conducted by Ipsos, Public Affairs, those who are aware of 'Love Has No Labels' public service announcements (PSAs) are significantly more likely to have taken action to prevent discrimination or prejudice (88% ad aware vs 62% non-ad aware).