A HISTORIC new project is calling on people from the LGBT+ community to share a message to their younger or older self for a "first of its kind" project.
Stalls to submit messages at will be at Glasgow’s Mardi Gla celebrations tomorrow (Saturday, July 15).
The project, (Un)seen (Un)heard, is a social history initiative to capture people’s lived experience and preserve it in the national archives.
LGBT Youth Scotland working in partnership with the National Library of Scotland will be hosting the Past, Present and Proud workshops across the country during Pride events which aims to encourage people from a range of different generations to share messages of hope to their younger or older selves.
The campaign has had stalls at two other pride events in Scotland, Edinburgh Pride, and Porty Pride, and will be in Inverness for Highland Pride in the coming weeks and Pride Outside on September 2.
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 LGBT+ 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 LGBT+ 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 LGBT+ community.”
This year marks LGBT Youth Scotland’s 20th anniversary as an independent charity.
Along with collating stories at the pride events, the charity has launched a campaign video on June 1 that showcases conversations between young and older members of the community, reflecting on what has changed and what could still be done better.
LGBT+ Youth Scotland is Scotland’s national charity for LGBT+ people aged 13-25, and 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.
