Business – Mombian

The New Amtrak Ads Through a Racial Lens

August 3, 2012 • 2 comments

amtrak

In my post yesterday about the new Amtrak ads, I mentioned that it was good to see same-sex parents of color in the media. In discussing the ads with a friend and educator who is Black and a lesbian, however, I came to realize my White perspective was only giving me part of the story.

In Business, Travel

Amtrak On the Right Track with Lesbian and Gay Family Ads

August 2, 2012 • 2 comments

amtrak

Amtrak has just launched a lovely new advertising campaign featuring lesbian moms and gay dads. The company has marketed to the LGBT community for several years, but chugs into new territory with its latest two ads that focus on same-sex parents.

In Business, Travel

The Children’s TYLENOL® brand and LGBT Families

July 31, 2012 • No comments

tylenol_moms

(The following is a guest post from Meg, who works on the Children’s TYLENOL® brand team at McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. In this post, she writes about her thoughts on the brand’s support of LGBT families and what it means to her as a lesbian.)

My wife and I just bought our first home together, nestled in Cherry Hill, NJ. It’s been a lengthy process moving in, with its ups and downs, a ton of boxes, and weeks of unpacking, but every moment has been worth it. For both of us, it is such a monumental point in our lives. And now we’ve reached the stage in our journey where we’re considering starting a family.

In Business, Family Profiles

Coming Soon: Guest Posts for Family Week

July 27, 2012 • No comments

family_week

Tomorrow, July 28, marks the start of Family Week, the annual event in Provincetown, Mass. hosted by the Family Equality Council for LGBT families and our children. I won’t be there in person this year, alas, but in honor of the event, I’ll be bringing you two special guest posts next week.

In Business, Travel

Gay Dads and Toddler Denied Pool Access

July 5, 2012 • 1 comment

Photo credit: Ukko.de

Two gay dads in Virginia wanted to take their son swimming during the summer, so they signed up for a family membership at the Roanoke Athletic Club. The club initially granted the membership, then denied it upon realizing the dads were gay. This is only one of several disturbing recent actions allegedly taken by the club, which is owned by regional medical provider Carilion Clinic.

In Business, Politics/Current Events

Campaign Aims to End Exclusion of Same-Sex Parents from Forms

March 15, 2012 • No comments

form_thumb

Scratching out “Father” and writing in “Mother” is an all-too common experience for coupled lesbian moms (vice versa for gay dads). Now, the Family Equality Council (FEC) hopes to draw attention to the many forms that still exclude our families. Their “Snap It & Send It” campaign asks people to take photos or scans of non-inclusive forms and send them to forms@familyequality.org, along with notes about how the forms are impacting their family.

In Business

IKEA Gets to the Root of Family with Inclusive Carrot Toys

February 10, 2012 • No comments

ikea_carrots

Yet another in my occasional but ongoing series on why I love IKEA. This adorable carrot family shows that what matters is love and happiness. The gender of the parents doesn’t matter–or can be imagined to be whatever the child wants them to be.

In Business, Fun, Kids' Activities

TD Bank Responds About New Survey on Parents and Financial Literacy

March 31, 2011 • 1 comment

If there’s one thing I like as a consumer and erstwhile marketing professional, it’s a responsive company. I posted yesterday about a survey sponsored by TD Bank that explored how parents teach their kids financial literacy, but clearly focused only on opposite-sex parents. This morning, I received the following e-mail from Jimmy Hernandez, a media relations officer at TD Bank. I repost it here with his permission:

In Business, Money and Finance

New IKEA Ad Features Gay Couple

March 18, 2011 • 1 comment

For your weekend pleasure: please enjoy this very cool ad from IKEA, for its new Italian store in Catania, Sicily, featuring two men holding hands and the tag line, “Siamo aperti a tutte le famiglie,” or “We are open to all families.” The usual outrage has ensued from the usual parties. I say they should get a [...]

In Business

Target in Mother’s Sights

July 28, 2010 • No comments

Target Corporation has come under fire this week for a $150,000 donation to a Minnesota PAC that supports Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer—who has in turn expressed support for a ministry/rock band that says Muslim countries that kill gay people are moral. Michael Jones at Change.org has the details, and a petition you can sign; [...]

In Business, Politics and Law

Curveball Pitches and Sexy Moms

October 14, 2009 • 2 comments

Like many bloggers, I get a lot of PR pitches. Here are a few of the more amusing ones I’ve received lately. Some are bad pitches; others are decent pitches for dubious products. Product/company names removed to protect the clueless. “Keep these Holiday offerings in mind for that special guy in your life . . [...]

In Business

Getting Married? Consider This Proposal

June 9, 2009 • 1 comment

It should be a happy time for LGBT folks in New Hampshire, with a marriage equality victory making the springtime a little brighter. For the LGBTQ youth organization Seacoast Outright, however, things are looking bleak. The organization, which provides educational, social service and advocacy for gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, and questioning youth in the greater [...]

