Celebrities come out for PFLAG in new ads (15102)

On Thursday, Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays launched its long-awaited ad campaign featuring straight celebrities and their GLBT friends and family.

The Stay Close campaign includes six separate ads, featuring actor Ben Affleck with his cousin, Jason; singer Cyndi Lauper with her sister, Elen; Congressman and Mrs. Richard Gephardt with their daughter, Chrissy; Latina media mogul Cristina Saralegui with her brother, Ignacio; singer Barbara Cook with her son, Adam; and New York congressman Gregory Meeks with his brother, John.

The ads will appear in outdoor, print, and transit advertising space in New York and Washington, D.C. Print ads will begin appearing nationally in Time Inc. publications beginning in mid February.

"People need this campaign--both gay and straight," said singer Cyndi Lauper in a statement. "I want people to know that it's about changing hearts and minds. It's about moving from simple tolerance to understanding to acceptance. But, ultimately, it's about unconditional love."

Statistics show GLBT people experience greater rates of depression, homelessness, harassment, and suicide. One study found that 40% of the 1.3 million homeless youth living on America's streets are thought to be GLBT children thrown out of their homes by their parents. Further, a third of all youth suicides are related to issues of sexual identity.

The ads can be viewed online at www.stayclose.org.