GLAAD Honors Companies as Models of Inclusive Advertising

With advertising so often setting the standard for inclusivity, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation today recognized several campaigns that are making the biggest difference -- including two associated with The Advocate.

GLAAD nominated companies such as General Motors, Lexus, Wells Fargo and Ray-Ban for its annual Amplifier Awards, which will be presented October 2 in New York.

Many of the companies stood by their advertising in the face of pushback from right-wing groups. JCPenney was nominated for a Father's Day ad that included two gay dads, for example, which further raised the ire of the One Million Moms. The group had already been annoyed with JCPenney for naming out lesbian Ellen DeGeneres as its spokeswoman.

A Web series of LGBT-focused financial advice, called the "Advocate Money Minute Presented by Wells Fargo," was nominated in the Digital -- Out and Interactive category. (Check out those videos here.)

Lexus is nominated for best advertising in an LGBT market. Its celebration of the 45th Anniversary of The Advocate included a huge presence at a Los Angeles celebration of the milestone earlier this year plus a magazine spread with the message "It's not only where we've been ... it's what's next." A Lexus was shown at the end of a winding road that doubled as a timeline of important moments in equality.

"Forty-five years ago the Advocate brand started as a newsletter defiant in the face of discrimination," said Here Media senior vice president and group publisher Joe Valentino, who congratulated both advertisers. "Today it serves as the news source of record for the LGBT community and is supported by straight allies and corporate partners across the world. We thank GLAAD for recognizing of these partnerships and the dedicated people who have worked on them for 45 years. Words and images matter."

GLAAD president Herndon Graddick praised all of the nominated advertisers -- which also included Johnson & Johnson, the CDC, Marriott, Kraft Foods, Allstate, Gilead, Amtrak and Orbitz.

"The advertising and marketing industries are catching up with the rest of the media by including more images of LGBT people in mainstream ads that target broad audiences," said Graddick. "Americans expect to see their worlds reflected in advertising, and today that includes LGBT people and families. This year's nominated campaigns are not only smart business decisions, but set the bar high for future images of our community in advertising and marketing."