Ahead of the 2020 State of the Union Address by then-President Trump, Logo aimed to offer an alternative State of the Union, one for the LGBTQ community, delivered by celebrated actor and Pose star Billy Porter. With LGBTQ+ rights at risk or deliberately under attack by the Trump Administration, and with the increasing record of trans homicides each year, Porter’s speech airing on television and across social media reminded the LGBTQ community that the state of its union is strong, and that we can fight hatred with love and strength.
Our strategy was to create a powerful piece of content that would be informative and reassuring on the day of President Trump’s State of the Union Address. We wanted the speaker to be an outspoken icon and leader in the community – Broadway and television star Billy Porter was the perfect choice. Similar to his role as master of ceremonies Pray Tell on FX’s hit show Pose, Porter was our Commander in Chief and brought stats, facts, and news to life in an inspiring and informative speech. His words offered comfort to the LGBTQ community and called for organization in the fight ahead.
We posted a tease across social media on January 31st announcing that Porter would debut his LGBTQ State of the Union address ahead of President Trump’s on February 4th. The full address premiered on February 4th on Facebook, YouTube, IGTV, Twitter and LogoTV.com, as well as a promo on-air on Logo during the time of premiere. Porter gave an impassioned and dignified speech touching on a variety of subjects that directly impact the LGBTQ community, both in the United States and abroad. He looked back over the past year to highlight recent triumphs, including the most diverse class of elected officials in history and the rise in LGBTQ representation in entertainment. He also spoke of setbacks, like the uptick in hate crimes against LGBTQ individuals. And he looked ahead to the 2020 election. Little did we know what the year had in store for us, which he will be addressing in his forthcoming 2021 address.
Sentiment was overwhelmingly positive. The video garnered 589,000 views (+216 percent year-over-year) and 27.8K (+315 percent year-over-year) engagements across platforms. This year also brought in new press coverage from CNN, AdWeek, The Hill, Billboard, NY Daily News, and NBC News. The project was a success in reminding the LGBTQ community that we’re here, we’re queer, and we’re not going anywhere. We cannot wait to bring this to our audience again in 2021.
