[fandomforequality]

Those Kisses Weren’t Just For Practice… LGBT* Representation in 5A of Pretty Little Liars

Written by: L.S. Williams

Despite being an important character during 5A, Alison’s sexuality has yet to be explored in the fullest possible way[...] The narrative [...keeps] her sexuality deliberately ambiguous so that the audience will continue to perceive her as both genuine and manipulating. As a result, one could argue the writers are using Alison’s sexuality as another mystery rather than treating it as a part of who she is.

Read the full article and join the discussion at Fandom For Equality

[fandomforequality]

Ladies Who Need More Love: Paige McCullers (Pretty Little Liars)

Written by: L.S. Williams

In comparison to the male love interests on Pretty Little Liars, certain sections of the fanbase seem to judge Paige and her actions more harshly. While they are seen as protective, Paige is considered controlling, while they are devoted and loyal, Paige is obsessive, and when Paige screws up or makes a mistake, her actions are held against her, but the mistakes of the male love interests are excused and forgiven. Additionally, violent imagery can be present in the way some fans discuss Paige, suggesting that she should be killed off or even that she should commit suicide.

Read the full article and join the discussion at Fandom For Equality

[fandomforequality]

We Need To Talk About ‘It’: Tackling LGBT* Issues with The Normal Heart

Written by: Sam F.

So where do we go from here?  The Normal Heart is a good starting-off point. But we need more. We’ve already got our foot in the door when it comes to being represented in media, but we need to avoid being type-cast into one genre or one role or one punchline. We need movies and shows that doesn’t focus on tragedy or the misery that comes with being LGBT*. 

Read the entire article and join the discussion at Fandom For Equality

[werepresent]

DO YOU CARE ABOUT MEDIA REPRESENTATION?

Help us raise $35k in 35 days to help make sure our media represents all of us! 

Our mission is to reach equal media representation for the LGBT community, women, people of color, people with disabilities, and those that live at the intersection of those identities. 

There are many ways to fight for equal representation, and one of them is to help diverse folks enter and thrive in the entertainment industry. 

We’re launching our Mirror Scholarship & Fellowship to provide monetary awards for diverse and underrepresented youth and independent media makers who are pursuing careers in the media and performing arts. 

Please help by spreading the word about our campaign or donating. 

We’re offering incredible perks from stars who are already helping to make our media more diverse and representative of all of us, including:

Dan Bucatinsky (Scandal, The Comeback)

Chris Colfer (Glee)

Darren Criss (Glee)

Lea DeLaria (OITNB)

Amy Fox (The Switch)

Lisa Kudrow (Friends, Web Therapy, The Comeback)

Sean Maher (Firefly, Arrow, Son of Batman)

Dylan Marron (Welcome to Night Vale, Whatever this is)

Jasika Nicole (Fringe, Scandal, Welcome to Night Vale)

Crissle West (The Read)

Julie Vu (The Switch)

and more!

Check out the campaign, donate, and spread the word! 

Because representation matters.

[werepresent]

DO YOU CARE ABOUT MEDIA REPRESENTATION?

Help us raise $35k in 35 days to help make sure our media represents all of us! 

Our mission is to reach equal media representation for the LGBT community, women, people of color, people with disabilities, and those that live at the intersection of those identities. 

There are many ways to fight for equal representation, and one of them is to help diverse folks enter and thrive in the entertainment industry. 

We’re launching our Mirror Scholarship & Fellowship to provide monetary awards for diverse and underrepresented youth and independent media makers who are pursuing careers in the media and performing arts. 

Please help by spreading the word about our campaign or donating. 

We’re offering incredible perks from stars who are already helping to make our media more diverse and representative of all of us, including:

Dan Bucatinsky (Scandal, The Comeback)

Chris Colfer (Glee)

Darren Criss (Glee)

Lea DeLaria (OITNB)

Amy Fox (The Switch)

Lisa Kudrow (Friends, Web Therapy, The Comeback)

Sean Maher (Firefly, Arrow, Son of Batman)

Dylan Marron (Welcome to Night Vale, Whatever this is)

Jasika Nicole (Fringe, Scandal, Welcome to Night Vale)

Crissle West (The Read)

Julie Vu (The Switch)

and more!

