I normally don’t post about politics but I’m fed up with the world and a large chunk of its inhabitants at the moment and, well, just about anything that draws attention to institutionalized homophobia is a good thing in my books. So without further ado, I present the mission statement and link to My Gayest Look:
Jeff—who, in 2006, famously penned a letter to Jay Leno about his homophobic humor—completed another missive, in which he included a photographic sign-off (at left) of his “gayest look.” Melissa—who was similarly agitated in 2006—then offered up her “gayest look” (also at left), and soon her readers began to send in their gayest looks—and an avalanche began. Simultaneously, writer Dan Savage suggested to Jeff that he collect people’s “gayest looks,” and that, folks, is called synchronicity. Forces were joined.
And while we’re being a bit cheeky about all this, our message is dead serious: A 2005 study by GLSEN found that 90% of LGBTQ teens had been harassed or assaulted during the previous year. They were three times as likely as non-LGBTQ students to say that they do not feel safe at school and remain at increased risk for bullying, assault, and suicide. That doesn’t happen in a void. Gay jokes are not harmless; they contribute to a culture in which institutionalized homophobia has tragic consequences. We want Jay Leno to know that we, LGBTQ people and their allies, are not amused.
My Gayest Look has contact info for letting NBC know that Jay Leno’s homophobic jokes are not funny and a growing series of gayest looks. There’s even an e-mail address so you can submit your own gayest look. The looks, by the way, are not safe for work.
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