The Legacy of Visibility Starts Here.
TLC’s Project Flare intends to create a legacy of visibility for LGBTQI foster youth and provide both virtual and real-time connections to ALL those seeking Project Flare’s invitation to “undo aloneness.”
History of Project Flare
TLC has been serving the LGBTQI Community since 2005, working and evolving into a 2017 recipient of the HRC’s Seal of Recognition for Inclusion, then in 2019, 2020 the prestigious Seal of Recognition as Innovators. The Innovator Seal is, in part, a recognition of TLC’s new video project intended to create a legacy of visibility for LBGTQI foster youth. Only 39 organizations across the U.S. were awarded this seal; TLC being one of nine of those organizations in the entire state of California.
TLC’s video project began on October 26, 2019 when TLC used grant monies awarded them from Sonoma County’s Giving Circle (now Pride United) to pioneer an event they dubbed, Project Flare. The event was a first of its kind for this unique cross section of the LGBTQI community. Project Flare featured a keynote address by local psychologist and gender specialist, Dr. Jill Rees, mask-making and other workshops, and three makeshift film studios used to permanently capture the stories of those youth, foster parents, and staff attending. The intention was to offer participants space to tell their story, be visible, and to send out a Flare to other LGBTQI youth.
Project Flare desires to….
“There is a world out there where you can be queer and you can have fun and you can meet amazing people and you can have this wonderful, full life. It is out there for you, too.”
#ShareYourFlare Participant
Why Project Flare Matters
LGBTQ youth are overrepresented in foster care and face an increased risk of both negative experiences and outcomes.
- Up to 30% of youth in foster care self identify as LGBTQ
- LGBTQ youth are twice as likely to report being treated poorly as their non-LGBTQ peers while in care
- LGBTQ youth have a greater average number of placements than their non-LGBTQ peers
- LGBTQ youth are more likely than their non-LGBTQ peers to be placed in congregate care, including group homes.
How Can I Get Involved?
We encourage LGBTQI foster youth to make their own #shareyourflare video. Stories matter. Telling YOUR story matters. Share yours with TLC and the world. If you are an LGBTQI ally and want to share a supportive message, we encourage you to share your flare, too.
Check back frequently to see newly uploaded videos from TLC’s inaugural Project Flare Event.