In Business, Money and Finance, Politics and Law

Gay Dads Get a Lift at IKEA

May 30, 2009 • 6 comments

One more reason I love IKEA. Actual photo from the IKEA in Stoughton, Mass. (And yes, there was another elevator next to it with a “man” and a “woman” and a child—or a butch and a femme, depending on your perspective. One of the figures was in a dress. Interpret it as you will. That [...]

In Business, Fun

Honda Commercial with Gay Dads

April 2, 2009 • No comments

Honda must have noticed that Subaru’s marketing to the LGBT community was paying off. In this recent commercial, two men and a young boy get out of a car, ready to head to the beach. Sure, they could be a dad and an uncle, but I’d prefer to think they’re both dads, especially with the [...]

In Business

LGBT Families on Public Television: the Time Has Come

March 23, 2009 • 2 comments

(Originally published in Bay Windows, February 5, 2009.) Amidst all the talk of potential progress for LGBT rights under President Obama, one opportunity has made few headlines: the prospect of more LGBT inclusive children’s programming on public television. Talk with almost any LGBT parent, and she or he will bemoan the dearth of LGBT families [...]

In Business, Entertainment

Kiddie Consumers

March 19, 2009 • No comments

Thanks to Nina at Queercents for pointing out an article from Best Life magazine about kids and consumerism, subtitled: “How to thwart the $17 billion marketing effort to steal your kids’ dreams, hijack their imaginations, make them obese, and drive a wedge into their relationship with you.” Yikes. It’s enough to make one move to [...]

In Business, Child Development, Parenting

Lesbian Mom Could Be Only Out CEO of Major Firm

March 13, 2009 • 1 comment

Susan Arnold, who just stepped down as vice chair and president of global business units at Proctor & Gamble, could become the only out CEO of a FORTUNE 500 firm, and the 16th woman in such a role. She would also be the first lesbian mom. She and her partner have two teenage children. Not [...]

In Business

Are You a Subaru Lezzie or a Truck-Driving Dyke?

March 12, 2009 • No comments

LGBT car-shopper site Gaywheels.com is conducting a major survey of LGBT auto owners. Publisher Joe LaMuraglia told me they’re looking for more women to participate, however: “We want to make sure that the Lesbian voice is counted. We’ll be presenting this data to all the major car companies and they are really interested. We need [...]

In Business

Bank Ad Shows Transgender Inclusiveness

March 2, 2009 • 2 comments

This isn’t exactly parenting related, but I found it too touching not to blog. Argentina’s Banco Provincia has released an ad featuring a transgender woman. Her neighbor sees how well the bank has treated her, comes to realize his bigotry, and apologizes for his past behavior. It’s tremendously moving, and groundbreaking for an ad that [...]

In Business, Selves and Identities

Live from New York

January 20, 2009 • No comments

I’ve spent Inauguration Day in transit between Boston and New York in preparation for my keynote at the Working Mother “L-Moms and Allies Breakfast,” catching most of the ceremony in the departure lounge. I wrote up my thoughts for now-President Obama a few days ago, though, so I am therefore taking today just to revel [...]

In Business, Politics and Law

Proof that Homosexuality Harms Kids

January 16, 2009 • 2 comments

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the attacks on Campbell’s Soup by the American Family Association, after the soup company produced a series of ads featuring two lesbian moms and ran them in the Advocate. Now, the AFA is urging its supporters to see if their children’s schools participate in Campbell’s 30-year-old “Labels for [...]

In Business, Politics and Law

Google, YouTube, and Sperm Donation

January 14, 2009 • No comments

What do Google, YouTube, and sperm donation have in common? The founders of the blockbuster Internet companies, along with Sherron Mills, the founder of Pacific Reproductive Services, a lesbian fertility clinic and sperm bank, were recently named top San Francisco innovators by 7×7 magazine. Read more about it at 365gay.com. (You can also read my [...]

In Business, Family Creation

Working Mother L-Moms Breakfast in New York

January 7, 2009 • No comments

I’ve been graciously invited by Working Mother magazine to give the keynote speech at their first-ever L-Moms & Allies Breakfast on January 21 in New York City. If you live in the greater New York City area, you are more than welcome to attend. I’d love to meet you there. The only catch is that [...]

In Blog Admin, Business

Subaru Supports Lesbians, Posts Profit

January 5, 2009 • 1 comment

Quick: Name the car brand most often associated with lesbians. That’s right, Subaru, the only car company “with a specifically pro-lesbian track record.” Its Forrester was “a lesbian icon from day one,” and the company has long been marketing on The L Word. Next question: Name the only major automaker to post a yearly sales [...]

In Business

Worst PR Pitches of the Year

January 2, 2009 • No comments

I get a lot of e-mail from PR firms wanting me to blog about their products. I usually give them a glance, having once myself managed public relations for a dotcom. I figure it’s good karma. Still, some of them are so clearly off target it makes me laugh. Here are a few gems I’ve [...]

In Business

1 of 3