Coming to terms to your identity as a young LGBTQ identified person can often be a difficult thing. Not only is there the fear of what will happen when they come out (about being ostracised from friendship groups and kicked out of their homes by guardians) but there are also many questions about the identities themselves.
Unfortunately, due to a lack of queer representation in general but specifically about young people, there’s a lot that young people (both non-LGBTQ and LGBTQ-identified) do not know and there are also myths about LGBTQ identities that need to be dispelled.
Attempting to educate young people across the board is a new documentary called The Year We Thought About Love. As the title suggests, the documentary is about a Boston LGBTQ youth group called True Colors: OUT Youth Theater. The film follows the troupe as they consider their own loves – be it first loves, present loves or heartbreak – and turn it into a stage production.
Although the film is directed towards young people (the audiences who watch the play in the film are also middle and high school students), it doesn’t hold back. For example, there’s the story of trans girl of colour Alyssa who explains that she has been thrown out of her home, there’s Chi a religious gay male of colour who is trying to navigate homophobia at home as well as within his church.
These are the stories that the media very rarely shows or dares to tackle and The Year We Thought About Love shows the true face of the LGBTQ community. Not only this but for many people, it may take the voices of these young people to help them truly understand LGBTQ identities and help them dismiss feelings of ignorance towards queer people.
The Year We Thought About Love can be seen at screenings around the United States this April.
