WorkPride Panel: The Evolution of LGBTQ+ Representation in the Entertainment Industry

'You cannot be what you cannot see'

Representation of the LGBTQ+ community matters. For decades now, the LGBTQ+ has either been stereotyped or misrepresented in the media and entertainment industry.

Narratives that have been offered have come, far too often come from a heteronormative perspective.

It is important that stories told, come from voices with lived experience and understanding of the lives and issues to offer accurate representation.

This panel will briefly examine the historical context and discuss the importance of accurate and meaningful representation. Nothing should be done about us without us.

In Partnership With

Speakers:

Lavender Looi

Co-Founder & Music Producer
LAVICHI Records

Born and raised in Malacca, Malaysia, Lavender Looi has spent the last twenty years creating music. Her experience in international music production and songwriting have led her to North America, Europe, and Asia, where she has worked as a composer, producer, and recording engineer for several renowned music studios including Dead Room Recordings and Grand Theft Records. Her original compositions and vocals have been used in commercials for major corporations including KFC, Grab, Gojek, Air Asia and Pizza Hut. Lavender’s talents and love for music recently brought her to Berklee College of Music in Valencia, where she completed a Masters Degree in Scoring for Film, TV, and Video Games. Lavender is the co-founder of LAVICHI Records located in Valencia, Spain, and is a part of the executive team for She Knows Tech, an organization working towards closing the music tech gender gap by creating a community built around education, empowerment, networking, and continued learning.

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Karn Gupta (he/him)🏳️‍🌈

Executive Producer
The Walt Disney Company

The young, Emmy® nominated film maker believes in the power of storytelling for bringing characters of all shades together in the most gripping narratives. Karn is a storyteller at heart; a perfect blend of creative, technical and managerial skills. He has experience in directing, producing and marketing content for various platforms including theatrical, TV, digital & OTT. He has also worked on international projects for two UK-based productions and a Hollywood release. Karn was born in Jaipur, Rajasthan and is now settled in Mumbai, India with his dog KOKO!

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Linda Riley

Publisher
DIVA Media Group

Linda began her career in publishing over 20 years ago as joint publisher of both g3 and Out in the City magazine, and started working in diversity related events a decade later. She has become a powerhouse in the diversity and inclusion sector, starting initiatives such as the Global Diversity List, European Diversity Awards, the Pride Power List and many more. Linda has been publisher of DIVA magazine, Europe’s leading brand for LGBTQI women and non binary people; she is the founder of Lesbian Visibility Week. Linda is a former Board Director of US based LGBT campaign group GLAAD (2013 - 2019) and Patron of LGBT homelessness charity akt. Currently, she is a Patron of Diversity Role Models, a LGBT anti-bullying charity. Linda is also a House of Stonewall Golden Champion for Stonewall Housing. In November 2017, Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, Dawn Butler MP, appointed Linda as the Opposition Labour Party’s LGBT Diversity Lead.  Linda is also a former Stonewall Award winner and Business Icon of the Year from the Icon Awards 2017.

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Yi Wang

Director
Queer East

Yi Wang is the director and programmer of Queer East, a festival he founded in 2019 which aims to showcase rarely seen LGBTQ+ cinema both from and about East and Southeast Asia and amplify the voices of Asian communities in the UK. Outside his role at Queer East, Yi Wang works as a creative producer at The Culture Laboratory, an independent studio for performing arts and cultural events management.

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M

Dan Hudson

Nongay
A Gay and A NonGay

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James Barr

Comedian, Host, Voiceover
A Gay and A NonGay Podcast

🏳️‍🌈 Comedian / HOST 🎤 Co-Host of U.K’s #1 LGBTQ+ podcast A Gay and A NonGay 🤩 Sass Queen 📺 MTV U.K. Host 🎙 HITS RADIO breakfast host 🥇 British Podcast Award Winner “Unapologetically honest and brilliantly hilarious” The Sun “Rip-roaringly funny and ridiculously relatable” heat Magazine “Sharp dialogue, wit quicker than Elvis’s hips” Chortle

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	Date & Time	Jun 17, 2021
	Location	Online