Adland should do more to shape the narrative about queer Australia
On International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, Blake Mason reflects on being himself in adland, and where to next.
Growing up gay in the Shire in Sydney’s south, I could count the number of times I’d seen a same-sex relationship depicted anywhere in the media. The stigma and fear around AIDS in the 80s had gripped my parents’ generation and this message – that being anything other than heterosexual was dangerous – permeated through to impressionable young people like me.
Fast forward 15 or 20 years and society is a lot more accepting of others’ sexualities. The 2017 same sex marriage vote showed overwhelmingly that Australians believe the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) people should be protected. Frustratingly, the stomping ground of my youth was still in the ‘no’ camp.
I disagree on your view that hiding your sexuality doesn’t mean you’ll have a greater chance to succeed in Adland.
I’m gay and proud, but when faced with a group of straight men on the exec level they don’t feel comfortable with gay people, in fact I was kept out of pitch presentation with an idea I came up with because ‘‘the straight client on the car brand won’t feel comfortable with a gay person on his straight car brand’’ direct quote. My idea went on to win the pitch, the straight guy and girl sent in to represent the agency later lead the account, followed by a promotion executing my concepts.
I remained the most awarded senior creative, bringing in more business than any other team and yet never got a promotion. I’m good and got overlooked because of my sexuality and straight execs not feeling comfortable having a camp guy leading brands or having a title.
This is not an isolated incident in Australia and the world, I’ve had loads of gay friends experiencing this. Being gay currently means you get complimented for your style and how good your hair looks or proudly shown some rainbow flag idea the straight team has come up with for awards. That’s NOT inclusion. Inclusion looks like equal pay, getting promotions we deserve having representation at exec levels.
Now we are also getting blanketed with the ‘Too many men’ in agencies, now recruiters and agencies are overlooking gay men, because they don’t understand how being gay has affected our careers too. Diversity is gay of BOTH sexes, races, people with disabilities, and of course female.
The Shire voted yes, pretty comprehensively. Why would you write the opposite?
I don’t see the zeitgeist as having changed one iota since the 70s except that the PC brigade have driven the prejudice underground in more (so called) “enlightened circles”. There is still a certain undercurrent; you can just feel it, even from those professing an “inclusive attitude” (meaning “I know you are different, but I will outwardly pretend otherwise”). So it is still career suicide to declare “gayness”. Most (over 30s) still secretly think that it is a choice and that it can be “cured” by the righteous bigoted religionists and their bloodthirsty “good book”. Of course, amongst the plethora of bogans (and certain “religious” NRL thugs) that we are afflicted with in australia, the prejudice is overt, alive and kicking (quite literally: NRL again). It ain’t gonna change because huge vested money and religious interests demand population growth at any cost. Actually, the pendulum is currently swinging back towards religious (so called) conservatism and Nazi style nationalism. Just look at the US taking away abortion rights and Brunei wanting to stone gays to death. Russia is also strongly going in that direction (their “orthodox religion” is a feudal horror story). Just remember that the Nazis took the lists of self-declared gays in the 1930s in order to send them to the death camps. History *always* repeats. It *can* happen today. As the “good book” says: “There is nothing new under the sun”.
Hi William,
This question is singular and not leading to or indicative of my opinion on the matter, but where are you getting your data behind the assertion that “Most (over 30’s) still think that it is a choice and can be cured”?
I find that very hard to believe. If you said “over 60” or “over 70” I might let it slide as anecdotal, but “Over 30” seems like a significant stretch.
Hi Steve,
A so-called “hard figure” like that is of course impossible to ascertain as it relies on “self reporting” which is notoriously unreliable. As an indicator, we can look to those put on a pedestal by society as a proxy for generalised “feeling tones” of the masses. I speak specifically of the massively homophobic boofheads (eg. soundcloud.com/vexser/boofheads) of the sporting fields. Then you also have the “blokey” culture of the “troidsmen”. Just try declaring anything but boofiness in those circles! When one is deeply closeted, the covert undercurrents are easily observable (as self-censorship of the analysand is at a low level). And, let’s be honest, most “straight” reporting men (of breeding age) are uncomfortable around a gay male: “does he find me attractive?” They subconsciously find it threatening as it reverses their dominant “hunter” position. Since they cannot/will-not understand anything but their “normal” orientation, and since they subconsciously know that their own orientation is somewhat fluid (especially when young), they secretly see it as a choice which can be changed. I could write a book on this subject. But when you are dealing with social normative (especially religious) prejudices which are not even consciously recognised (but still observable by a third party), then first hand observation of one’s immediate psychological involvement area is the only way of getting an approximate idea of scale. We are currently seeing (previously hidden) undercurrents now coming to the surface with the rise of the so-called “hard right” movement(s). The PC brigade has done great harm by driving the issue(s) underground and stifling honest and open discussion. Russia is a good example of everyone towing the party line but doing completely different things in the shadows. So my “over 30” comment might be conservative.
“Adland should do more to shape the narrative about queer Australia.”Adland should be doing a sh*t load more to shape the narrative of people with disabilities in Australia – 20% of the population.
If brands want a point of difference with their creative then white, heterosexual, able-bodied talent will not deliver.
Lisa, you are wrong, sorry.
A good creative has the ability to put themselves in other people’s shoes.
I’m a straight white man. However, there’s not a cell in my body that thinks that ads targeted at me (e.g. a beer ad, a chainsaw ad) couldn’t be made beautifully and compellingly by a queer woman of colour.
And vice-versa.
@Lisa, sorry, scrap that – I was wrong. I didn’t read your comment properly.
If I could, I’d delete my comment above.
I realise now you’re talking about talent/models with disabilities being underrepresented in Aussie advertising.
Sorry again.
Lisa – You should write that article.
This is about something different though.
Rights aren’t like cake. There isn’t a finite amount of them and if I have a slice you can’t.
Everyone gets to have rights
Not sure Mumbrella didn’t post my comment.
The ‘stomping ground of your youth’ was not in the No camp. It was very much in the Yes camp. Such a lazy untruth makes the rest of this sound very woe is me.
Outstanding piece! Well said!