LGBT History Month kick-off explores entertainment representation

In Jimmy Elinski’s film “Foundations,” the Chapman senior film production major directed an all-drag cast as part of a commitment to illuminating genuine stories within the LGBTQIA+ community. Illustration courtesy of Elinski 

LGBT History Month – not to be confused with LGBT Pride Month in June – was created by Missouri high school history teacher Rodney Wilson in 1994. Wilson believed that it was in the country’s best interest to devote a month of learning and celebration to LGBTQIA+ history during the school year, to provide an opportunity for students to connect with the queer community.

Emma Barda, a senior broadcast journalism and documentary major at the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, has been an active member of student government, Queer-Student Alliance (QSA) and Queer and Trans People of Color Collective (QTPOCC). The LGBTQIA+ community has always been there for her, she said, no matter where in the world she may find herself.

“LGBT History Month is important because there’s been a lot of change and progress made over the years, but it’s still really important to realize the places we’ve come from and remember the people of the past that have paved the way for us,” Barda said.

With the theme of 2020’s LGBT History Month defined as “Prose, Poetry and Plays,” Chapman’s Cross-Cultural Center hosted a screening with members of the cast and crew of the festival-admitted student film, “Foundation.” Directed by senior film production major Jimmy Elinksi, the film is an artistic ode to concepts of drag and found family. After showing the film to an audience of approximately 20 – including Elinski’s parents – key crew members led a Q&A exploring the film’s creative process and a larger discussion on LGBTQIA+ voices in entertainment.

“I don’t want to pigeonholed as the ‘gay director.’ I just want to be a director that happens to also be gay,” Elinski told The Panther. “I want to show that even outside of school, in the industry, there are really talented queer individuals that are just as good if not better than their straight counterparts.” 

“Foundations,” currently being distributed by Discover Film, follows a young drag queen in her attempts to win the attention of a seasoned drag mother. Elinksi told the Panther that he’s the first student at Dodge College to work with an all-drag cast. Recounting authentic stories which accurately reflect and celebrate the gay community is integral to the progression of normalizing LGBTQIA+ storytelling in entertainment, he said. 

Avery Tang is the president of QTPOCC and a junior theater studies and integrated educational studies double major. Similar to Elinksi, Tang’s experiences within the school system as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community motivated them to advocate for social and educational reform through student governance.

“I joined QTPOCC because it was the safest space on campus that I had at the time,” Tang said. “I kept going to the meetings because there was really nobody else on campus that could genuinely understand my experience and also help me advocate for my experience.”

Looking at the Black Student Union’s action plan, Tang was inspired to create their own request of action items on behalf of QTPOCC including gender-inclusive housing, preferred names in Chapman’s student records, pronoun inclusion, gender-neutral restrooms and gender identity and expression on Chapman’s website.

“Allies should educate themselves. They should read books, listen to podcasts and watch documentaries by queer and trans folks because this stuff isn’t taught in schools,” Tang said. “While we’re fighting for it to be taught in schools, people can start educating and exposing themselves to our community.”   

Future group events can be found on Chapman’s QTPOCC’s Facebook page.