After 2019 was filled with a historic number of proposed federal rules allowing health providers to discriminate against the LGBTQ communities, we at the National LGBT Cancer Network decided to start the new decade with a series of positive health messages for our community.
We commissioned a 56-foot, 2-sided video billboard in Times Square on the corner of 43rd and Broadway from December 24th through February 29th. The billboard ran our messages for 10 seconds, at least three times per hour. Nearly 500,00 people pass through Times Square on its busiest days, like during the holiday season, and over one million were there to watch the ball drop on New Year’s Eve.
To start the campaign off, we created a bold message against a backdrop of a waving LGBTQ flag: “Hey queers, we love you!”, followed by a second message to “Stay healthy in 2020!”. As the relationship between discrimination and poor health is well documented, we used the second screen to encourage people to “eat well, get screened, be active, and stay tobacco-free”.
Next, in February, in honor of Black History Month, we created a billboard to honor Black transgender people, again encouraging healthy behaviors because we care about their health and lives. The design and messaging was reached by a consensus of Black transgender people.
Our third billboard was aimed at the healthcare providers. Many LGBTQ avoid the healthcare system due to fears of negative treatment. Others will make medical appointments but start out wary. With a hashtag #YouComeOutFirst, our billboard stressed that the burden of safety is on providers to show that they are welcoming. It ran from February 18th through February 23rd.
Our final billboard that ran from February 24th through February 29th was created by and for the bisexual community. This community experiences the highest level of health disparities, coupled with the greatest invisibility. We worked with BiNet USA to create targeted messaging.
The National LGBT Cancer Network invites everyone to make 2020 the year you live out your commitment to love, acceptance, and taking care of our own health first. Find a welcoming doctor and see them regularly. Get that HPV vaccine. Make sure you have all your cancer screenings. Eat real food more often. Get out for a roll down a bike path, a walk in the forest, regular gym time, or a half marathon. Say goodbye to cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Perhaps most importantly, hang out more with your friends and loved ones.