ABOUT FACES OF LGBTQ AMERICA

Increased Internet access in recent years, has provided a different way for LGBTQ individuals in traditionally conservative and under resources spaces to learn more about themselves and explore the coming out process. But due to the historical disparities in community building and resources, the majority of resources and stories available reflect urban, mostly Northeastern and Western experiences. It is this gap that The Change Project seeks to solve. By highlighting the stories and experiences of LGBTQ individuals in traditionally conservative and under resourced areas of the country, The Change Project hopes to foster an inclusive LGBTQ community that supports all members in this ever growing digital age.

The Change Project has created a new and comprehensive story collecting campaign called Faces of LGBTQ America. Beautiful portraits paired with the stories will be curated in an online collective, and in physical form. Faces of LGBTQ America creates a dialogue about the intersectional nature of LGBTQ identities. By sharing the stories of LGBTQ people from all walks of life including rural and/or low-income backgrounds, we create an online community of support in those communities that will better serve those struggling to come out, or simply learn more about LGBTQ identities.

WHY PARTICIPATE?

More and more, LGBTQ individuals have turned to the internet to seek out resources when exploring identities and undergoing the coming out process. In an instant, one can access the advice and solace of fellow community members through forums, blogs, and video series. As Mustanski, Lyons and Garcia found in their 2011 study, community members overwhelmingly “described the Internet as a unique medium to realizing they are not alone.” Similar studies have echoed the importance of the Internet for LGBTQ youth as both a primary means of accessing community resources and a means for meeting peers (DeHaan, Kuper, Magee, et.al., 2013).

THE DETAILS

1. Arrive Camera-Ready