Here TV to run
pro-gay ad rejected by Logo

Following a decision by Logo, the nation's first 24-hour gay cable channel, not to run a pro-gay commercial by the United Church of Christ, a competing gay cable network has said it will not only run the ad but will do so free of charge. Here TV, a national premium network catering to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender audiences, has said it will run the UCC's new "Ejector" commercial as a public service announcement.

"As a cable network dedicated to serving the needs of LGBT Americans, Here Networks is proud and honored to broadcast the United Church of Christ's kind and inclusive ad," said Stephen Macias, senior vice president of communications, in a statement to United Church News. "We will not allow our community's interaction with various religious groups to be defined by those who do not include us in their houses of worship but rather by those who welcome us as part of their respective congregations. We strongly support all faith-based organizations that use their teachings to bring people together, not to divide with fear and prejudice."

The ad will run indefinitely, Macias said, and could be supplemented with additional gay-positive UCC spots in the future. "UCC members and churches are grateful for the courtesy and affirmation extended to us by Here TV," said the Reverend Robert Chase, UCC director of communications. "This partnership means that more and more people will hear the gospel message of welcome and inclusion, which is too often reduced by our culture as something reserved only for selective segments of society."

On March 30, Logo, owned by Viacom, rejected UCC's "Ejector" ad in keeping with its parent company's policy decision to forgo the ad on all of its cable networks, including MTV, VH1, Nick@Night, and TV Land.

As a premium network, similar to HBO or Showtime, Here TV does not solicit or run paid advertising, but it does air occasional public service announcements for nonprofit entities that support lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender causes, such as the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention program for LGBT youth; the Point Foundation, an LGBT scholarship fund; and Cable Positive, the industry's AIDS action organization.

Available nationwide on satellite providers DIRECTV (Channel 190) and DISH (Channel 537), Here is also offered through multiple cable providers, including Adelphia, Cablevision, Comcast, RCN, Starpower, and Time Warner Cable. Launched in 2002, Here was the nation's first network to cater to gays. (The Advocate)