An Analysis of Tobac Indtry Marketg to Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgenr (LGBT) Populatns: Strategi for Mastream Tobac Control and Preventn on JSTOR

Author(s): Offen, Naphtali; Smh, Elizabeth A.; Malone, Ruth E. | Abstract: Smokg prevalence the lbian and gay muny exceeds that nearly all other mographic groups. In 2001, we unrtook a four-year rearch project to study tobac dtry targetg of the lbian and gay muny. We rearched formerly-secret tobac dtry documents, analyzed tobac ntent the gay prs, terviewed lears of LGBT anizatns, and nducted foc groups wh LGBT smokers and found that tobac pani began to advertise the gay prs the early 1990s, ially wary of unfavorable publicy and quick to ny dog so when nonted. At the same time, the tobac dtry began to sponsor muny anizatns and events, pecially those for AIDS-related , which helped burnish the dtry's reputatn. Many lears and members of the muny viewed this attentn om major rporatns as a sign that the muny was beg visible and more study found that most LGBT lears did not nsir tobac a "gay issue". Foced on gay-specific ncerns, such as homophobia, they saw tobac as irrelevant or even a distractn om their missns. Twenty two percent of anizatns we studied reported acceptg fancial support om the tobac dtry. Only 24% thought tobac was one of the top three health ncerns of the muny. Many believed that smokg was solely a personal choice, not an issue of ncern for the muny as a queer prs normalized smokg. Imag of tobac, most nveyg posive or ntral msag, were mon. We found that many ads for products other than cigarett glamorized smokg, and many articl havg nothg to do wh smokg were illtrated wh tobac e imag. Only 11% of all non-advertisg ems we found (imag and text) imparted a negative msage about tobac e. Very few LGBT publitns had polici agast acceptg tobac the time the study end, an creasg number of LGBT advot were workg tobac ntrol. We remend activi that promote a muny dialogue about the real sts of acceptg tobac dtry advertisg and fundg. For example, some groups are urgg LGBT policians and anizatns to sign pledg not to take tobac dtry money. As mastream tobac ntrol has begun to regnize the need of the LGBT muny for servic, we remend that LGBT anizatns apply for fundg, perhaps g the astctur the muny has veloped to provi servic for breast ncer and HIV.Addnal rearch to velop mols for gettg tobac on the muny's agenda would be eful. For example, unrstandg how alhol and other dgs beme seen as gay-specific muny ncerns—even though, like tobac, they affect everyone—uld be helpful. Fdg ways to challenge the views of some young gay people—that most queers smoke—might make easier to help them rema smokeee. Perhaps a greatenrstandg of the g out procs— which one's thentic self challeng societal norms—uld help arm young people wh the strength to rist tobac. Fally, one of the lsons of the larger LGBT movement self—the importance of holdg stutns acuntable for the harm they e—might help the muny stop thkg of smokg as a personal issue, and thk of stead as a systemic issue, wh a culpable dtry at the heart of the problem.* Many muny anizatns fe themselv as lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr (LGBT). When possible, we clud bisexual and transgenr people our study. Throughout this paper, the terms LGBT, queer, and gay are ed terchangeably to acknowledge the diversy of the muny and to rpect the variety of ways which LGBT people intify themselv. * gay chap tobacco company turnover *