If you watched the Game of Thrones season finale Sunday night, you already know that HBO is all about telling compelling stories. (Don’t worry – no spoilers in this post!)

What you may not know is that HBO is also dedicated to leveraging the power of storytelling as a means to build understanding and change. HBO’s programs provide a stage for members of the LGBTQ community to share stories and make others feel what they feel. From groundbreaking series like Six Feet Under to documentaries like The Out List, HBO pushes the envelope on real, authentic storytelling.

February is Black History Month – a time to celebrate, learn, and teach the black community’s rich history. This is also an important time for GSAs to recognize the contributions that African-Americans have made for the LGBTQ community.

In November of 2014, the Live Out Loud team attended a panel discussion called Transgender Perspective: In and Out of the Workplace in which transgender women from various walks of life shared their stories and experiences. After an insightful and inspiring evening, one of the panelists, make-up artist Ally Castillo, left our team particularly moved. Her openness, perseverance and vulnerability made her the exact type of role model Live Out Loud wants to connect to the students in our school programs.

Visiting Johnson & Johnson makes you realize how much one company can make up so much our everyday lives. With global brands like Tylenol, Benedryl, and Neutrogena, it’s no wonder that this company has such a large and diverse staff in the tri-state area alone. Last week, Live Out Loud gave LGBTQ and ally students from across NYC the opportunity to meet the people who market and develop these products, as they talked about being openly LGBTQ or Allied in the workplace. As it turns out, the employees of Johnson & Johnson are really just as caring as their marketing suggests.

“At a particularly emotional point in his sharing, Matt told students that he felt weird being referred to as a role model. He said that it was they who were the role models because they were making the choice to be part of the GSA. He reflected on what things could have been made possible for him had he had access to a similar group as a young person.”

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When we consider the growing portrayal of LGBTQ community in the media, one of the most important considerations is the impact this has on the next generation. This is why telling our stories in a genuine way is the heart of Live Out Loud’s programs. While the influx of LGBTQ stories in the media is important, we need to be aware of which stories are being told and how they’re portrayed.

LGBTQ & Ally students are invited to go behind the scenes at InStyle on October 22nd, 4:30-6:00 PM. If you’re interested in fashion editing, photo editing, or design, this program is for you!

LGBTQ youth and their allies are invited to Estée Lauder for an exciting chance to meet openly LGBTQ employees and gain career advice.

Delmar Dualeh was Live Out Loud’s Homecoming Project Intern for the 2013-2014 school year. After a year of helping LGBTQ community members return to their hometown high schools, he decided to return to his own high school to become a role model for the next generation.

I came across Live Out Loud’s Homecoming Project while trying to find meaningful volunteer opportunities in NYC, specifically working with the LGBT youth. Once I learned about The Homecoming Project, I knew it was the opportunity I had been looking for.

As an intern for youth programming, I’ve had the pleasure of working with LGBTQ and ally student groups through the programs with Live Out Loud’s partner schools. At these programs the students and the Live Out Loud facilitator discuss themes and issues relating to the LGBTQ community, creating spaces for queer teens and allies at their schools. However, one of the goals for our organization is to inspire students to take action in between our sessions. One school in particular has shown their maturity and ability for critical analysis of heteronormative culture as well as facilitating difficult conversations about queer identity with their peers.

Michael Levine, class of 1972, returned to his alma mater Ardsley High School in Westchester, NY through Live Out Loud’s Homecoming Project on February 27. Live Out Loud Homecoming Project Intern Delmar Dualeh attended with Michael and wrote the following reflection…

Gregory Boroff is the Executive Director of Friends of Hudson River Park. Gregory returned to his hometown high school in Rumson, NJ and shared his story with LGBTQ youth through Live Out Loud’s Homecoming Project. This is the story he shared with the next generation of LGBTQ and allied youth…