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07/08/2011
New York television station, WIVB recently reported on the arrival of 36 pro-lgbt billboards that have appeared all the western part of the state.
The billboards show 6 shadowed figures wearing a shirt featuring a color from the pride flag. All figures are nameless and faceless as a way to express solidarity within the LGBT movement.
Even though, the billboards themselves are supposed to express something positive pertaining LGBT rights not everyone are comfortable with the billboards design and what they feel it represents. Concerns were raised by the use of silhouettes (not everyone that identifies as LGBT is “black”) to folks not understanding why such a big statement had to be made so publicly in the first place.
Pride Center of WNY founder, Christopher Voltz discussed the billboard conception and public reaction with a reporter at WIVB.
“We thought this was a great way to put it out there that we are a part of the community, a significant part of the community and valuable to the community. However, there’s a great deal more stigma around LGBT communities in communities of color.”
It is disheartening that with one of the biggest LGBT gains recently being fulfilled in New York that silhouettes meant to express solidarity would be taken as a form of racism. (Side note: Let me be the first to say, that it’s obvious that the figures were silhouettes, which are devoid of color because they are similar to shadows.) Showing, yet again that we still have a long way to go when it comes to true acceptance.
LGBT billboards have people talking: wivb.com
