A HISTORIC new project is calling on young people from the LGBTQ+ community to share their life experiences for a first of its kind project.
The campaign, (Un)Seen (Unheard), a pioneering social history project to capture young people’s lived experience and preserve it in the national archives, comes to Highland Pride in Inverness on 22nd July.
LGBT Youth Scotland working in partnership with the National Library of Scotland, will be hosting Past, Present and Proud workshops across the country during pride which aims to encourage people from a range of different generations to share messages of hope to their younger or older selves.
Ali Kerr, Head of Partnerships at LGBT Youth Scotland believes that this project is an important way for young people to be a valuable part of history in the making.
She said: “It has never been more important to give LGBTQ+ young people hope and a sense of pride in who they are. Writing a message to their past or future self will allow them. to communicate their lived experiences on a national level and feel like an equal part of Scotland’s heritage.
“Bridging the past and present through stories will not only place LGBTQ+ experiences at the heart of local communities, but it will also help us all make Scotland a place where all young people can flourish and thrive.
“Our hope is that this project will not only connect with a new audience but will also inspire not-so-young people to get involved and foster intergenerational relationships within Scotland’s LGBTQ+ community.”
This year marks LGBT Youth Scotland’s 20th anniversary as an independent charity, priding itself in playing a leading role in the provision of quality youth work to LGBTQ+ young people, promoting health and wellbeing.
The campaign has already had presence at three other pride events in Scotland, Edinburgh Pride, Porty Pride, and Mardi Gla (Glasgow), and will be back in Glasgow for Pride Outside (Glasgow) in September. Each with stalls and opportunities to engage with the archive project.
Along with collating stories from these pride events, the charity has launched a campaign video on 1st June that showcases conversations between young and older members of the community, reflecting on what has changed and what we could still do better.
LGBT Youth Scotland is Scotland’s national charity for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer & Questioning and Intersex (LGBTQ+) young people aged 13-25. LGBTQ+ young people face unique and additional barriers to realising their potential and that is why LGBT Youth Scotland exists.
It believe Scotland can be a place where all young people can thrive and flourish, and they work alongside young people to remove those barriers; working with young people individually, and amplifying their collective voices to influence change.
The charity was recently awarded the Participation and Youth Voice award at the National Youth Work Awards for its work with the Trans Rights Youth Commission, and a judge’s commendation at the Proud Scotland Awards for the Charity Initiative award.
If you are interested in submitting your story to the (Un)seen, (Un)heard archive or would like to know more about the project, email unseenunheard@lgbtyouth.org.uk.
For more information on LGBT Youth Scotland, visit: https://www.lgbtyouth.org.uk/
