As part of 2014 LGBT History Month,
The Rainbow Intersection

presents,

Does it really get better? – An intergenerational dialogue

In 2010, US columnist and author Dan Savage created a YouTube video with his partner in a bid to reach out to young LGBT people who were being bullied and harassed. The video kick-started the “It Gets Better Project” which aims to let young people know that life will get better for them, and that bullying, like many other challenges they face in life, will surely come and pass. The project has become a ‘worldwide movement’ and to-date more than 50,000 user created videos have been viewed more than 50 million times.

Here in the UK, there are two types of reality facing young (and older) people who are LGBT. The first reality covers the narrative that ‘things are pretty good now’. In this domain we have, the establishment of civil partnerships and more recently the legalization of marriage for same-sex couples, more visibility of LGBT people in politics, business and media, equal age of consent and a range of organisations working to tackle homophobic bullying in schools and the workplace.

The second reality was echoed by the charity, Crisis in its 2005 report “Sexuality and Homelessness”. The report highlighted that “There is a long-standing association between homelessness and the everyday lives of young men and women who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT)”. That same reality was reflected in research carried out by Stonewall Scotland in partnership with Cambridge University’s centre for Family Research (The experiences of gay young people in Britain’s schools in 2012). The research noted that, “more than half (55%) of lesbian, gay and bisexual young people experience homophobic bullying in Britain’s schools”. This reality was again brought to light in the 2014 findings from the Youth Chances project, who conducted the biggest social research study into 16 – 25 year olds LGBT people in England, and found that  “more than half of young gay people have suffered mental health issues, and 40 per cent have considered suicide” and “that 50 per cent have self-harmed and 42 per cent had sought medical help for anxiety or depression”.

Between these two realities, there is an increasing gap in the experiences of the younger and older generation. Whilst there is plenty to be happy about in terms of how things have improved, there is also plenty to talk about regarding what is still less than ideal – individually and collectively. These are not conversations that take place on the scene and there are hardly any forums for different LGBT generations to come together to reflect, discuss and debate the issue of ‘how things are’, how things were’ and ‘how things could be’.

Therefore, to celebrate LGBT History Month, the award winning The Rainbow Intersection is back with:

Does it really get better? – Intergenerational Dialogue

Author and comedian, Vg Lee will host the panel discussion and debate. Topics to be explored include:

• What are the priority issues facing the young and older people who are LGBT?
• Is LGBT political activism still important?
• Ageism within the LGBT community
• Are role models necessary?
• What impact does music and popular culture have on the experiences of people who are LGBT?
• Are younger people more inclusive when it comes to the intersection of race and sexuality
• What are the things that get better as we grow older? And, is there anything that does not get better?

Doors will open at 6.30pm, with the event starting at 7.00pm. The evening will be followed by a reception between 8:30pm – 9:30pm (Room K4U.12)

For more information and booking details click here.