Check out the campaign, donate, and spread the word! 

Because representation matters.

[fandomforequality]

Comic Book Women on Film (Or Not…)

Written by: Katie Labovitz

It is no surprise that all of the superhero films released as of late have been directed by men, and all but one were written by men. (Guardians of the Galaxy is the exception, being co-written by Nicole Perlman). The male-centric-ness of it all behind the cameras combined with the lack of female representation on screen in superhero films is sadly not a new trend in filmmaking. 

Read the full article and join the discussion at Fandom For Equality

[werepresent]

Celebrate LGBT Media with Amelia from The Huffington Post & More!

Amelia is a kick-ass mom and LGBT activist who was thrust into the spotlight when a blog post about her then six-year-old son coming out as gay and confessing his crush on Blaine Anderson from Fox’s TV show Glee went viral. Since, she has lent her voice to the Huffpost Gay Voices community to shine a light on LGBT youth. Her millions of readers find inspiration and hope in the candid stories she tells about her journey of parenting three young children, one of whom just happens to identify as gay.

Join Amelia and other LGBT actors, activists, and creators at The Box Scene Project’s Spotlight on Diversity!

Learn more & get tickets at SpotlightOnDiversity.TheBoxSceneProject.org

[werepresent]

Celebrate LGBT Media with Luke Edgemon & More!

From The Voice & Glee

Join Luke and other LGBT actors, activists, and creators at The Box Scene Project’s Spotlight on Diversity!

Learn more & get tickets at SpotlightOnDiversity.TheBoxSceneProject.org

[werepresent]

Celebrate LGBT Media with Kim Tillman & More!

Indie pop singer/songwriter and lead singer of the LA alt-pop band Tragic Gadget.

Join Kim and other LGBT actors, activists, and creators at The Box Scene Project’s Spotlight on Diversity!

Learn more & get tickets at SpotlightOnDiversity.TheBoxSceneProject.org

[werepresent]

Celebrate LGBT Media with Crissle West & More!

Writer and hilarious co-host of the popular podcast, The Read, Crissle West moved to New York City in 2012 in search of the meaning of life and neighbors who believe in gun control. Born in Louisiana and raised in Oklahoma, Crissle is a half-hearted lesbian who enjoys spending countless hours watching Beyoncé performances online and pretending that updating her Tumblr is an acceptable substitute for writing. Her work has been published in ESSENCE magazine and she has appeared as a panelist on gender identity & sexuality at NYU. Crissle’s essays can be found on her eponymous website.

Join Crissle and other LGBT actors, activists, and creators at The Box Scene Project’s Spotlight on Diversity!

Learn more & get tickets at SpotlightOnDiversity.TheBoxSceneProject.org

[werepresent]

Celebrate LGBT Media with Julie Vu & More!

Julie Vu is an openly transgender YouTube star and actress. She has been working in the beauty industry since age 18, gaining her skills through self-study rather than prohibitive private schooling. Sharing every step of her transition through vlogs, now she uses her 150,000-strong YouTube channel to advocate for LGBT communities.  Acting and modeling have always been a distant dream for her, but now at age 21, these dreams are coming into reach of waking life. Transition has only made her more confident and fiery. Now it’s time for the spotlight. 

Join Julie and other LGBT actors, activists, and creators at The Box Scene Project’s Spotlight on Diversity!

Learn more & get tickets at SpotlightOnDiversity.TheBoxSceneProject.org

[werepresent]

Celebrate LGBT Media with Dylan Marron & More!

Dylan Marron is a writer and performer based in New York City. He is the voice of Carlos on the hit podcast "Welcome to Night Vale" and he plays Ari on "Whatever this is," the 2013 web series that Indiewire named the best web drama of the year. As an ensemble member of the New York Neo Futurists he writes for and performs in "Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind," the company’s signature late-night show that is one of New York’s longest running productions. He spent his childhood searching for his reflection in the media and is spending his adulthood trying to create it. 

