Earlier this week on Giving Tuesday (November 27, 2018), the Inside Out LGBTQ Film Festival announced an innovative Online Resources Catalogue aimed at providing support for LGBTQ youth
With the recent rollbacks in sex education in Ontario schools and the misguided idea of putting gender identity up for debate at the provincial level, the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival will launch new online media resources to help address the social isolation and exclusion of LGBTQ youth around the greater Toronto area (GTA), across Ontario and throughout Canada.
In 2019, Inside Out will launch its Online Catalogue of LGBTQ film and media resources.
This will be an accessible and free online media resource oriented toward LGBTQ youth and community educators seeking critical information and support around topics such as gender and sexual identity, bullying and self-esteem.
“I brought 40 high school students to the youth screening of the shorts and it was the highlight of their year! They were mesmerized by the crowd of other rainbow students and gushed about how amazing it felt to be in a room full of positive people and allies. You cannot know what an impact it has on youth to immerse them in their community and give them that gift.”
Alison Carson, Teacher from Halton Region
Now approaching its 30th anniversary year, Inside Out is the largest LGBTQ film festival in Canada and is an internationally respected organization that presents the best in international LGBTQ cinema to Ontario audiences, engages and creates safe and celebratory community spaces for LGBTQ populations, and as it promotes and supports the development of Canadian queer cinema.
Since 2015 the film festival’s Community Screenings program, in addition to the Youth Day and Rainbow Youth Forum, has reached more than 1000 individual high school students in the GTA each year. The isolation that many young people feel is still all too common, especially among underserved LGBTQ populations. Inside OUT believes this can be countered by engaging young people within their communities and offering them relevant, affirming resources.
The timing of this online catalogue is critical to bring increased awareness and empathy on queer and trans issues for allies, and to help reduce homophobia, transphobia and bullying while delivering affirmation for LGBTQ youth.
Inside Out has set a goal of raising $15,000 for film licensing fees by December 31, 2018 in order for the catalogue to be launched in 2019.
From the GGN Editor:
Giving and getting gifts this holiday season is lovely, but often it can feel like too much rampant consumerism. If you’d like to make a difference in the lives of LGBTQ youth this season, please consider donating to this critical and innovative project by Inside Out.
