Research - Web site Evaluation

The next phase of my research project involves evaluating Web sites. This entails looking at all types of information: the good, the bad and the ugly in terms of impact on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

The Good

The first Web site I am going to present ties in perfectly with my interest in personal activism within a larger community. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is one of the largest and oldest national LGBT organizations in the country. It deals specifically with grassroots activism and helps with the local, state and regional fight for equality by training local communities on how to defeat anti-gay and discriminatory legislation.

I have a special place in heart for the organization because I was selected as one of the 2003 Messenger-Anderson Journalism Intern/Scholarship recipients. This was not only my first experience in civic journalism but also the first time I became an LGBT activist after being discharged out of the United States Marine Corps under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

The Bad AND The Ugly

The next Web site I would like to present is for an organization that falls under the radical religious right category: The American Family Association. This organization " exists to motivate and equip citizens to change the culture to reflect Biblical truth and traditional family values." Although it claims to not hate "homosexuals," the organization warns of the "homosexual agenda," "gay" marriage and blames the media for promoting the "gay" lifestyle to Americans. To say the least, it demeans the lives of LGBT people everywhere and in every way.

One of its latest campaigns to boycott companies that specifically target LGBT consumers successfully shut down the Commercial Closet Web site after the organization learned of an advertisement created by Procter & Gamble. This ties in perfectly with my interests in niche marketing to minority communities.

A new feature on the AFA Web site is the addition of its own weblog. Needless to say, it didn't make my favorites list, but if you are so inclined, here is the link.