A quick quiz:

Did you see at least one beer commercial on TV last night?

Can you think of an alcohol brand that advertises to the LGBT community (at Pride events or in LGBT magazines, for example)?

Can you think of at least four brands of beer off the top of your head?

Have you ever watched a beer ad that made you laugh out loud?

Can you recite the lines or sing the song from at least one beer commercial?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the alcohol industry has already influenced you. Their ads are taking up space in your brain and becoming a part of your daily life.

In fact, the alcohol industry (the makers of beer, wine, spirits, and alcopops) are looking for customers everywhere. They spend an average of $6 billion per year on advertising and promotion¹.

Alcohol Advertising & LGBT People

In a Harvard survey done of national gay & lesbian magazines, alcohol was the #1 advertised product. There were more alcohol ads than for entertainment, cosmetics, vitamins, drugs, and cigarettes combined.¹

The alcohol and tobacco industries have a long history of targeting LGBT people in their advertising. For many years, LGBT culture centered around bars, and the tobacco and alcohol companies were quick to notice that. Alcohol and tobacco were seen as “outlaw” products anyway, so these industries had very little to lose if the conservative consumers object to their advertising practices.2

But there’s something even more disgusting: for a long time, LGBT people have been seen as outcasts. The alcohol and tobacco companies know this, and have cultivated their products’ association with social misfits in order to target LGBT consumers. They’re exploiting homophobia to make a buck!

There are some guidelines for alcohol advertising. “Most of the audience is expected to be 21 or older,” for advertising—but since 70% of the US population is over 21, that allows ads almost anywhere except young kids’ shows and magazines.1

And guess who regulates those guidelines? You guessed it—the alcohol industry. The ban on advertising to young people is completely voluntary! Unless you trust the alcohol industry to look out for your best interests, it pays to be informed about advertising and media.

Beyond Advertising: Entertainment and Media

Because of their reach and influence, the entertainment and media industries also have a responsibility in the way they choose to depict alcohol use to LGBT youth, in movies, TV shows, music, and video games. That responsibility can be fulfilled by creating and distributing entertainment that:

• Does not glamorize underage alcohol use—or equate LGBT identity with alcohol.
• Does not present any form of underage drinking in a favorable light, especially when a particular form of entertainment is targeted toward underage audiences or is likely to be viewed or heard by them.
• Seeks to present a balanced portrayal of alcohol use, including risks.
• Avoids gratuitous portrayals of alcohol use in movies and TV shows that target children as a major audience. This is important because children's expectations toward alcohol and its use are, in part, based on what they see on the screen.1

Want to learn more? Visit: