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The “Issue within the Issue” delves into the stories of LGBTQIA+ youth and those who work to keep them safe

Havas New York, the North America flagship agency for Havas Creative Group, has partnered with The Ali Forney Center and New York Magazine on the “Issue within the Issue” – a special advertising section devoted to shining a light on the struggles of the more than 8,300 LGBTQIA+ youth who find themselves abandoned and homeless. Shockingly, many LGBTQIA+ youth find themselves in heartbreaking situations, which include sexual propositions, harassment, and countless other safety concerns compounded by them being cast out of their homes due to transphobia and homophobia. LGBTQIA+ identifying youths make up a staggering 40 percent of all homeless youth in New York City, and to underscore that number, forty percent of the advertising space in New York Magazine’s iconic “Reasons to Love New York” issue is dedicated to educating readers on this dilemma.

“Homophobia, transphobia, and lack of support and resources compound the challenges LGBTQIA+ youth face and make it hard to seek out social services designed to help unhoused people in our country,” says Alex Roque, President & Executive Director of The Ali Forney Center. “We’re thrilled to partner with Havas New York and New York Magazine on this special project that will bring great awareness to our mission of eradicating homelessness.”

The Ali Forney Center is the nation's largest non-profit organization committed to saving the lives of LGBTQIA+ young people by protecting them from the harms of homelessness, empowering them with the tools needed to live independently, and providing a home for those who have been denied the love and support of their families. The “Issue within the Issue” gives readers a glimpse into the lives of LGBTQ+ youth who found success through the Ali Forney Center with a series of original essays, interviews, art, and poetry. 

“The Ali Forney Center is such a crucial New York City institution, and we’re thrilled to work with them and Havas New York to feature this special advertising project that brings to light an important issue affecting LGBTQIA+ youth in our city in one our most iconic issues of the year,” says New York Magazine’s General Manager Manny Getachew. 

With a publicly stated benefit of helping underserved youth, Havas New York, a Certified B Corp, is committed to balancing purpose, planet, and profit, and proud to play an integral role in bringing this project to life. “Our goal to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives and the ‘Issue within an Issue,’ one of the largest single-issue ad buys in recent years, is a great demonstration of advertising done with purpose,” says Dan Lucey, Chief Creative Officer at Havas New York. “This is essentially a magazine within a magazine, and we hope this work inspires readers to help some of New York’s most vulnerable youth by supporting The Ali Forney Center and by sharing these stories.”   

Oussama Zahr, a New York-based writer and creative consultant who served as the campaign’s editorial director, is honored to be involved in the project, emphasizing: “the concept for the 40% issue is clever and unique, and I’m excited to leverage the magic of magazine content to celebrate these incredibly brave young people, spotlight the Ali Forney Center, and amplify LGBTQIA+ stories."

Timed to coincide with the anniversary of the tragic murder of Ali Forney, the gender-non-binary youth who inspired the formation of the eponymous organization, the “Reasons to Love New York” issue is available online and on newsstands on December 6th.

Each page within the “Issue within the Issue” contains a tangible call to action and ways to donate to the cause. Those interested in donating to the Ali Forney Center can also do so at https://www.aliforneycenter.org/donate.

ABOUT HAVAS NEW YORK 

Havas New York is one of 60+ full-service Villages and the North American flagship agency of Havas Creative Group, a powerful network of creative agencies with the most modern capabilities and talented people in the business. At Havas New York, we are a creative company with soul, breaking tradition in our category to help progressive marketers speak the modern language of advertising through culture, design and technology — creating better, more meaningful brand experiences. Creatives are creators who deliver work designed to raise consciousness and inspire conversation in the real world, not the advertising space. Learn more at our website, ny.havas.com, or follow us on Twitter @HavasNYC, Facebook and Instagram @HavasNYC.  

ABOUT ALI FORNEY CENTER

The Ali Forney Center’s mission is to protect LGBTQIA+ youths from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to live independently. In 2002, Carl Siciliano founded the Ali Forney Center (AFC) in memory of, and after, a gender-nonconforming youth who was tragically murdered in 1997. The organization has grown to become the largest agency dedicated to LGBTQIA+ homeless youths in the country—assisting more than 2,000 youths per year through a 24-hour Drop-In Center, which provides over 70,000 meals annually, medical, and mental health services through an on-site clinic, and a scattered-site housing program.

ABOUT NEW YORK MAGAZINE
New York Magazine obsessively chronicles the ideas, people, and cultural events that are forever reshaping our world. Part of Vox Media since November 2019, the beloved and influential New York brands include the groundbreaking magazine New York, which is published biweekly in print, and six thriving verticals: Intelligencer, delivering national news and sharp commentary on politics, business, technology, and media; the Cut, covering style, self, culture, and power; Vulture, the premier site for culture news, criticism, and service; the Strategist, dedicated to shopping the internet smartly; Curbed, covering cities and city life; and Grub Street, home to food news and authoritative restaurant criticism.