In honour of Pride month, we discussed representation of LGBTQ+ people in the media. We noticed that there are only few movies, books, TV shows, etc. that feature characters that are part of the LGBTQ+ community. We discussed how we can make our school an inclusive, safe, and supportive place. Then, we watched Out, a Pixar SparkShort that represents the struggle that some LGBTQ+ people feel when deciding to stay ‘in the closet’ or to ‘come out’ to their family.
In Out, the main character (Greg) struggles to tell his parents that he has a boyfriend. We discussed the many reasons that some LGBTQ+ people may not be ‘out’ or open about their identities (fear of judgement, safety concerns, unsupportive friends/family, etc.).
Feel free to watch the ‘behind the scenes’ video about the making of the short film:
Some possible discussion questions at home might be:
- Why is it important to feel safe and proud sharing your identity with others?
- What are some reasons why a person might feel they have to hide their identity from others?
- Why do we celebrate Pride month? Why is it important to be an ally?