No matter who they are or where they live, coming out is one of the hardest things any LGBTQ+ person will ever have to do. My mission is to bring awareness to the internal turmoil that people usually overlook and the reality of living in a heteronormative society as a LGBTQ+ person. In this column, I will be showing my process of creating a short film series called, Rachel, which is about a young girl struggling with her sexuality and her questions about her own identity. As she leans on her friends for support, she starts to gain the courage needed to come out to her family. I will be showing the process behind my research, writing, casting, filming, editing, and publishing of the pilot.
I am making this film in order to reach out to all of the closeted teens who are terrified. I want to let them know that no matter what their situation is, there are people who have lived through it, and that support them. This is important to talk about, because I strongly believe that America is at a point where they are ready to listen. Countless teens struggle with their sexual or gender identity, but their friends and families are also affected. I hope that this column will help the families of these struggling teens as much as the teens themselves.
