Apr 20, 2006  | COMMENTS     

A national television network targeting gay viewers is catching heat for its refusal to air a commercial promoting religious tolerance, while two other gay cable networks are airing the commercial free of charge as a public service ad.

The Viacom-owned Logo, launched in 2005 as a gay-focused cable network by MTV, joined mainstream broadcast channels like ABC, CBS and NBC in rejecting an ad by the United Church of Christ.

The 30-second "Ejector Seat" ad features several people, including a gay couple, a black woman, a Middle Eastern man and a disabled man, who are systematically ejected from their church pew when they sit down next to a conservative-looking family.

"God doesn’t reject people. Neither do we," the commercial says.

A spokesperson for Logo confirmed that MTV’s standards and practices division deemed the UCC "ejector" ad as disparaging to other religions and not acceptable to run on Logo or any other Viacom-owned network.

Two other cable channels geared toward gays, Q Television and here!TV, are airing the UCC ad free of charge. But Logo spokesperson Steven Fisher said not all gay networks operate the same way.

"We’re an ad-supported network unlike a pay channel," Fisher said. "We have certain rules for advertising."

A number of other ad-supported networks, including CNN, TBS and TNT, accepted the commercial.

THE UCC, A progressive Protestant denomination with 1.3 million members, launched its inclusiveness and diversity campaign in 2004. One of the first ads featured two bouncers blocking "non-traditional" churchgoers from entering a place of worship. That ad was also refused by mainstream networks.

Logo did accept the UCC ad in 2004, according to Fisher.

Anticipating a backlash from its gay customers for rejecting the latest ad, Logo prepared an e-mail response supporting its position.

"Since the channel’s launch last year we have covered issues of religion and our community with films like ‘Angels In America’ and ‘Latter Days,’ and through documentaries as diverse as ‘Trembling Before G-d,’ ‘Saints & Sinners,’ and ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye.’

BOTH Q TELEVISON and here!TV are airing the UCC ad because of its inclusive message, according to each company’s spokesperson.

Ron Buford, director of UCC’s Stillspeaking campaign, which produced the ad, said Logo’s decision reflects the network’s true motivation.

"I guess the idea of gay TV doesn’t really mean it’s your community network," Buford said. "It’s just something that’s targeted at you to sell product."

The church has launched a campaign against Logo urging the network to air the ad.

Last year the UCC "bouncer" ad was selected by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation as the year’s best.

A spokesperson for GLAAD said by rejecting the latest UCC ad, Logo may actually give the ad greater exposure.

"The main message of the UCC’s campaign is that everyone is welcome, including gay people," said GLAAD’s Rashad Robinson. "That important message is traveling in a lot of different forms; some networks are airing the spot, others have chosen to reject it, which itself has become the story."