Deutsch LA’s digital book serves as resource for queer themes, talent and culture in media

from Playa Vista Direct — August/September 2021

by Times Media Group

Marissa DiSimone’s novel reveals

EQUAL REPRESENTATION

Digital book serves as resource for queer themes, talent and culture in media

STORY BY KAMALA KIRK

Deutsch LA’s employee resource group, The Alphabet People, launched a digital book “In Our Own Words” that defines terms used often when talking about the LGBTQIA+ community.

Historically, queer individuals have not had the opportunity nor the influence to change how they are represented in the media.

Playa Vista-based ad agency, Deutsch LA, is on a mission to change that with its LGBTQIA+ employee resource group, The Alphabet People (TAP). The group serves to connect queer colleagues of all backgrounds with each other to provide a safe place to talk about work, life and everything in between. TAP’s mission is to empower the queer community, in advertising and beyond, by sharing their stories, resources and creative ways to ensure the authentic representation of the LGBTQIA+ community in the media.

Recently, TAP launched “In Our Own Words,” a digital book that defines terms used often when talking about the LGBTQIA+ community and pays homage to vernacular coined by the Black and brown trans women who began the movement for LGBTQIA+.

“We came up with the idea for this project because it was both a way to celebrate our community and Pride Month, while also educating those within the media industry and beyond,” says account supervisor Griffin Templeton. “We wanted to do something that had an impact on the way our community is represented in media, and we think this list of terms is one way we can enlighten those in the advertising industry and everywhere else on how to better understand and authentically speak about the LGBTQIA+ community. Additionally, we wanted to honor those who came before us and started this movement by including popular, mainstream vocabulary that was really born from the Black and brown trans community and ballroom culture.”

“In Our Own Words” is available for download at deutschla.com/tap-digitalalphabet-book.