12 Feb 2021

Diversity Lens - Issue 63

Diversity Lens - Issue 133 Diversity Lens - Issue 132 Diversity Lens - Issue 131

Feb 12

Diversity Lens - Issue 63

Welcome to
Diversity Lens.

Diversifying your news consumption.

In the week that snow and freezing temperatures swept across the UK, the effects of a winter lockdown have felt harsher than ever. In this newsletter, we bring you a handful of things to be grateful for, despite restrictions showing no signs of easing just yet. Read on for our our weekly news roundup.

STORY OF THE WEEK

Celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month - how far we've come, a nd what we still need to chang e

There's a lot to celebrate this LGBTQ+ History Month. Check out our short video above tracing back the history of LGBTQ+ rights from the first Pride and gender reassignment operations, to the expansion of The Equality Act. We've come a long way, but we undoubtedly have far to go.

Australia recently made headlines as the first country to ban conversion therapy, and while many countries including the UK have pledged to do the same, it is yet to come into law.

However there is a general air of optimism for the community right now, with Trump out of the White House, and in the UK a collective absorption in TV drama It's A Sin which has incidentally led to more HIV tests being ordered than ever before.

Forward

In Other News...

Black Lives Matter has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize

BLM was co-founded back in 2013, however its resurgence in 2020 managed to define a year otherwise dominated by the spread of a deadly pandemic. Global protests against systemic racism gathered a momentum never quite reached before, certainly within this generation and quite possible ever. The Nobel Peace Prize recognises the power of BLM and its continued efforts towards racial justice.
Read more.... (2 minutes)

Prada joins the Valuable 500 to include persons with disabilities in fashion

The fashion world is taking increasingly meaningful steps towards a more inclusive industry. The Prada Group is the latest major brand to make this step, and the first luxury fashion company to join The Valuable 500, an initiative that advocates for disabled people within businesses. Read more.... (2 minutes)

JoJo Siwa’s girlfriend inspired her to come out

The teen YouTube icon came out as gay back in January via TikTok, to the excitement of her fanbase and beyond. Siwa is looked up to by many young supporters who have now gained a relatable and proud LGBTQ+ role model. Now, Siwa shares more about her decision to share this with the internet, the empowering response she received, and her relationship.
Read more.... (1.5 minutes)

This Week in D&I...

Career coaching opportunities

Fastforward.me is a career coaching company on a mission to empower young people to discover their unique skills and choose a successful career path. We’ve teamed up with Fastforward.me to offer 10 of our readers a FREE coaching session, normally priced at £200. This opportunity is open to 17-25 year olds. To be in with a chance of winning, follow @fastforward.me on Instagram and send a DM to them with your name and email address by 20th February (the first 10 people to respond will be selected as the winners).

Demystifying the Wellbeing

Invest in yourself and join wellbeing experts and young mental health advocates this evening (Friday 12 February @ 7pm).

Hear their stories, explore support systems, and get your questions answered in a safe space. Sign up now and be in the chance to win exclusive Apprentice Nation merch.

Video of the Week...

“This particular administration has made it okay to hate again".
Trans in Trumpland reminds us of the battle the community faced to merely exist under Trump's leadership. Full doc out later this month.

Changemaker of the week...
L ulu Wang

Lulu Wang is a filmmaker pointing to a brighter, more inclusive future in the industry. Her feature film The Farewell, released in 2019, chronicled the Asian-American experience of bridging two cultural identities. Its limited release beat out Avengers: End Game. Wang has since partnered with Apple, directing a short to celebrate Chinese New Year, shot entirely on the new iPhone - you can watch Nian here.

Wang disrupts Hollywood norms, whether it is shooting on an iPhone or fighting for her cultural vision in The Farewell. There was pressure on Wang to introduce a prominent white character into the story, which she continued resist despite insistence from financiers. While Wang's film eventually got made and quickly rose to critical acclaim, her experience reveals the difficulties these movies face to get picked up. If you haven't watched The Farewell yet, we highly recommend it.