With the Olympics spurring a fresh round of debate about the gender divide in sports coverage (and the re-emergence of John St.’s #covertheathlete), another organization is getting in on the conversation. The Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity (CCGSD) is pushing the message that athletes’ sexual orientation shouldn’t affect how they’re treated or perceived.

To emphasize the point, Saatchi & Saatchi has created a series of mock sporting videos with dubbed play-by-play announcers referring to the athletes by their sexual orientation. “The Gay Guy” leads the pack in the velodrome. “The homosexual” is “really pushing the pace” in a fencing match. “All eyes are on the lesbian in lane 6” in the women’s 50m butterfly. The videos end with the same message: “Who you love has nothing to do with how you compete.”

The videos are running on specialty TV and in online media.

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There’s also a testimonial video from gay, lesbian and trans athletes who faced prejudice when they competed.

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Credits:

Advertiser: Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity (CCGSD)
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi
Executive Creative Director: Brian Sheppard
Creative Director/Writer: Matt Antonello
Associate Creative Director: Christian Buer
Writer: Matt, Antonello, Cory Hanson
Art Director: Oskars Trinitis
Editor: Dylan O’Donnell
Audio: Vapour RMW
Post Production: Fort York
Producer: Marisa De Bartolo/Rob Butterwick