15 Ads That Changed The Way We Think About Gays And Lesbians

From:  Business Insider

Ellen  DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi

 National Coming-Out Day will be here soon. The holiday celebrates the first coming-out day, back in 1988, when 500,000 people participated in a march on Washington, D.C. for gay rights. Participants marched for legal recognition of their relationships, an end to discrimination, and reproductive freedom.

We decided to investigate how advertisers have featured LGBT people in their ads over the years. How do ads illustrate a shift in society's perspective over time?

Well, there were some shockers. Like the 1950s ad warning children of the sick homosexuals wandering the streets, or the classy Guinness ad from 1995 that was never aired because it was considered too shocking at the time.

But, we have come a long way since those days. Ads today are both inclusive and respectful, and often boldly targeting the LGBT community directly. And, as Adweek reported, the LGBT community is currently estimated to represent a $743 billion market. That makes it a seriously important market for advertisers to watch.

1940's

Jester Wools

"I've robbed the rainbow." At the time, the word "gay" solely acted as a substitution for "happy."