The Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies, Walgreens, and PFLAG (Parents and Families of Lesbians and Gays) are teaming up to bring parents and similarly wonderful people of the United States “Care With Pride,” a multi-pronged campaign focused around gay pride to help end bullying. The campaign was announced at PFLAG’s annual gala in New York City this past April.
This is important, because it involves Ellen’s Mom. You know Betty, right? Betty DeGeneres. Of course you do.
Ellen’s Mom is the best Mom since Debbie Novotny. She wrote a book that could potentially convince your Mom to love you again, she’s extra-cute, and every time she opens her mouth something tender and lovely comes out. She explains:
“Children can only learn when they feel safe in school, and it is our job—as parents, family members, friends, teachers—to create an environment where all students can get the education they deserve, free from the fear that they will be physically or emotionally harmed.”
The “Care With Pride” effort will have several steps, each of which will take place in various areas of the US: marketing presences in LGBT publications and other media, over 500 in-store displays, posters, signage, and shelves about the initiative and bullying at Walgreens locations, one million Safe School Action Packs distributed to consumers, and presences at over forty Pride festivals. The campaign is housed online at walgreens.com/pride, where you can see a full list of participating brands, planned Pride appearances, and PFLAG tips to help end bullying.
The campaign will help raise at least $200,000 (and up to $300,000) to support PFLAG’s efforts to work directly with schools providing support, resources, training, model policy and creative programs to create an environment of respect for all children. For every Care With Pride coupon or offer redeemed, PFLAG’s Safe Schools for All program will get $1 from Johnson & Johnson.
Jody Huckaby, Executive Director of PFLAG National, said funding from this effort will increase PFLAG’s functioning capability when it comes to working with schools to provide support, resources, training, model policy, and creative programs around ending bullying.
Obviously our default mode here is that all corporations are evil now and forevermore, but as corporations go, Johnson & Johnson is kinda kicking ass! This is the part where we “fully disclose” and mention that Johnson & Johnson has partnered with this website to promote ob tampons and that it was in the news lately for its lesbian-inclusive KY Intense ads featuring a lesbian couple. Johnson & Johnson has always scored high on the HRC’s Equality Index and is committed to using women-and-minority-owned businesses as suppliers. This year Johnson & Johnson has undertaken a company-wide initiative to reach the GLBT community across all brands. It’s an unprecedented move for a company of their size and its effects are tangible.
Targeting gay and queer folk in advertising is nothing new – but when two Fortune 500 corporations are partnering with PFLAG to keep LGBT kids safe, you can’t help but notice that it’s never been done before. And you can’t help but be grateful that someone decided to do it.
There is so much awesome in this post.
My manager at Walgreens told me not to tell customers that I’m gay and just yesterday said that Justin Bieber was a fag, maybe someone should tell him about this…
I used to work at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, and it often surprised me how often horrifically discriminatory things happened at big national organizations that seemed pretty committed to creating a welcome work environment. I think a lot of it winds up being about the politics of local branches. Definitely an area of improvement for HR departments all over the place, but I think I’ve come to a place where I despise the ignorant person in management and appreciate it when a company addresses the issue head on. Depending on your situation, it might be worthwhile to report your manager to Walgreen’s harassment hotline (they should have one) or to your state version of the EEOC. It’s worth checking out Walgreen’s processes if you can do so anonymously, even if your state (like most) doesn’t offer LGBTQ individuals protection.
It always feels weird to me to hear about J&J doing LGBT-friendly things because my uncle is a high level exec there and genuinely the most racist, sexist, and homophobic person I am related to and possibly ever met. Also, it makes me happy that even his company/bosses think he is stupid.
They can do all the pro-queer stuff they want, but as long as they test on animals they’re not getting my money.
Fantastic.. let’s test on walls.. or even better, human beings.
This animal thingy is getting way too much for logic you know.
On the other hand, these news are wonderful. Anything that can spread tolerance is cheerily welcome!
This is so great!
Ellen’s mom is the best, I gave my mom her book a few months after I came out and it really helped. I’m glad she wrote that book, and suggest it to anyone with struggles within the fam after coming out.
Now THIS is true Family Values.
(Go shove it, GOP assholes)