here! Networks to Broadcast United Church of Christ Ad That Welcomes LGBT Community

here! Networks to Broadcast United Church of Christ Ad That Welcomes LGBT Community

America's First Gay Television Network Reaches Out to Air Inclusive Church Campaign

NEW YORK, April 11 /PRNewswire/ -- here! Networks, the nation's first gay and lesbian television network, announced today that it would begin broadcasting the United Church of Christ's new "ejector" commercial -- without charge -- as a public service announcement, following decisions by other networks not to air the ad. The ad explains that the church welcomes all people, including the LGBT community.

"The decision by here! Networks to run the United Church of Christ's 'ejector seat' commercial as a public service announcement is much-needed recognition by a major TV network of the alienation that so many gay and lesbian people continue to experience from organized religion," said the Rev. J. Bennett Guess, the UCC's national news director. "We are so grateful for here! Networks support. While other networks, including LOGO, have rejected the ad as 'too controversial' or 'too political,' here! Networks understands that the UCC's ad is not just pointed humor; it's a poignant message of extravagant welcome that is sorely needed by lesbian and gay people, who routinely experience and internalize the sting of rejection whether or not corporate media acknowledges that fact or not."

here! Networks will air the ad on its various platforms on cable and satellite, as well as streaming the spot on its website www.heretv.com .

"As a cable network dedicated to serving the needs of LGBT Americans, here! Networks is proud and honored to broadcast the United Church of Christ's kind and inclusive ad. We will not allow our community's interaction with various religious groups to be defined by those who do not include us in their houses of worship, but rather by those who welcome us as part of their respective congregations. We strongly support all faith based organizations that use their teachings to bring people together, not to divide with fear and prejudice," said here! Networks' Senior Vice-President of Communications Stephen Macias.

About here!

here!, America's first gay television network, was established in 2002 and is currently available to more than 50 million households nationwide. here! offers a wide variety of groundbreaking and acclaimed original movies and series plus the world's largest collection of gay and lesbian films appealing to the broad-based, diverse LGBT audience. here! is available across the U.S. via satellite and is offered by all major cable providers nationwide increasingly as a subscription video on-demand (SVOD) service. here! is also available to broadband homes via major Internet TV providers. For more information, please visit here!'s website at www.heretv.com .

Source: here!

CONTACT: Stephen Macias of here! Networks, or +1-310-806-6382, or
Mobile, +1-310-409-7374, stephenm@heretv.com; or Liana Hawes of October
Strategies, Inc., +1-212-459-3729, or Mobile, +1-917-912-7484,
liana@octoberstrategies.com, for here!

Web site: http://www.heretv.com/

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