Growing up queer can be tough for many young people. Despite much progress, three out of four (75%) Australian LGBTQIA+ youth still experience some form of bullying or discrimination.
Indigenous Australians and those from non-English speaking backgrounds are the two most likely groups to experience discriminatory behaviours.
Findings from the LGBTQIA+ Health Australia 2019/20 Report highlights the complexities and challenges facing queer young people from multicultural backgrounds. Experts are calling on Australia to embrace and celebrate the proudly cultural and sexual composition of Gen Z and Millennial communities.
In celebration of IDAHOBIT (International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia), Minus18, Australia’s leading not-for-profit organisation engaging LGBTQIA+ youth, and Brendan Pang have collaborated with Snap Australia to create a series of augmented reality (AR) Lenses that celebrate and shine a light on the multicultural diversity of pride in Australia.
“Despite ongoing progress, growing up as a member of two minority groups was a real challenge. However, time and time again, I have been reminded of the power that celebrating individual identity can have on my personal well-being and sense of community. The Snapchat Lenses that we have created showcase the importance of celebrating our diversity, be that on Snapchat or in person,” says Brendan Pang.
“It’s alarming and heart-breaking that young people from multicultural backgrounds are still more susceptible to discrimination by nature of their ethnicity and upbringing. Initiatives such as these awesome Snapchat AR Lenses created by Minus18 for IDAHOBIT demonstrate the importance of celebrating pride and diversity, no matter the colour of someone’s skin,” adds Pang.
“We are delighted to once again partner with Minus18 to encourage Snapchatters to celebrate IDAHOBIT. We hope through these Lenses, we bring attention to the need of celebrating the diverse community we have within the LGBTQIA+ community here in Australia. As a platform that reaches over 90% of 13–24-year-olds and over 75% 13-34-year-olds here in Australia, we have a responsibility to ensure that Snapchat is a safe platform that allows Snapchatters to be their authentic self, while communicating with their close friends,” says Clare Nash, Head of Client Partnerships, Snap Australia.
Minus18 also commented on the partnership in the lead up to IDAHOBIT:
“Partnering with Snap for a second year is an incredible opportunity to celebrate with LGBTQIA+ young people around Australia,” Minus18 CEO, Micah Scott, said. “The partnership and Proudly Diverse Lenses serve as an important reminder to elevate intersectional voices within our community.”
The IDAHOBIT themed Lenses will be available on Snapchat from Monday 17th May. Lenses can be found by searching “IDAHOBIT” in the Snapchat Lens Carousel explore bar.
Source: Media release
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