Half an hour after rock radio station 105.3 aired a homophobic ad, Canvass for a Cause took the issue on directly, mobilizing activists to call-in and formally complain. Within two hours, the station stated they were pulling the ad.
The ad, which publicized 105.3, not only made fun of men touching each other, but terminated with a voice saying, “That’s so gay!” The LGBT community is one of the remaining groups that can still be openly discriminated against, and so any act of homophobia must be responded to quickly.
Those who called the station asked to speak to the director and, upon being connected, gave their names and stated their affiliation with Canvass for a Cause. They then made the station aware that CFAC is a grassroots organization of over 40,000 members and over 40 staff backing the fight for LGBT equality. The callers concluded their message by telling 105.3: “If you do not get back to us, saying the advertisement for your morning show is pulled, we will start a local campaign to boycott both the show and the station…Until then, we will assume that the advertisement is still being aired and we will begin publicizing our boycott.”
This message was clearly heard. After only two hours of staff and volunteers calling in, a CFAC activist was informed by a representative from Clear Channel that the ad was being pulled.
“Because of the role media plays in shaping perceptions, it is key in the path towards achieving acceptance and understanding of our community,” says Cal Strode after receiving this news. “We have a duty to hold media accountable for the messaging it produces. I talked to a programming producer for Clear Channel at around noon today and expressed the concerns of our community. I received verbal confirmation that the ad would be pulled and was told that while it was not the intention of the commercial, they are a friend of the community and would go ahead and pull it.”
Although Canvass for a Cause and the public are still waiting for the official email from the station stating their apologies, the response to callers demonstrates the power of community members expressing their opinions. This success proves the potential of grassroots organizing and of empowering people on an individual level.
Moving forward, it is necessary that we hold the station accountable for never airing the ad again. Canvass for a Cause urges community members to make sure to continue to call in if they hear any anti-gay messaging on radio stations like 105.3.
Rock 105.3 is still on the air? I suppose someone needs to play crappy music for all the inbred Mulletheads of east county.