A Few Words on GLSEN's 2014 Media Summit From Our Ambassadors

Last month, our newest GLSEN Student Ambassadors traveled to Los Angeles for the annual Ambassadors Summit. We asked them to reflect on their experiences; the following is a compilation of their responses.

As many of you may know, we spent five days is Los Angeles in August. Some of us had known about GLSEN since first Googling questions about our own identities in middle school and had used it as a resource since, but none of us realized just how important this experience would be to each one of us.

Because the 12 of us had never met prior to the LA Summit, one would’ve thought we’d have been terrified and nervous around each other. But as soon as we met, we immediately felt at home—like it was a big family reunion.

Each day we did something new. After introductory activities and laying out the Summit, we took action. The first morning led us to KABC-TV, where we toured the station and learned the processes and facets of media production. Workshops were given by the executive directors, writers, and anchors. Among this, we learned the values of “being a voice for the voiceless” and heard testimonials from two truly remarkable examples of women in the industry.

On Thursday we went to the Los Angeles LGBT Center. First we met Tyler Oakley (insert screaming), a YouTube icon/internet sensation/fabulous human being. Speaking with Tyler was just marvelous. (And it is true his hair is just as fantastic in person.) Next we Skyped with Noah Michelson, the editor of the Huffington Post Gay Voices. Noah was also incredible. He was very passionate about LGBT issues and spoke to us about the various limits that LGBT content faces in the media.

We also met Autumn Sandeen, a trans activist who inspired some of us to the point of tears with her story. Learning from her experiences opened our eyes to see that being who you are is worth fighting for. Next on the roster of influential idols was NBA player Jason Collins, who we also spoke to on Skype. With some athletes in the group, we could relate to his fears of coming out, and the struggle he faced upon going public. Jason did say though that his family acted as a great support group, giving him the confidence to come out as an LGBT athlete.

Friday morning, we headed to see some of the sights in Hollywood and then traveled to the Jim Henson Studios, which was something that many of us wanted to do since we were very young. We were given workshops not only on puppeteering, but on building confidence in networking our individual creativity.

By Saturday, we had all formed immeasurable bonds with each other that will last for years and years to come; met a few stars; interviewed with even more famous faces; tasted some delicious meals, sweated in the California heat; got stuck in LA traffic; and even struck down a few pins at the bowling alley.

The GLSEN 2014 Media Summit brought a dozen queer youth together, who all want to make the world a better place, and a whole host of GLSEN staff and supporters who want to work with us to make that change happen.

Here are a few more thoughts from individual GLSEN Ambassadors reflecting on the Summit:

I am now proud to say that I use my training to talk to my growing GSA and plan on speaking with other schools. GLSEN gave me my confidence and my voice back. --Christin

The GLSEN Student Ambassador Media Summit can be summed up as the most amazing introduction to Ambassadorship one can be given. I am so incredibly honored to be able to share the title with the eleven other students, and be a part of the GLSEN family. --Peter

The most significant trait of the Summit was the atmosphere; it was full of energy, hope, and will to fight for a better future. The positive atmosphere helped me find the motivation to actually do more with my school’s GSA, and in turn, do more to fight for queer rights. --Bek

The Media Summit was incredible; I learned so much, and I got to meet so many great people from all different backgrounds with different experiences who all wanted the same thing as I do… I will never forget them or the experiences we shared. --Emma

Never before have I grown so much as a person in such a short time period as during this Summit. I’d like to thank GLSEN for giving me this amazing opportunity and can’t wait to use my new found skills to spread my story and give support to students across the globe. --Mark

After coming home from the Summit, I can’t describe how much the Summit has done for me and how much I will commit to my Student Ambassadorship for this school year. The group and I will be staying in touch and working toward the safety of schools in our own communities and inspiring others to follow suit. --Casey

My expectations of the Summit were nothing compared to all that I experienced. The solidarity that I felt from meeting so many inspirational and successful LGBT individuals was extremely refreshing. I can say though that my time in Los Angeles will never be forgotten, and I hope that one day I might return. --Gil