Photo Campaign to "End Hate"

Mike Gets Real the website of reality TV star gone bisexual activist Mike Manning has started a new photo campaign to create awareness and raise money for equal rights. The premise of the campaign is that people will pose with a sign that says why they are committed to ending hate. Manning encourages people to post those photos in public media such as Facebook and Twitter to draw attention to the campaign.

Manning defends photo campaigning as an effective advocacy tool by saying:

"Photo campaigns are easy and effective because you don't have to be an expert on the issues, or to speak in front of hundreds of people to make a difference" (MGR).

How you can get involved:

1. Individual End Hate Shoots around the country (by anyone)

2. Pictures sent in from Actors, Politicians, Public Figures, anyone that wants to get involved. Collected on Facebook group “People 2 End Hate” and/or sent to endhatecolorado@gmail.com.

3. All photos and stories compiled into a viral YouTube video campaign and distributed all over

Web Spotlight: Mike Gets Real

Mike Gets Real is the new website of Mike Manning a cast member on the MTV hit show Real World D.C. Mike is an openly bisexual christian man who embraced his identity and became active on behalf of LGBT civil rights on the show. His website links to his blog, important issues, events, and features his 'End the Hate' campaign.

Boys of Real World D.C. Join NO H8!

Real World D.C. an MTV show where eight roommates live and work together in gay-friendly Dupont Circle is highlighting queer visibility this season. Two of the housemates are openly bisexual and unashamed. They have been sharing their perspective and opening hearts and minds to this orientation.

Housemates Mike Manning, Andrew Woods and Josh Colon all posed for the photographer Bouska's NO H8 campaign.

With millions of young viewers, the housemates stance is important and inspiring and they should be thanked for their advocacy.

Thank Mike, Andrew, and Josh via Twitter.

MTV's 'True Life' Upcoming Queer Opportunities

MTV's True Life is a docu-series which features various young people going through extraordinary circumstances in life. There are two upcoming tapings that may be of interest to readers here, one about being passable as hetero-normative, and the other about athletes coming out to their teammates.

TRUE LIFE: I'M PASSING
Are you "passing" as someone you're not? Have you been passing in school, at work, in your community or anywhere else as being of a different race, gender or sexual orientation from what you actually are? Are you are a transsexual female who passes as someone who was born a female? Or maybe you're a person of color who passes as a white person. Or perhaps your schoolmates or colleagues think you're straight while in fact you're gay.

Do you try to pass as someone other than who you are for a particular reason? Do you feel it gives you an advantage of some kind at work, school or with your friends? Or do others look at you and simply decide for themselves? Do you correct them or do you enjoy passing? Are you considering "coming out" and putting your days of passing behind you?

If you are passing as someone of a different race, gender, sexual orientation or otherwise, MTV wants to hear from you. If you appear to be between the ages of 15 and 28, please email us at passing@mtvn.com. Please be sure to include your name, location and phone number.

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TRUE LIFE: I'M COMING OUT TO MY TEAM
Are you planning to come out to your teammates? Have you been afraid or hesitant to come out to your sports team as gay, bisexual, or transsexual but are now planning to reveal yourself? Perhaps you've already come out to your friends and now have to face the upcoming season with teammates who still think you're straight? Or maybe you're unsure of how your fellow athletes would react if they knew, and thus have not come out to anyone?

Whatever your situation may be, if you are planning to come out to your teammates and appear to be between the ages of 15 and 28, MTV wants to hear from you. Please email us at comingout@mtvn.com and be sure to include your name, location and phone number.

For more info or to check other upcoming episodes goto True Life - MTV

True Life: I'm An Asexual?

MTV a pop-culture station with music, and reality tv shows for those in the teen/young adult age bracket has a program called True Life, which is a documentary series covering a host of topics.

Topics range from heroine addicts, to gays getting married, and showcase the lives and stories of young people throughout the country going through an interesting struggle.

The show has been very inclusive of LGBT people but has yet to cover the topic of asexuality, as mentioned by some people on the asexuality forums.

Use MTV's True Life Topic Suggestions board to suggest a show advancing asexual visibility.

"Pedro" New Movie About First Openly Gay Real Worlder With AIDS

In 1994 MTV's The Real World San Francisco which brings together different housemates to live together and share their life story had Pedro Zamora an openly gay man with AIDS on the season. He brought the disease to the spotlight and brought a humanizing element to this most feared and misunderstood illness. Pedro became the face of HIV/AIDS activism for the younger generation and his courage to stand up and be counted has made a difference in countless lives and he made a place for himself in history.

Below is a clip of the cast and a bit about the story and Pedro Zamora's life, "Pedro" which is going to debut Wednesday April 1st at 8pm EST on MTV.

Real World Brooklyn - Queer as Ever!

The twenty-first season of MTV's, Real World: Brooklyn, premieres on Wednesday, January 7. It promises to be gayer than a particularly gay picnic basket; packed with enough gay, bisexual, transgendered and questioning participants to ensure this season will be the most rainbow-friendly one so far. No longer onboard for shock value, novelty or conflict-baiting, the lavender-leaning members of this eight-person cast will (if the press materials aren’t lying) do their part to keep it real and make life in their Red Hook warehouse digs particularly fabulous. (Wicked Gay Blog)

Why am I posting about MTV on an activist blog? I feel Viacom has been integral to the LGBT community, having LOGO a 24/7 gay channel, and showing many LGBT themed programs on their other networks is vital in putting out our stories and lives to millions of viewers.

Obama Speaks to MTV News on Gay Marriage

Obama says he does not support gay marriage but is against amending state constitutions and therefore against proposition 8.

MTV Shows

Rock the Queer Vote!

Rock The Vote an organization dedicated to getting out the vote particularly the youth demographic has put out a new video featuring a gay couple tying the knot and kissing. Cool video, powerful and great in terms of visibility, awareness and outreach. What do you all think?