GLSEN Proud to Work with Wanda Sykes on Ad Council PSA

NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2008 - GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is proud to have worked with actor/comedian Wanda Sykes on its new ThinkB4YouSpeak.com Ad Council public service advertising campaign, released last month and already airing on TV across the country.

The campaign targets anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) language among youth, particularly the use of 'gay' meaning something negative. Another PSA features actress/musician Hilary Duff.

"I'm really proud of this spot," Sykes said at the taping. "It's a good message. I'm not the most politically correct person out there, but we do need to realize what we're saying and what our words mean, especially now. You have to get to kids now, and hopefully they'll start thinking a little bit more about what they say."

In the humorous spot, Sykes confronts a table of boys at a pizza shop after they refer to a statue as "so gay." View it at www.ThinkB4YouSpeak.com.

"Don't say that something is gay when you mean dumb or stupid," Sykes responds. "It's insulting."

The spot ends with Sykes stating the tagline: "When you say that's so gay do you realize what you say? Knock it off."

"Wanda's commitment to a more welcoming and accepting society sends an important message to our youth that everyone deserves respect," said GLSEN Executive Director Dr. Eliza Byard. "Initial response to GLSEN's Ad Council campaign has been overwhelmingly positive, and we owe much of that to Wanda's talent and generosity. When Wanda says 'knock it off' people listen."

To learn more about the campaign, visit www.ThinkB4YouSpeak.com.

About GLSEN
GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Established nationally in 1995, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. For more information on GLSEN's educational resources, public policy agenda, student organizing programs, research, public education or development initiatives, visit www.glsen.org.