By STEPHANIE SANTIAGO
Identity
Over the summer, the National Basketball Association (NBA) joined the Ad council and GLSEN to present a series of public service announcements that introduce Phoenix Suns starts Grant Hill and Jared Dudley, both of whom address anti-gay language amongst teenagers. The ads appearing on television, radio, print, and web were shown after the NBA Conference Finals on channels such as ABC, TNT, and ESPN.
According to GLSEN’s 2009 National School Climate Survey, nearly nine in ten lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teens report having been verbally harassed in the past school year, and almost half have been physically harassed based on their sexual orientation. Homophobic remarks such as that’s so gay are the most commonly heard type of biased remarks at school, and nine in ten LGBT teens say they have heard «gay» used in a negative way frequently, or often.
In the ads, which were filmed in New York City and Phoenix, a teenager says the word «gay» nonchalantly on the basketball court. Hill and Dudley call out that using «gay» when you mean something is dumb or stupid is not acceptable and that the teens are better than that. Radio, print and web PSA’s similarly show how the use of anti-gay language is not acceptable on the basketball court, or anywhere else. The new PSA’s express that audiences should visit www.ThinkB4YouSpeak.com to learn how to get involved and take a pledge against using anti-LGBT language.
After 16 years of playing on the court, Hill became the sixth player this past season in NBA history to average at least 13 points per game at 38 years of age or older. Phoenix Suns Forward Dudley appeared in all 82 games for the second consecutive season, averaging a career-high 10.6 points. «The NBA is honored to work on this important campaign in partnership with GLSEN and the Ad Council,» said Kathy Behrens who is the NBA Executive Vice-President of Social Responsibility & Player Programs.
NBA players like Grant Hill and Jared Dudley know that words are powerful and they understand the impact they can have by encouraging young fans to think before they speak.» To this day, Think Before You Speak, which is the Ad Council’s first-ever LGBT-themed campaign, has received significant PSA placement and media coverage combining more than $17.6 million worth of media exposure for the campaign’s message since its takeoff in 2008.
