The leading proponent of the effort to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is calling on the public to help shape its 20th anniversary celebration, with the help of a Philadelphia social-media strategy firm.
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network is staging an online design contest that allows supporters to craft and vote on the best logos for the agency’s commemorative anniversary T-shirts, a competition being sponsored by Philly’s Chatterblast Media.
Submissions will be accepted through Feb. 13, and designers can enter an unlimited number of submissions.
SLDN staff will choose five finalists, and voting will be open to Facebook supporters from Feb. 14-24.
The winner and his or her design will be unveiled at SLDN’s annual dinner March 3 in Washington, D.C.
SLDN sells T-shirts every year on its website, at agency events and Pride festivals throughout the year, but SLDN communications director Zeke Stokes said this year the organization decided to get its supporters more directly involved in that effort.
“The SLDN National Dinner will kick off a year-long anniversary celebration that will culminate with us going into our 20th year in 2013, and we wanted to give supporters of SLDN and of full equality in the military the opportunity to be a part of that celebration,” he said.
Chatterblast co-founder Matthew Ray said his company has long believed in SLDN’s work and cooperated with the group to stage the Philadelphia party to celebrate the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in September.
“We have had friends at SLDN for a while and have always been supportive of their mission of taking care of servicemembers,” Ray said. “We felt strongly they have been one of the biggest allies in the attempt to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ We developed a great relationship with them and when they approached us with this idea, we were more than happy to help.”
Chatterblast helped design the logistics of the contest and created and monitors its Facebook page.
“We’re basically making sure the contest is running appropriately and taking the heavy lifting off of SLDN so they can just worry about their mission of protecting LGBTQ servicemembers,” Ray said.
He added designers of all skill levels are encouraged to submit their ideas for consideration.
Funds from the sales of the eventual winning T-shirt will benefit SLDN.
For more information on the contest, visit www.facebook.com/sldnfb?sk=app_95936962634.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].
