ITV

Tag: LGBTQ+

  • FlowerAura launches #FlowersForChange campaign to celebrate Pride month

    FlowerAura launches #FlowersForChange campaign to celebrate Pride month

    Mumbai: FlowerAura, a leading online gifting platform, is excited to announce the launch of its “Flowers for Change” campaign to celebrate Pride Month. The campaign’s objective is to promote love, acceptance, and support for the LGBTQ+ community through meaningful actions. By melding the beauty of flowers with the message of diversity, FlowerAura aspires to cultivate a world where every gender is celebrated and every love story can flourish.

    Through the #FlowersForChange campaign, FlowerAura is committed to making a real difference. FlowerAura will support an LGBTQ+ foundation for a good cause, providing direct support to the community’s ongoing fight for equality and acceptance. Moreover, the brand celebrates the progress toward a more inclusive society.

    Speaking about the campaign launch, FlowerAura co-founder Shrey Sehgal said “We are thrilled to initiate the ‘FlowersForChange’ campaign this pride month. FlowerAura has always stood up against stereotypes and supported inclusivity in society through our campaigns. With this campaign, we aim to spread a message of love, acceptance, and support for the LGBTQ+ community. Moreover, the campaign supports the brand’s ideology of equality and kindness. For us,  #FlowersForChange is more than a campaign as we believe every effort counts”

    The campaign highlights the importance of representation and support and serves as a reminder that small actions can lead to significant changes. FlowerAura invites everyone to participate in the #FlowersForChange campaign and help spread the message of love and acceptance far and wide.

  • KASHISH Pride Film Festival unveils its new logo and festival look!

    KASHISH Pride Film Festival unveils its new logo and festival look!

    Mumbai: The erstwhile KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, the city’s annual LGBTQ+ film festival, now renamed as KASHISH Pride Film Festival, unveiled their look for their 15th edition with the theme ‘Unfurl Your Pride’.

    The design by Sitesh Govind, a Bangalore-based graphic designer and creative producer, was selected from among two dozen designs submitted by various designers across India in response to the KASHISH 2024 International Poster Design Contest.  

    The final design was selected by Dalip Daswani, a Pune-based ceramic designer, who said, “The Pride colours so evident in this design, are not ‘in your face’.  The graphics are strong, and the organized tapestry of colour is bold and dynamic, but not loud. The design celebrates energy with a sense of flight hinting at stories of ‘cinematic’ lives – joyful, exuberant, infinite, and cosmic.”

    The designer Sitesh Govind said of his design, “The Reels represent the core of the film festival, which is the celebration of cinema. The film reels are a nod to the history and tradition of filmmaking. Butterflies are often symbols of transformation and beauty, the butterflies in the poster signify the journey of self-discovery and the unfolding of one’s true identity, which aligns with the queer community’s experiences.”

    The designer gets a Rs 25,000 cash award as well as a KASHISH Butterfly Award Trophy. The design will become the festival’s look and used on posters, catalogues, hoardings, T-shirts and other merchandise elements.

    The first and second runners-ups were Sangeetha Nandakumar, a designer from Mumbai, who will receive Rs.10,000; and Vaibhav Tanna, an Embroidery artist & interior designer from Gurugram, who will receive Rs.5000; along with a certificate each.

    KASHISH 2024, South Asia’s biggest LGBTQ+ film festival, is all set to unfurl from May 15th to May 19th at 3 venues across Mumbai city – Liberty Cinema and Alliance Française de Bombay in South Mumbai and Cinepolis in Andheri West.

    Sridhar Rangayan, founder and festival director, exuded confidence and excitement, “It is a great moment indeed that KASHISH is hosting its 15 years when so many important and older festivals are downing their shutters. We are lucky to have the benevolence and support of so many people in the Indian film industry, Indian & International corporates and institutions, media schools, the filmmakers who unwaveringly come back to KASHISH with their new films, and the audience who are already waiting eagerly for the cinematic fare that will unfurl soon. We hope to bring a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone – the LGBTQ+ community members, their families & friends, allies and film buffs – can enjoy the best queer programming from across the world.”

