Breaking Down Outdated Gender Roles

[Cynus]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/24/verizon-ad-tells-parents-to-encourage-girls_n_5526236.html

The video is specifically about the roles we force girls into, but it definitely has a more universal application.

[Camy]

Well, thanks for that, Cynus. I've just spent a fascinating, useful, five hours following links from the Huffington Post page your video was on. That I should have been editing a story is quite beside the point.

Here's the video:

[media]

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[Cynus]

Well, thanks for that, Cynus. I've just spent a fascinating, useful, five hours following links from the Huffington Post page your video was on. That I should have been editing a story is quite beside the point.

Glad I could entertain.

[The Pecman]

I just saw this national commercial about high school graduation for Google last night, and fell out of my chair when I saw the gay couple shot at :53 seconds in:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmFV_f-snTY

Don't tell me they're best friends -- the two couples on either side of them are boy/girl. I actually got choked up when I saw this, because I thought, "jesus, maybe things really are changing for the better."

Here's a frame grab of the shot in question:

[Cynus]

Don't tell me they're best friends -- the two couples on either side of them are boy/girl. I actually got choked up when I saw this, because I thought, "jesus, maybe things really are changing for the better."

Here's a frame grab of the shot in question:

That is wonderful. I remember when I was working at the arena I work at and a teenage gay couple came in, openly hanging out with their friends... It was the first time I had come across LGBT kids who felt safe enough to express their love like that. I told them how great of a couple they made and how happy I was for them. Times are definitely changing, and let's hope they continue to change for the better.

[colinian]

Doug and I came out at the Las Lomas High School Senior Ball when we graduated in 2007. It was held at the San Francisco City Hall. We danced and kissed and everybody cheered and applauded. In the fall my little sister Annie will be a sophomore (10th grade) at Las Lomas. She's going to the Pride Parade with a bunch of her friends this weekend in San Francisco. My other sister Liz just graduated from Las Lomas High. Both say lots of gay kids, boys and girls, are out at Las Lomas and they don't get hassled. Liz says what's cool is some of the gay couples are planning to get married in the future.

Things definitely have changed, and they are better than ever.

Colin

[The Pecman]

What excited and impressed me is that this is in a mainstream network TV commercial, just a random 2-second shot out of about a hundred images, done very casually. It gives me hope that life for everybody will have more tolerance, and the vast majority of people will start accepting gay relationships with all age groups.

[Bruin Fisher]

The guy on the left (of the gay couple) reminds me of the story of Derrick Martin from 2010 who took his boyfriend to his prom and everyone was fine with it except his parents....

Here's the pic I remember: What do you think? Is it the same guy?

[colinian]

Bruin,

Unfortunately I couldn't open the picture.

Colin

[Bruin Fisher]

Thanks for the heads-up Colin, I don't know what's happened there. When I posted it the pic showed up, but now it just shows a file name and won't open for me either. Here's another attempt at posting it:

Failing that, try googling Richard Goodman Derrick Martin...

[colinian]

That link worked! Thanks, Bruin.

Colin