Who We Help / Case Study

Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues

Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues (FLGI), the only organization of its kind dedicated exclusively to increasing institutional giving to LGBTQ communities, sought Make Waves’ assistance in assessing current media coverage of LGBTQ communities of color.  Based on that assessment, Make Waves was asked to create a strategy for marketing FLGI’s new LGBTQ Racial Equity Campaign, a program designed to improve funding for LGBTQ communities of color.

The Solution:

In order to capture an accurate ‘snapshot’ of the current landscape surrounding LGBTQ people of color, Make Waves researched mainstream and LGBTQ media outlets (both print and online).  We searched all mainstream publications, such as the The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and LGBTQ publications from major cities, such as The Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) and Go NYC (New York).  We surveyed LGBTQ journalists of color and searched for organizations serving LGBTQ communities of color. We compiled our findings and analysis into a landscape media assessment for FLGI’s review.  The results revealed volumes about how people of color who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered or queer are depicted (or more to the point, not depicted) in the media.

The Results:

In mainstream print media, we found just 14 articles about LGBTQ communities of color. There was slightly more coverage in LGBTQ print media, however the amount and quality of the articles varied significantly across publications.  Online searches using a variety of search terms such as “African American and gay” and “gay community of color” yielded various results, including links to pornography. We found only 34 organizations specifically dedicated to serving LGBTQ communities of color.

A separate survey of FLGI’s board of directors showed that leaders in the LGBTQ funding community are aware of the gap in media coverage.  Individuals perceived that there is a lack of recognition of LGBTQ communities of color due to racism, homophobia, and economic inequality.  In addition, one person in our journalist survey highlighted the need for increased diversity in the newsroom in order to promote increased diversity in news coverage.

Based on the results of our media assessment, we were able to craft a communications strategy that will address the lack of coverage of LGBTQ communities of color.  The field is wide open to create fresh, positive media coverage of LGBTQ communities of color, in stories that look at the strengths found within these communities rather than stories that dwell on weaknesses. FLGI’s position emphasizes inclusion and respect for all individuals who claim multiple identities, because everyone, regardless of identity, will benefit as we build a stronger social justice movement.