    The festival also unveiled their new logo designed by designer duo Inderjit Nagi & Syed Ali Arif, who said about the design, “KASHISH has always been extremely dear to us and over the years, its become like an annual pilgrimage that must be undertaken. For the new logo, we wished to retain the butterfly, a quintessential element from the existing logo, and redesign it to include all colours of the pride & trans flags. We decided to embed the letters ‘KPFF’ into the butterfly itself. Just like the various identities of the LGBTQ+ community that attend the festival we also created the word ‘KASHISH’ by mixing a few fonts & design elements,  making the new branding truly iconic & originally queer. For us, this new look is fun, quirky, and contemporary, exuding a strong recall value. We hope & pray that KASHISH continues to thrive and grow and expand over the years to come, and become a strong global name among world-class film festivals.”

  • Nickelodeon US launches a content accelerator programme to help up-and-coming, underrepresented creatives

    Nickelodeon US launches a content accelerator programme to help up-and-coming, underrepresented creatives

    Mumbai: US kids broadcaster Nickelodeon has announced that to ensure that a variety of voices are being heard, it has created the Nick Content Accelerator. This is a programme that it says has been designed specifically for early-career, underrepresented creatives to pitch new live-action and animated series for its platforms.

    The broadcaster is partnering with Rise Up Animation and Ghetto Film School to solicit pitches for this programme. This programme is open to emerging professionals in the field of kid-focused content creation. The broadcaster added that it wants to hear from people of colour, creatives with disabilities, creatives in the LGBTQ+ community, or any other voices who have historically had limited or no access to the children’s television industry.

    Nickelodeon is accepting submissions for pitches in three categories, namely live action, big kid animation, and preschool/upper preschool, from 8 August 2022 until 30 September 2022.

    After reviewing the submissions, the top entries will move forward to Pitch Day (date TBD).

    The top applicants will meet with Nickelodeon development executives on Pitch Day to present their ideas. The selected creators will work directly with development executives and a creative mentor on honing their pitch over a few months [at the beginning of the year in 2023].

    Nickelodeon further explained that it is looking for unique big ideas that could be the next big show. It said these are some of the pillars that aspirants should be looking for in order for their show to be a big hit:

    Character-driven: Comedy at Nickelodeon comes from the characters. The broadcaster said that it always wants to see distinct and unique personalities who can drive the story and the comedy. Nickelodeon characters are memorable and iconic. They are the kinds of people you would want to be friends with.

    Irreverent comedy: Nickelodeon shows are often a little messy and left of centre. A Nickelodeon show can be any genre, but surprising comedy is always a part of its shows. Like slime, it is a little weird and a little messy!

    Authentic kid POV: It said that its series always shows life from a kid’s perspective and never talks down to kids. It wants to show what it’s really like to be a kid, and not just show a polished version of kid life. This is true even for shows with adult lead characters. For example, although SpongeBob is an adult who lives in his own home, he still has a very kid-like perspective on the world.

    Inclusive and all gender: When it speaks about authentic kid POV, it also wants to represent kids authentically as they are in the world. That means creating shows that represent the diverse world we live in. It also wants to create shows that all genders will love.

  • Falguni Shah named as MD of EORTV

    Falguni Shah named as MD of EORTV

    Mumbai: India’s first LGBTQ+ OTT platform EORTV has named Falguni Shah as managing director of its OTT business. 

    “Shah will be responsible for the rollout and management of EORTV’s content and revenue. She will also be handling the brand to create awareness for the Indian market,” said the platform in a statement on Monday.

    She will continue to hold her position at the EORTV’s production arm Dreamzz Images Studio as well. “Shah’s expansion of portfolio comes as EORTV continues to expand its commitment to development of the OTT marketplace,” said the statement.

    Shah brings in a decade of experience working with leading broadcast, video-on-demand, and digital companies. She has twelve years of experience in content creation, brand integrations, syndication and marketing.

