Tell Your Story: Take the ’IDAHO Challenge’
Want to greet the world as out and proud? Then take up the IDAHO Challenge and step in front of a camera for this year’s International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO).
Together with social networking site Gays.com, IDAHO is ready to launch a user-generated video designed to allow members of the GLBT community to express their pride, raise visibility and awareness, and counter hate, myths, distortion, and lies about who we are and what we want.
Unlike anti-gay videos that use actors to tell vaguely worded stories that paint a frightening picture of GLBT people and their families, the IDAHO Challenge video will rely strictly on submissions from real people speaking for themselves in brief messages, in their own native languages, introducing themselves and expressing their pride in being GLBT and out.
"With tragedies like Carl Walker-Hoover still making headlines, it is hoped that members of the LGBT community will speak out by submitting their video to Gays.com," a Gays.com press release said, referencing the suicide of a Springfield, Massachusetts 11-year-old who suffered anti-gay taunts at school.
The worldwide video project will take place on May 17, marking the 6th annual International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. The video, intended to serve as a public service announcement, will be created entirely from clips of real GLBT people telling their stories.
IDAHO Founder Louis-Georges Tin was quoted in the release as saying, "In our battle to tear down the walls of homophobia and transphobia, it is of vital importance that we have people who are willing to put their face to what we are fighting for.
"This is a clarion call to members of our community to come out from wherever you are and let your voice be heard," Tin continued. "When each of us takes that step of courage in coming out, we empower and give courage to those around us to do the same.
"The change that we are all longing to see starts with each of us."
More information about IDAHO and the May 17 video is available online.
