Six Easy Ways To Support QTBIPOC Creatives Development in the Media Arts
Diversity is not a term synonymous with film and advertising. Under the best circumstances, it’s a buzzword for future industry goals, under the worst, it fills op-eds lamenting the reality of inclusion in both industries.
However, for thousands of talented queer creatives of color, “diversity” is a term that reflects the brutal truths about their chances in the current film and advertising landscape. Recent studies have proven that Intersectional identities often make it harder for creatives to break glass ceilings in their careers.
The Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture 2019 Workforce Demographics Study revealed that though 18% of study respondents in arts and culture roles identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and/or queer, or LGBTQ (a statistic nearly four times higher than the 4.6% of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim Metro Area population that identifies as LGBTQ,) racial representation continues to lag.
The same LA County study found that 59% of the arts and culture workforce identifies as “White (non-Hispanic,)” despite the fact that the same group only makes up 26% of the LA county population. Meanwhile, 41% of the study’s respondents identified as non-White, even though non-White residents make up 74% of LA County’s population. When non-White individuals are able to break into film and advertising, they struggle to climb the ranks: The LA County study found that, among respondents, 68% of board members and 61% of employees in supervisory roles identify as White.
This dearth of racial representation is clear every time a commercial fetishizes non-White bodies, every time a film layers a sepia wash over scenes of lovers south of the American border, and every time a billboard packages cultural appropriation of queer Black culture as “trendy.” We recognize the importance of queer representation, yet we can’t help but ask one another: “Was there no one of color in the room?” Too often, the answer is “No.”
The film and advertising industries are sorely in need of more diversity, and there are many queer creatives of color eager to step into these industries and create change behind the scenes. Unfortunately, hard work and talent alone are not always enough to get the work of queer creatives of color into the studios, meetings, and offices they deserve to be in.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The creative industries in LA can provide steady jobs and income to ambitious young creatives while also providing more diverse stories to the country as a whole. We all know the power of film and advertising to turn hearts and change minds: Representation matters, and bringing more voices, perspectives, and lived experiences to the table only serves to make a more inclusive world. There’s no time like today to create more authentic narratives featuring queer people and people of color.
In our effort to encourage this shift in film and advertising, Q26 calls on our community to offer their support. There are many ways to help young queer creatives of color amplify their voices:
Donate Supplies
Money and access can be serious barriers to obtaining the equipment needed to practice one’s craft. Items such as computers, microphones, and cameras can take many months to save up for. Donations of new equipment from retailers, or of lightly used equipment from individuals, can provide young creators with the tools they need to hone their talent and share their work with others.
Donate Time
Your knowledge is powerful. By setting aside time to educate creatives still working to get to your professional level, you can provide others with the skills and insight needed to rise. One way to do this is to donate time to talk to and/or teach you queer creatives of color. Community groups, clubs, and organizations catering to LGBTQ Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) can connect you with creatives who'd like to hear what you have to say.
Donate Space
Young creatives don’t often have the luxury of a studio, spare room, or yard to work in. Consider offering space for queer creatives of color to film, record, write, and connect or hold meetings. Office space, studio space, coworking space, and conference rooms can all play a part in bringing creative projects to reality.
Donate Money
As members of our community, we have an intimate understanding of our needs. Consider donating funds to organizations that cater to queer creatives of color. Financial donations help these groups cover financial gaps and allow them to continue building a network that covers the needs of group members.
Want to donate today? Our funding campaign for 2022 is live on GoFundMe
Offer Internships to Queer Creatives of Color
Our communities are full of bright, driven, and visionary queer creatives working to make a career doing the things they love. Support them on this journey by offering internships where they can get a real feel for the industry and the types of work they might one day do.
Post Job Opportunities Inclusively
When openings arise in your company, be mindful about how you share these opportunities with the world. Posting your openings to boards that cater to queer Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities can help creatives of color find your openings, while also helping your company expand it’s communal perspective.
By supporting queer creators of color, you can contribute to the financial and professional development of not just a few individuals, but of your whole community. Professional support can help end homelessness in LA, diversify our media, and breakdown bias. It also provides you and your company the ability to build connections with LGBTQ BIPOC creators who can contribute to your growth in the future.
Whether you understand the unique struggle to succeed as part of a marginalized group, or you serve as a proud ally, your support has the power to make a difference and launch more queer creatives of color into successful careers in film and advertising.
Need help figuring out where to start? The Queer 26 is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting LGBTQ BIPOC creatives who aspire to build a career and make a change in the media arts.
To work with us, email Founder Camille Ora-Nicole at info@theq26.com, visit our Sponsorship page, or check out our GoFundMe.