    Prior to her experience in the entertainment industry, she has held plump positions in the companies like Standard Chartered Finance Ltd, HDFC Standard Life, Tata Teleservices Ltd and BPL (Loop) Mobile, post which she switched from corporate to the content industry joining Dreamzz Images Studio.

    “We have a huge responsibility to entertain our audience with relevant content. Also because LGBTQ is a sensitive topic in India, we are catering to the content demand with utmost care taking into consideration the sentiments of our audiences,” said Falguni Shah. “Content is of prime importance to us. We’ve been building an innovative OTT business which we now plan to further accelerate this year.”

  • Amazon Studios launches inclusion policy & playbook

    Mumbai: This is one production studio which is putting its money where its mouth is. And it should even get a nod of appreciation from the Indian ministries of information and broadcasting, electronics and information technology, and even education. Even as many companies are talking about inclusion and diversity, the Culver City (California, US)- based Amazon Studios released on 16 June a comprehensive inclusion policy that extends its commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity for its content and productions, as well as a playbook with guidelines for its collaborators in the creative community.

    These guides offer detailed and actionable recommendations as Amazon Studios continues to seek out stories and storytelling that amplify voices across race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability (including mental health), body size, gender, gender identity, and gender expression for the global Prime Video audience.

    “Amazon Studios has long prioritised telling innovative and inclusive stories from a diverse range of creative talent, delighting our global audiences. We wanted to move beyond good intentions to creating mechanisms that hold us accountable to a high bar. This inclusion policy and inclusion playbook adds important, additional depth and guidance for our internal teams and external partners to ensure we continue to advance our shared mission of amplifying the best creatives and content around the world,” said Amazon Studios executive head of diversity, equity & inclusion Latasha Gillespie in a press release.  

    “With the establishment of our inclusion policy and inclusion playbook, Amazon Studios has committed itself to being a thought and action leader in the transformation of our industry,” said Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke. “We know how much work there is to be done to improve representation both on-camera and behind the scenes, and it starts at home, with us. With clear directives and a commitment to accountability, these guides provide a path toward a more equitable future, both on- and off-camera.”

    Amazon Studios shared the policy and playbook with creators, including Gloria Calderón Kellett, creator and executive producer of the upcoming Amazon Original series With Love. Said Kellett, “I am so proud to be a part of a creative community at Amazon that understands the importance of what I’ve been doing my whole career. Inclusive hiring is what makes a change. Opportunity and an eye towards changing things through action is what makes a change. Thrilled that Amazon has put together this playbook to start important conversations with their other creatives. This is real action and commitment and I’m thrilled to see it!”

    Upload’s creator and executive producer, Greg Daniels said: “Having worked with Amazon Studios for several years, I can confirm their commitment to inclusiveness is deep, sincere, sensitive, and practical. These new guidelines should encourage talented people from historically underrepresented groups to feel more confident about making a career in Hollywood.”

    Establishing expectations for Amazon Studios and its creative partners, the inclusion policy covers four primary areas: developing stories and characters, hiring and production, reporting and documentation, and meeting goals. The policy ensures meaningful visibility in Amazon Studios’ content and throughout all aspects of the production process — both in the stories being told and the people hired to tell them. The policy includes specific goals for Amazon Studios productions, including:

    • Each film or series with a creative team of three or more people in above-the-line roles (directors, writers, producers) should ideally include a minimum 30 per cent women and 30 per cent members of an underrepresented racial/ethnic group. This aspirational goal will increase to 50 per cent by 2024.
    • Casting actors whose identity (gender, gender identity, nationality, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability) aligns with the character they will be playing.
    • Aiming to include one character from each of the following categories in speaking roles, with a minimum 50 per cent of these to be women: LGBTQIA+, a person with a disability, and three regionally underrepresented race/ethnic/cultural groups. A single character can fulfill one or more of these identities.
    • Seeking at least three bids from vendors or suppliers on productions, one of which must be from a woman-owned business and one from a minority-owned business.
    • Pay equity across casting, behind the camera staff and crew, and vendors and suppliers.

