After snacking on pizzas and refreshments as we answered questions on our name tags, the students got to learn about Facebook’s LGBTQ+ initiatives, and their participation in Pride marches around the world. They learned about how Facebook has become a place where people are able to connect and create LGBTQ+ groups for different hobbies, sports, and support groups. They also take part in LGBTQ+ culture, as one employee created the “Coming Out marker” in Facebook’s Timeline.

Facebook’s incredible panel of six out and proud employees took the floor. Yesika, Courtney, Bart, Maria, Anthony, and Matt all shared their coming out stories, and their journeys after high-school up to joining Facebook. Their sincerity and humor resonated with the students. Yesika spoke about moving from a very conservative country and finding community via Facebook’s LGBTQ+ ERG group. Anthony spoke about coming out to his family, and how his mother needed some time to adjust and their relationship went through some hardships before becoming closer than before his coming out. Anytime LGBTQ+ adults are open and honest with our youth, they feel a sense of hope for their futures.

Following the panel, we had an amazing time learning all about Instagram’s hidden features! The panelists then went around creating their own “stories” with the students and then we displayed them on the big screen. Many students went around the room using objects and foods for props for their videos. They were quite the imaginative bunch! Facebook employees also got to learn about the student’s interests, and give them one-on-one advice on family, college, and career opportunities.

Afterwards, we asked students to answer some questions in order to give Facebook feedback on the event. This is what the students had to say:

“Maybe I’ll work for Facebook one day.”

“I always thought big companies looked really difficult but now I realize that I can at least give it a try.”

“I feel less pressure for the future”.

The impact of this evening was clear when students stuck around after the panel to speak with panelists one-on-one, asking for more questions about their journeys and even grabbing selfies with the Uber team. Here are just some of the students’ reflections from the end of the night:

“Learning about their lives was exciting because it’s nice to hear they overcame so many obstacles.”

“Learning about people in my community [was the best part of the event] because now I feel more comfortable.”

“I see my sexuality won’t hold me back from my dreams.”

“They made me feel like if I want to do something, go ahead and do your thing.”

After the panel, students teamed up with NBCUniversal employees to develop marketing strategies for their favorite NBCUniversal shows to increase their outreach to LGBTQ+ youth. Students found themes of acceptance and empowerment that resonate with LGBTQ+ youth in series like Harry Potter, and one team of students even proposed a new sitcom and a marketing plan to go with it!

The inspiring tone of the night was tangible in the room, and left so many students feeling more confident and assured in themselves. Here are just a few of their reflections from the end of the night:

“It opened my eyes to show me it gets better.”

“It showed me that being at work and not hiding our LGBTQ+ identity can be wonderful.”

“I learned that I can open up to the people I trust and never give up on who I am.”

“Yes, because now I’m not scared to come out!”

The panelists weren’t the only ones in the room who practiced vulnerability; students took time and space to share about their dreams, from working in nursing to making music, and their lived experiences that have led them to their goals. The impact of the panel was undeniable. One student said, “I needed to hear about not worrying what people think of you.” Another wrote, “It helped me to see coming out is not so bad, there are so many people who support you.”

After the panel, students were excited to try their hands at music analysis. We scored hit songs like “Despacito” and “Love on the Brain,” generating the same type of data that Pandora music analysts create for the algorithm that feeds listeners songs they’ll love. Getting to work with the out folks at Pandora on this project was not only fun but impactful, and an incredible way to round out the night.

Many students reflected on seeing options for themselves and their future after our visit to Pandora–one wrote, “I believe I can get that office job now.” Another student summed up the spirit of the night perfectly: “It showed me there may be one path you set for yourself, but so many good surprises in the future.”

After the panelists spoke and the students asked all of their questions, the night ended in true BuzzFeed fashion with the students, working along with the BuzzFeed employees, and created their own list of LGBTQ icons! The lists had to deal with LGBTQ people but the topics were chosen by the small groups. For example, some lists created were “Top Ten Shadiest…”, “Top Ten Historical…”, and “Top Ten TV Characters We Don’t Want To Die”. After the lists were completed the students read their lists out loud to the entire room.

The students truly looked up to the panelists and valued what they had to say. Here are some testimonials from students who attended Behind The Scenes at BuzzFeed.

