Scottish youth charity launches unifying marketing campaign at pleasure occasions

Milestone undertaking to bridge generational hole in LGBTQ+ group

A PIONEERING youth charity will embark on a first-of-a-kind archiving undertaking with the Nationwide Library of Scotland that can report the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ younger folks for future generations.

LGBT Youth Scotland has launched (Un)Seen, (Un)Heard, a social historical past undertaking to seize younger folks’s lived expertise and protect it within the nationwide archives.

The organisation is encouraging folks to participate within the undertaking, at native pleasure occasions throughout the nation all through the summer season – including their very own lived expertise and changing into a part of historical past at their ‘Previous, Current & Proud’ workshops – asking older folks to write down a message of hope to their youthful self, and youthful folks to write down a message to their future selves.

(Un)Seen, (Un)Heard will compile these messages and different tales gathered from younger folks throughout Scotland and share them by means of a nationwide exhibition that can then be professionally archived as a useful resource for future generations to entry.

Ali Kerr, Head of Partnerships at LGBT Youth Scotland believes that this undertaking is a vital approach for younger folks to be a useful a part of historical past within the making.

She stated: “It has by no means been extra necessary to present LGBTQ+ younger folks hope and a way of pleasure in who they’re. Writing a message to their previous or future self will enable them to speak their lived experiences on a nationwide degree and really feel like an equal a part of Scotland’s heritage.

“Bridging the previous and current by means of tales won’t solely place LGBTQ+ experiences on the coronary heart of native communities, it should assist us all  make Scotland a spot the place all younger folks can flourish and thrive.

“Our hope is that this undertaking won’t solely join with a brand new viewers, however can even encourage not-so-young folks to become involved and foster inter-generational relationships inside Scotland’s LGBTQ+ group.”

This yr marks LGBT Youth Scotland’s 20^th anniversary as an unbiased charity, priding itself in taking part in a number one position within the provision of high quality youth work to LGBTQ+ younger folks, selling well being and wellbeing.

The marketing campaign may have presence at 5 pleasure occasions in Scotland; Pleasure Edinburgh, Portobello, Mardi Gla (Glasgow), Highland Pleasure (Inverness) and Pleasure Outdoors (Glasgow). Every with stalls and alternatives to have interaction with the archive undertaking.

Together with collating tales from these pleasure occasions, the charity has launched a marketing campaign video on 1st June that showcases conversations between younger and older members of the group, reflecting on what has modified and what we might nonetheless do higher.

LGBT Youth Scotland is Scotland’s nationwide charity for Lesbian, Homosexual, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer & Questioning and Intersex (LGBTQ+) younger folks aged 13-25. LGBTQ+ younger folks face distinctive and extra obstacles to realising their potential and that’s the reason LGBT Youth Scotland exists. They consider Scotland generally is a place the place all younger folks can thrive and flourish, and so they work alongside younger folks to take away these obstacles; working with younger folks individually, and amplifying their collective voices to affect change.

If you’re occupied with submitting your story to the (Un)seen, (Un)heard archive or wish to know extra concerning the undertaking, electronic mail [email protected].

For extra info on LGBT Youth Scotland, go to: https://www.lgbtyouth.org.uk/