MEDIA KIT 

 
Contact: Hannah Uselman 
Phone: 281-382-7879 
Email: hannah@equalitytexas.com 

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
Media Kit Table of Contents  Contents 
● Fact Sheet........................................................................................................2 
● Pitch 
Letter......................................................................................................3 
● News Releases 
i. Digital Online...................................................................................4 
ii. Digital MultiMedia......................................................................5 
iii. Traditional.....................................................................................6 
● Photos and captions..................................................................................8 
● Social Media Blog Post...........................................................................11 
● Feature Story...............................................................................................14 
● Multimedia Video Script......................................................................16 
● Collateral Material...................................................................................17 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 Blog post 1
When speaking with other students during my college experience I have noticed that
many of us are scared to be tested for STDs, like HIV. This problem doesn't exclude
itself to girls or boys- it affects us all. This problem also doesn't exclude itself to certain
types of sexualities, whether you're gay,straight, bisexual or any other sexual
preference.We all can still be affected by HIV. Equality Texas chose to partner with the
Share Program at Texas State University because they bring free HIV testing and
educational resources to Texas State students on a monthly basis. As we enter our “Know
Your Status” campaign we want to kick it off with the share program, who already does
this phenomenally.. We won't stop here at Texas state will go to UT, San
Antonio,Baylor, North Texas ,A&M , the University of Houston and all other institutions
in Texas. Equality Texas wants to make sure that each and every student across Texas has
access to sexual health education, as well as sexual health testing. As a former student at
Texas State University and a recent graduate, I understand the importance of knowing
your status and understanding how to keep yourself sexually healthy. Some people can be
supportive and some people can be judgemental and I believe that through programs like
the share program and this campaign we can reduce that stigma and allow people to
freely get tested without worry of judgement or persecution. Follow us on Twitter and
Instagram @Equalstatus for live updates about our campaign at Texas State University
and progress for future campaigns across Texas. If your self or your friend is a student at
Texas State University please encourage them to come visit us on October 24th through
the 28th for free HIV testing and educational resources.
 Blog post 2
I was not educated on the topic of sexual health when I came to college. I believed that it
would be embarrassing to get an STDs. And thought it was embarrassing to talk about
ways that I could prevent STDs. I think both of these components put together is the
reason why most students will contract and STD. It is naive think that because I am a
straight woman that I wouldn't be affected by STDs and especially HIV. What most
people don't know is that around 30% of new HIV cases occur from heterosexual
Partnerships. Even more surprising 7,000 new cases in the year 2011 were from people
younger than 24. As it stands in Texas, public school students receive very little sexual
education. In junior high the only sexual health education that I received was rooted in
abstinence. If I know one thing it's that teenagers are going to be sexually active and I
believe they have a right to sexual education so that they may protect themselves and
others from diseases like HIV and other STDs. I also think that if we start the
conversation from a younger age it can help relieve some of the stigma that surrounds
sexuality and itself and sexual health. This source of human creation is sex, this is a topic
that should never be taboo and should always be safe. Equality Texas will be partnering
with the share program at Texas State University to provide free sexual health screenings
as well as counseling and education. If you are a friend are part of Texas State University
please join us on the week of October 24th through the 28th for free testing we will also
have games prizes and free educational resources.
 Blog post 3

Destigmatizing HIV is going to be a tough problem to solve. On one hand many people
who are heterosexual don't think that HIV will affect them in their lifetime. This is an
idea that is rooted in ignorance-HIV can be passed through heterosexual relationships,
homosexual relationships and anything in between. If we are going to destigmatize this
issue we are going to have to start educating people about the issue. Unfortunately I have
experienced a friend go through this struggle. I was there for support when they got tested
and were diagnosed. I also visited the doctor with them for their first couple of visits to
get their new medication. I think I can speak on behalf of my friend in the fact that the
entire process was truly traumatizing for them. They feared persecution from their
friends, families and colleagues. They feared for their future relationships. They
questioned whether anybody would ever want to be with somebody who was positive.

One positive aspect that I took away from this experience was the fact that there are many
resources out there and physicians that are happy and more than willing to help people
who are diagnosed with HIV. My friend was provided with resources, counseling and
kind words. They were told that they would live an undisturbed life as long as they took
their medication and that they could seek out future partners and live a perfectly normal
life. Before this experience I thought no way this couldn't happen to me this couldn't
happen to my friends but the reality is is that HIV is real. Through our efforts to educate
and test students we hope that we can help destigmatize this issue and prepare those who
are positive for a brighter future that is free of persecution
ONLINE PRESS RELEASE

Subject: Equality Texas Launches “Know Your Status Campaign”

Austin, Texas- Equality Texas will set out on it’s journey to educate and test every
college student in the state of Texas through their newly launched “Know Your Status”
sexual health campaign. This campaign will travel across Texas visiting Universities to
educate and test students for free.

Texas State University will be hosting the first weeklong “Know Your Status” event on
campus this October.

“We chose a campus that it densely populated with a diverse set of students. This first
weeklong event will provide us with valuable information that will be collected from
students. It will help plan our future events across Texas” said Hannah Uselman, head of
communications for Equality Texas.

The organization hopes to spread this campaign to Universities such as UT, A&M,
University of Houston, Baylor and all other academic campuses in the Texas region.

The weeklong event will take place in the Texas State Quad during class hours. The event
will include games, prizes, sexual health resources and free testing.

If you or a friend attends Texas State University please join us at our booth from October
21- 25 for free sexual health education and STD testing.
 ###

Equality Texas is the largest statewide organization working to secure full equality for
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Texans through political action, education,
community organizing, and collaboration.

