GLAAD officially launched the Brett Ratner-directed "Coming Out for Equality" PSA series today, with a spot featuring actress Sarah Shahi making its premiere on AfterEllen.com, which you can see here. The GLAAD 'Coming Out for Equality' PSA series features a diverse group of straight celebrities and athletes "coming out of the closet" as supporters of equality and calling for other Americans to speak out. Visit glaad.org/ally to join the #AllyNetwork and take action for LGBT equality, watch featured PSAs, and find resources to help make your community a safe and supportive space.
Comcast and NBCUniversal will serve as a leading media partner for the PSA campaign, contributing $1.5 million in national airtime on its Xfinity TV cable systems and bringing this important message to more than 20 million homes over the next year.
Shahi, former star of Showtime's The L Word, says her support for equality is well known, but she understands that "it's not always easy to come out and tell the world where you stand," which is why it's important to her to "come out of the closet, not as an L word, but as an A word, an ally of equality for everyone." You can view Shahi's spot below, and see all the newly released spots on our Youtube channel here.
Ratner directed and produced the PSA series, donating his time to raise support for LGBT people. Other participants include Jackie Chan, Giada De Laurentiis (Food Network), DeRay Davis (21 Jump Street), Hudson Taylor, Jaime King (Hart of Dixie), Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), Kristen Johnston (The Exes), Tamala Jones (Castle), and Pauley Perrette (NCIS). Additional participants and videos will be released later this month. The PSAs were produced by Kali Londono.