“After speaking to BuzzFeed people, I think I can find a great job despite being transgender”

“It helped me to accept who I am as a person, being a gay woman”

“I learned a positive attitude towards yourself goes a long way”

Once the panel concluded students broke up into small groups with a panelist and they created unique social media campaigns for NBCUniversal! The students chose a television show, or a personality, and created a social media strategy around the subject. The students collaborated on how they would represent the subject across platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.

The students were moved by the panelists stories; here are some testimonials about the student’s experience.

“I feel like I can see my future in a more positive light”

“Talking to the panelists helped me see that people older than me are going through these things. It inspires me to help people who have not come out yet.”

What do Australia, England and the Dominican Republic all share with Japan? Our panelists from Nomura! Fleur, James and Elvis have had unique experiences growing up in these cultures, and ultimately ended up at Japanese financial investment company, Nomura.

On March 30th, LGBTQ students and allies from high schools spanning New York City met with Nomura Inc.’s LGBTQ affinity group at the Live Out Loud headquarters. Fleur, James, and Elvis gave presentations that tied together how cultural competency and embracing diversity play important roles in their LGBTQ identities at home and in the workplace.

After the panel discussion, students engaged in a creative activity that allowed them to “step into the shoes of a stockbroker”. Each group of students came up with an action plan and a pitch to convince Fleur, James, and Elvis to buy stock in a major corporation like Google or Walmart. One student said they enjoyed the “the hands on activity, because it gave me insight on the business atmosphere that I would like to be involved in the future”.

Students appreciated how the panelists opened up about their backgrounds and lives, which gave the students a real chance to connect with them. One student afterward shared, “all of the panelists were able to reach me indirectly. Their varied backgrounds and interests remind me of myself now”.

What do Taco Bell, Snapple, Pizza Hut and Nintendo all have in common? The answer we are looking for is Deutsch! Deutsch is the creative mastermind behind all of the catchy commercials and advertisements we see for these products.

On March 9th, 2016, LGBTQ students and allies from NYC high schools had the chance to go to the Deutsch headquarters and hear from a panel of Deutsch’s LGBTQ affinity group. The panelists spoke about the power of finding many different kinds of role models to look up to. A student said she related to one panelist’s coming out story because “I built up the stigma of being gay to a degree that was more extreme than it really way”. The panel left the students inspired and ready for a group activity where they could engage more with the Deutsch employees. Everyone got a taste of advertising with the chance to brainstorm and create a commercial pitch for one of Deutsch’s clients, PNC. A student said their favorite part of the event was the pitch, “because it was a great example of the intersection of identity and work”. The panelists and students worked together to create commercials with a focus on diversity, and the result left students with a better grasp of the many opportunities in the advertising world and the bright futures ahead of them.

On October 13th, 2015, Live Out Loud held its monthly Behind the Scenes program at AppNexus, a fast growing tech start-up that focuses on ad technology. Members from AppNexus’ LGBTQ affinity group, OutNexus, hosted the event for LGBTQ & Ally high school students from NYC.

Students listened intently as OutNexus panelists discussed what it was like to be part of a LGBTQ affinity group at a large company, as well as their struggles with coming out. The panelists also offered career advice, encouraging students to follow their interests and passions, to be themselves, and to aspire to work at a company that allows you to be yourself.

After the panel discussion, students were engaged in a “Personal Brand Vision Board” activity. Students were given the opportunity to work closely with the role models who had just spoken, brainstorming ideas together and creating a vision board they could bring home.

When one student was asked what she thought about her future after attending Behind the Scenes at AppNexus, she said it was “brighter than I thought at first.”

Make sure to look out for our next Behind the Scenes at NBC!

Join us October 29, 2015 from 6-8 PM for refreshments and mingling while you learn how you can get involved as a volunteer speaker at a Live Out Loud school program by sharing your story with LGBTQ youth.

Live Out Loud’s Educational Curriculum introduces a range of topics to students in gay-straight alliance (GSA) clubs on a monthly basis in all five boroughs through our High School Program. You could be one of the role models we bring to a NYC high school – so come learn about our lesson plans and sign up for the topics that speak to you!

You’ll also hear about Live Out Loud’s Homecoming Project, which sends successful LGBTQ adults back to their hometown high schools across the country to share their stories with the next generation of LGBTQ youth.

RSVP to info@www.liveoutloud.info.