New book offers a modern perspective on coming 'out of the closet'

It's Not About You: Understanding Coming Out & Self-Acceptance By Marc Adams is a practical guide for family and friends of those coming out as well as teachers, social workers and counselors. "The purpose of this book is to educate those interacting with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people not only about the impact of their reactions but to provide a path to correcting an inappropriate reaction," says Adams. "Coming out is a gift of honesty and this book lights the way to accepting that gift and maintaining relationships based on love. Readers at every place in their journey will find something new here." The book includes a guide for those coming out on how to live life courageously, confidently and consistently. "I was inspired to write this book after spending the past 14 years interacting with other gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and discussing coming out experiences and the disclosure reactions of their families and friends," Adams continues. "While the past decade has brought a little improvement in disclosure reactions, there is a serious need for a modern perspective to guide those on the receiving end of a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's honesty as well as encouragement for those taking the step to live their lives honestly."

For more information and to purchase the book click here.

Benetton’s Most Controversial Ad Campaigns

"Oliviero Toscani was the man behind some of the most controversial advertising campaigns in history. The Italian photographer, who served as creative director for Benetton between the years of 1982 - 2000, not only transformed the Italian clothier into a household name, he changed the face of advertising," writes Christopher at Fashionist. "Toscani’s work for Benetton was sometimes poignant, usually controversial and always memorable. Most of Benetton’s advertisements that were released during the Toscani years shocked the world, but many created a dialogue and etched Benetton’s logo into our minds. Not bad considering no Benetton garment ever made a significant appearance in any of Toscani’s ad campaigns."

Here’s a look back at Benetton’s most controversial advertising campaigns:

Angel And Devil (September 1991)
In the fall of 1991, Benetton once again tried to provoke conversation on the stereotypes of good and evil with an advertisement featuring an angel and the devil. Officially, the company said they were aiming to “feature images from the real world which have some social and universal relevance, in order to break through the barrier of indifference which often surrounds these issues”. What the campaign actually did was create unprecedented outrage and controversy.

Priest And Nun (September 1991)
A priest kissing a nun was one of many advertisements that depicted religious and sexual conflict for Benetton. The fall 1991 ad campaign of a not-so-platonic kiss between a priest and a nun clad in an old-fashioned habit immediately sparked controversy across the world. Benetton stated that the ad was merely “the affirmation of pure human sentiment".

Hearts (March 1996)
In the spring of 1996, Benetton released an advertisement which featured an image of three almost identical “human” hearts with the words 'white', 'black', and 'yellow' as captions. Protesters cried that the photo, which was taken by Oliviero Toscani, was one of Benetton's most racist. In actuality, the hearts were pig hearts.

Continue reading: 12 of Benetton’s most controversial advertising campaigns