Join Dylan and other LGBT actors, activists, and creators at The Box Scene Project’s Spotlight on Diversity! Get a VIP ticket and you can hang out with him and the guests at the VIP post-show reception!

Learn more & get tickets at SpotlightOnDiversity.TheBoxSceneProject.org while you still can!

[werepresent]

Celebrate LGBT Media with Dominic Barnes & More!

From Glee, Modern Family, Suburgatory, Buffering the Web Series, and most recently on Spare Change starring Curt Mega and Lissa Lauria, which can be seen on Netflix soon!

Join Dominic and other LGBT actors, activists, and creators at The Box Scene Project’s Spotlight on Diversity!

Learn more & get tickets at SpotlightOnDiversity.TheBoxSceneProject.org

[fandomforequality]

Disabilities, Dragons, and Disney: A Look at Disability Representation in Children’s Films

Written by: Lauren Anthony

 Disability representation helps both children with and without disabilities understand those disabilities and the people who have them. While some disabilities are very well-known and overt, some children—particularly young children—might not understand what exactly is happening. Using an allegory in children’s programming and showing disabilities through child-friendly characters can help them understand these disabilities and what might be happening and make children with disabilities feel less alone.

Read the full article and join the discussion at Fandom For Equality

[werepresent]

Celebrate LGBT Media with Lea DeLaria & More!

Lea DeLaria seems to have achieved stardom with her stand out role as Big Boo in the Neflix hit series Orange Is The New Black. Yes, she went from being able to walk around a city with the occasional, “Hey its You!” to not being able to enter a suburban Dollar Store without being asked for a picture. The fact is, Lea has actually been a professional Lesbian for over 30 years. Before that, she freelanced. In 1993, Ms. DeLaria was the first openly gay comic to perform on television in America. This launched her into world recognition. Prior to her success on OITNB, she was seen in numerous television series, Californication, One Life To Live, SVU, Will and Grace, The Oblongs, Friends and even Matlock as well as movies like The First Wives Club, Edge Of Seventeen, Dear Dumb Diary, Fat Rose and Squeaky and Attack Of The Big Haired Lesbians. There are far too many On and off-Broadway credits to mention, but the stand outs include, Obie and Theater World Awards, a Drama Desk Nomination and a Drama League Honoree for On The Town; Drama League Honoree for Happy Days; an Ovation Nomination for Boys From Syracuse; and portraying both Eddie and Dr. Scott in the Tony nominated revival of The Rocky Horror Show. If that is not enough, Lea has 5 records out on the Warner Jazz and Classics label, and her book “Lea’s Book Of Rules For The World” is in its third printing at Bantam Doubleday and Dell. So yeah, she is Big Boo, but she’s all that too.

Join Lea and other LGBT actors, activists, and creators at The Box Scene Project’s Spotlight on Diversity!

Learn more & get tickets at SpotlightOnDiversity.TheBoxSceneProject.org

[werepresent]

Celebrate LGBT Media with Jasika Nicole & More!

You may know her as Intern Dana from the podcast, Welcome to Night Vale, Astrid on Fringe, or Kim from Scandal, but Jasika Nicole is also an illustrator, comic book maker, furniture builder, seamstress, needleworker and tumblrer. And you can see and meet her on August 17!

Join Jasika and other LGBT actors, activists, and creators at The Box Scene Project’s Spotlight on Diversity!

Learn more & get tickets at SpotlightOnDiversity.TheBoxSceneProject.org

[fuckyeahasiandykes]

Julie Vu, YouTube personality and star of the upcoming sitcom focusing on the lives of transgender people, The Switch, will be joining LGBT stars from stage and screen to celebrate LGBT media representation at The Box Scene Project’s Spotlight On Diversity: A Conversation & Celebration of LGBT Media Representation on August 17 in Los Angeles, CA. You don’t wanna miss this! Get your tickets at SpotlightOnDiversity.TheBoxSceneProject.org.