Thursday, August 18, 2011

Young black gays and lesbians are encouraged to 'Be Great'

My online buddy Rod 2.0Beta just made me aware of an awesome campaign aimed at young African-American lgbtqs. So I know he doesn't mind if I "bite" off his post a little:

A Chicago organization that works with Black LGBT youth has launched a new social marketing campaign that encourages youth to "Be Great." The youth-led campaign is designed to end violence among Black LGBT youth, such as the vicious July stabbing captured on video.

The July 3 incident was the latest in a series of violent fights involving young Black LGBT in Boystown. The stabbings and the presence of Black/Latino street youth in the mostly white area has sparked a racially-fueled debate. More than 600 people attended a community policing meeting to discuss the problems.


Frank Walker, founder and executive director of Youth Pride Center, says "Be Great" was created as a response to community outrage over the attacks. "[The community meeting] was getting away from the actual topic, which was: How do you deal with violence?" Walker told Windy City Times. "We believe every person should live in a safe neighborhood. We don't believe that it's racist to say that. ... Nobody wanted to hear what the youth had to say, and there's a big difference between what youth are saying and what adults are saying."


The campaign features youth-created posters and video submitted to its Facebook page. Submissions will be judged. The winning print entry will run in the Windy City Times and be distributed among youth as a palm card.











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