How not to do crisis communications

"We're coming for your children."

Here’s a good case study in how not to do crisis communications.

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus released a music video this month titled, “Message from the Gay Community.” It features several members of the group, all grown gay men, singing a song with the refrain, “We’re coming for your children.”

The video has not gone over well. Some are upset the song features members of the LGBT community promising to teach other people's children about LGBT values and lifestyles, regardless of what the parents have to say about it. Others are upset simply by the image of a bunch of grown men promising to “come for your children.”

The chorus group then released a somewhat self-conflicted statement, claiming the song’s message is both tongue-in-cheek and in earnest. The group also claims it opposes indoctrination (but also that it's “our turn”) and that it won’t be cowed by critics (but also it will report anyone who shares the music video).

Good luck making any sense of it.

“On July 1,” the group said this week in a statement, “we posted ‘A Message from the Gay Community,’ to SFGMC TV and across social media.”

It adds, “The far-right conservative media found our ‘Message … ’ video and have taken it as their cause. This has all happened in the last 24 hours and it continues to pick up steam. They have taken the lyrics out of context to support a narrative that suits their intolerant and hateful needs.”

For context, here’s a sampling of the song’s lyrics:

You think we’re sinful / You fight against our rights / You say we all lead lives you can’t respect / But you’re just frightened / You think that we’ll corrupt your kids / If our agenda goes unchecked / Funny, just this once, you’re correct

We’ll convert your children / Happens bit by bit / Quietly and subtly / And you will barely notice it / You can keep them from disco / Warn about San Francisco / Make ’em wear pleated pants / We don’t care / We’ll convert your children / We’ll make them tolerant and fair

[…]

We’re coming for them / We’re coming for your children / We’re coming for them / We’re coming for them / We’re coming for your children / For your children.

Calm down, people, the group says. It's just a joke.

“It is obvious the tongue-in-cheek humor is lost on many,” the chorus statement continues. “We will always accept others who may hold different values, but when violence is their choice of expression, since 1969 we have not backed down.”

It adds, “After decades of children being indoctrinated and taught intolerance for anyone who is ‘other,’ from using the Bible as a weapon to reparative therapy, it’s our turn.”

What do they mean by "our turn"? It’s their turn to indoctrinate children? But they just said indoctrination was bad. Ah, forget it.

“Our second action is to work to control the narrative,” the statement reads. “The video is being illegally copied and placed on YouTube, Instagram and other websites. Others have the right to follow Fair Use laws, but that is not what is happening here.”

It concludes, “Therefore, our social media and marketing staff are working around the clock to alert moderators at YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and to file DMCA’s (take down of websites featuring stolen content).”

Have they really not heard of the "Streisand Effect"? The video is online. There is no putting that genie back in the bottle. Threatening to punish people for sharing it only ensures its widespread distribution. File this statement under "not helping."

In case you’re interested, here are additional verses from the song:

Just like you’re worried / They’ll change their group of friends / You won’t approve of where they go at night (to protests) / Oh and you’ll be disgusted (so gross) / When they start finding things online / That you’ve kept far from their sight (like information) / Guess what? You’ll still be all right!

We’ll convert your children / Reaching one and all / There is really no escaping it / ‘Cause even grandma likes RuPaul / And the world’s getting kinder / Gen Z’s gayer than grindr / Learn to love / Learn to vogue / Face your fate! / We’ll convert your children

They talk an awful lot about conversion. But what happens when they run across a child who says he's born this way? Or are we not doing that anymore?

The song continues:

Someone’s gotta teach them not to hate

We’re coming for them / We’re coming for your children / We’re coming for them / We’re coming for them / We’re coming for your children / For your children

Your children will care about Fairness and justice for others / Your children will work to convert all their sisters and brothers / Then soon, we’re almost certain / Your kids will start converting you!

The gay agenda is coming home / The gay agenda is here!

But you don’t have to worry / ‘Cause there’s nothing wrong with standing by our side (The gay agenda) / Get on board in a hurry / Because the world always needs a bit more pride (The gay agenda)

Come on, try a little pride!

We’ll convert your children / Then, we’ll turn to you / Giving up the fear inside is freeing like you never knew!

Go and see San Francisco! / Go and turn up that disco! / You’ll forget you were ever upset / We’ll convert your children and make an ally of you yet! / We’ll make an ally of you yet! / We’ll make an ally of you yet!

The song is obviously tongue-in-cheek. It's also brazen, irreverent, and pugnacious. It's a cheeky challenge to parents. By design! However, as it turns out, some parents don’t appreciate the spectacle of a bunch of grown men chanting, “we’re coming for your children.” It's shocking, I know.

The group’s subsequent statement is a classic example of “doing more harm than good.” The chorus could have just said, “We're sorry you didn’t find it funny” and left it at that. Instead, it published some contradictory nonsense about tolerance and indoctrination, topping it all off with a hollow threat about punishing people for sharing the video.

For good measure, the group also threw in a line about the Bible, which suggests the song’s core message may be more than a joke. The line about the Bible suggests some in the group may actually see it as their mission to “correct” how certain parents raise their children. But who knows? The people who wrote this statement certainly don’t seem to have a clear idea of what they’re trying to say.

This isn't savvy crisis communications. It's a panic attack.