Milestone project to bridge generational gap in LGBTQ+ community
A pioneering youth charity will embark on a first-of-a-kind archiving project with the National Library of Scotland that will record the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ young people for future generations.
LGBT Youth Scotland has launched (Un)Seen, (Un)Heard, a social history project to capture young people’s lived experience and preserve it in the national archives.
The organisation is encouraging people to take part in the project, at local pride events across the country throughout the summer – adding their own lived experience and becoming part of history at their ‘Past, Present & Proud’ workshops – asking older people to write a message of hope to their younger self, and younger people to write a message to their future selves.
(Un)Seen, (Un)Heard will compile these messages and other stories gathered from young people across Scotland and share them through a national exhibition that will then be professionally archived as a resource for future generations to access.
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, it will 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 inter-generational 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 will have presence at five pride events in Scotland; Pride Edinburgh, Portobello, Mardi Gla (Glasgow), Highland Pride (Inverness) and Pride Outside (Glasgow). 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. They 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.
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
