With Pride Month nearly upon us, the TETV Team is excited to share a behind-the-scenes look at our preparations.
Above all else, TETV values genuine efforts for inclusion, representation, and equality. We strive to set ourselves apart from the oversaturated, rainbow glare of Corporate Pride.
More than a colorful overlay and a few token conversations, our focus for June is on creating programming that offers learning opportunities, deep-dive discussions, and industry insights. Pride is now a celebration, a time for people in the LGBTQAI+ Community to be recognized for their excellence. That celebration has had quite the evolution. The first “Pride” was a Riot; the fight for rights and acceptance still rages today. Joy is integral, but it was not reached without struggle.
At the end of March 2021, we began assembling our Pride Committee. Coming together, we made introductions, brainstormed ideas, and created a plan for the month of June. Our weekly meetings have been electric. With such a passionate and diverse group of people, it has been an absolute delight to collaborate on these efforts. Creating a metaphorical Venn diagram of Queer Topics and Themed Experience Topics, we found a wide range of discussions in the center.
A sneak-peek at the Pride Programming:
How to be a Pro at Pronouns
A Generational Look at LGBTQ Themed Entertainment Industry Leaders
Queer Experiences in Museums - Erasure and Rebuilding Stories
A History of Theme Parks and the LGBTQ Community
International Traveling for Work - A Personal Look at the Dangers and Struggles
Queer Representation in Theme Parks: Marketing VS Storytelling
...and so much more!
Team Member Spotlight:
Dave Cobb - Special Guest and Committee Member
An industry icon, and the Vice President of Creative Development at Animal Repair Shop, Dave Cobb joined the Pride Month Committee to lend his personal experiences and stories to our narrative.
"It's really exciting to me to see people from our industry -- both seasoned pros and up-and-coming talent -- raise up LGBTQIA+ voices and representation. As an industry with a relatively short history, there are still so many voices that need to contribute to our process and our projects. I'm both humbled and proud to join forces with such a group of driven, future-forward creatives!"
Natalie Nielsen - Host, Special Guest, and Committee Member
Diving into the deep end, Natalie Nielsen has gone above and beyond to share their expertise and experiences with the TETV audience. Natalie is a Project Manager at On Track Themes, Inc. and will be sharing their stories on several of our June shows!
Anna Kraus - Host, Producer, and Committee Member
I considered writing my own biography in third person, but that just felt wildly unnatural. My name is Anna Kraus and I am TETV’s copywriter and an active Pride Month Committee Member. (You may recognize my penmanship from several of the other blog posts!) I am absolutely thrilled to have my voice amplified this June.
“Seeing queer representation in themed entertainment stories is incredibly important. I am more than someone to market to, more than a demographic, more than a rainbow banner. Let’s talk about what comes next for LGBTQ+ storytelling.”
Join us all month long as we remember our history, celebrate the present, and look eagerly to the future of Pride.
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Author
TETV Copywriter & Producer