Contact:
Hannah Uselman
Public Information Officer
Hannah@equalitytexas.org
(281) 382-7879
 Multimedia Press Release

EQUALITY TEXAS TEAMS UP WITH THE SHARE PROGRAM AT TEXAS

STATE UNIVERSITY FOR “KNOW YOUR STATUS EVENT”.

San Marcos, Texas- Equality Texas will be teaming up with an on campus sexual health
program at Texas State University. The SHARE program provides free HIV testing
during specific hours on campus.

“This program understand the demographics that Equality Texas will be targeting during
their own “Know Your Status” free STD testing effort” says Hannah Uselman the
director of communications for Equality Texas.

“ We hope that through the Share programs generosity we will be able to better serve the
community of students at Texas State University. Together we hope to help elevate the
Share programs presence on campus while utilizing their volunteers for our “Know Your
Status” free STD testing event”.

F​or the past 10 years the Share Program has been testing and educating students about
the effects of unsafe sex and binge drinking.

https://youtu.be/3cm1bTZUd5Y

Texas State University is a public, student-centered, Emerging Research University

located halfway between the Austin and San Antonio metropolitan areas. It ranks the
largest public university in the Texas State University System and one of the 50 largest in
the country.

###
Equality Texas​​ is the largest statewide organization working to secure full equality for
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Texans through political action, education,
community organizing, and collaboration.
Contact:
Hannah Uselman
Public Information Officer
Hannah@equalitytexas.org
(281) 382-7879

 
 Traditional Press Release

FOR IMMIDIATE RELEASE

Subject: Equality Texas Visits Texas State University For “Know Your Status” event.

San Marcos Texas- Equality Texas will attempt to fulfill their goal to educate and test
every college student in the state of Texas through their newly launched “Know Your
Status” sexual health campaign. This campaign will travel across Texas visiting
Universities to educate and test students for free.

Equality Texas has partnered with The Share program on campus to put on this great
event. The volunteers will be hosting games with prizes as well as sexual education and
FREE STD testing on the Quad during the hours of 10 am to 4 pm Monday through
Friday, October 21- 25.

“We chose a campus that it densely populated with a diverse set of students. This first
weeklong event will provide us with valuable information that will be collected from
students. It will help plan our future events across Texas” said Hannah Uselman, head of
communications for Equality Texas.

The organization hopes to spread this campaign to Universities such as UT, A&M,
University of Houston, Baylor and all other academic campuses in the Texas region.

The weeklong event will take place in the Texas State Quad during class hours. The event
will include games, prizes, sexual health resources and free testing.

If you or a friend attends Texas State University please join us at our booth from October
21- 25 for free sexual health education and STD testing.

###

Equality Texas is the largest statewide organization working to secure full equality for
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Texans through political action, education,
community organizing, and collaboration.
Contact:
Hannah Uselman
Public Information Officer
Hannah@equalitytexas.org
(281) 382-7879
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Feature Story 

Chuck Smith: Fighting For Equality

As CEO of Equality Texas, Chuck Smith is hailed as a hero by the LGBTQ community in Austin
and throughout Texas. As an Austin Native, Smith earned a degree in accounting from The
University of Texas at Austin. He joined the Equality Texas family in December 2003 and has
been fighting the good fight ever since.

Taken from his Linkedin Profile his duties at Equality Texas follow
“​As part of Equality Texas' management team, supports the agency's mission to end public
policy discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in the area of
strategic message implementation, public education, media relations, web-based legislative
advocacy, and website content management and development. Also manages agency financial
reporting and HR administration.”

In the past 20 years Equality Texas has fought legislation that is biased and discriminatory
against people of the LGBTQ community.
At home, Smith likes to lounge around with his two Great Danes and tries to keep work at work.
But he says “when your passionate about what you do for a living, it tends to follow you home”.

The one thing that missing in his life right now “is a little peace in this political climate. I think
we can all identify with that need.

Smith’s newest fight involves what he calls a “pseudoscience study” done by ​associate professor
Mark Regnerus at the University of Texas at Austin. This study claims that children of straight
married parents do better on a number of social, emotional and relationship outcomes than the
children of same-sex parents.

Just a day in the life for Chuck Smith who debunked the same professor’s methodology in an
interview with the study’s author and FoxAustin’s Mike Warren.

As an Austinite I think we can all sleep safe tonight knowing that Chuck Smith has our back.
Social Media Schedule.
Schedule

Monday Wednesday Friday

Come grab free condoms and #1 Party foul! Party safe this semester- Let’s end the stigma
knowledge this week on the Free Testing on the Quad Oct 21-25 Meet us on the QUad for
QUAD with @EQUALSTATUS Thanks to next week for your FREE
@EQUALSTATUS@SHAREPROGRAM test. Everybody is doing it!

Saturday

Monday Kicks off our free testing. Swing by,

you just might win some freebies!! @equalstatus
Video Script

“Equality Texas Presents, KNOW YOUR STATUS”

Over 30,000 students will break the stigma

Join us on the Quad Oct. 25-30 for games, prizes and FREE sexual health screenings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wfDY3McgIw
Photos and Taglines

EQUALITY TEXAS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHUCK SMITH SPEAKING AT THE TEXAS STATE CAPITOL ON 
FREEDOM ADVOCACY DAY EARLIER THIS YEAR 
 
 
  
Mary Gonzalez speaks to LGBTQ advocates at Equality Texas' lobby day on Monday.
El Paso leaders and advocates on Friday launched an educational and awareness campaign against
discrimination toward lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people.