    Amazon Studios will provide a report template for each production to indicate whether these expectations were met, which will be submitted within one month of the completion of principal photography. This reporting exceeds the minimum standards set by the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences but ensures Amazon is poised to report on the diversity of their films for Academy Award contention.

    Through the setting of goals and tracking of adherence to these policies, Amazon Studios, says “it is expanding its commitment to increasing representation on camera and behind the scenes, contributing to efforts to move the industry forward to a more inclusive future.”

    The inclusion playbook puts in place intentional practices to minimize and disrupt biases, providing specific guidance that will help everyone within and working with Amazon Studios to meet the expectations set in the inclusion policy. The playbook provides direction on how to make inclusive decisions while telling authentic stories and hiring the best people for the job; knowledge of where to go for help, including tools to make inclusive decisions; tools to identify criteria for making creative choices, leading to balanced, consistent and informed decisions; and ways to foster curiosity and ask questions to disrupt the status quo about “how things are done.”

    Amazon Studios worked closely with Dr. Stacy Smith and Dr. Katherine Pieper of USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, and with Brenda Robinson of the International Documentary Association and Gamechanger Films on the creation of the policy and playbook. The studio also consulted with leading organizations devoted to advancing the visibility and responsible depictions of underrepresented or marginalized people, including GLAAD, Illuminative, Think Tank for Inclusion & Equity, and the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund.

    “Frankly, the outcomes of DEI work within the entertainment industry have not been swift or sweeping. In part, that can be attributed to disingenuous approaches to address the systemic barriers to entry that have long plagued Hollywood,” said Smith. “But now, Amazon Studios has created a comprehensive new blueprint that will change Hollywood by elevating those who have historically lacked access. I’m immensely proud of this new policy and I know it will be a gamechanger throughout an industry often resistant to real change.”

    One will have to wait and watch whether Amazon’s new inclusion policy will be applicable to its Indian productions as well. The diversity, equity, and inclusion team within it which was instrumental in drawing up the changes has “telling inclusive narratives to globally diverse audiences” as one of its main focuses.

  • Star & Disney India deepens focus on women and LGBTQ+ community

    Star & Disney India deepens focus on women and LGBTQ+ community

    MUMBAI: Star & Disney India have introduced Business Employee Resource Groups (BERGs), a new diversity resource group for women and LGBTQ+ employees to foster an equal, inclusive, and bias-free workplace. These groups will represent and support the diverse communities that make up the workforce and are open to all employees. Each BERG offers opportunities to network and connect with peers, participate in outreach and mentoring programs, acquire new skills, and enhance leadership capabilities. 

    Additionally, marking the occasion of International Women’s Day, Star & Disney India have launched the #BreakTheLoop, an impactful campaign, that vocalises the internal fears that arise from socialisation and inspires women to challenge them. Disney+ Hotstar has also added a ‘Female Leads’ section on the app that showcases inspiring stories about women. This collection is accessible on the home screen and encompasses English and Hindi shows and movies from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, Hotstar Specials, and Star Plus as well as regional content from the Star portfolio in Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Marathi, and Kannada. 

    “We, at Star & Disney India, are deeply committed to imbibing diverse and inclusive ethos, reflected not just in our stories and shows, but also across our workplace. We are focused on attracting and developing a high-performing workforce at every level and in the process striking a fine gender balance. As India’s preferred broadcaster and streaming platform, we aim to enrich the viewing experience through authentic and inclusive stories, while nurturing a culture where everyone is seen, heard, and represented,” said The Walt Disney Company Disney Media & entertainment distribution human resources APAC & India head Amita Maheshwari.

    Star & Disney India have introduced BERGs to focus on a multidimensional approach to cultivate a culture that thrives on compassion, equality, openness, and transparency. Intensifying its focus on improving the gender balance, the organisation aims to increase the representation of women in leadership roles to spearhead its next phase of growth. 

    The #BreakTheLoop film traces the journey of a young girl to an old woman and the pressures she inherits because of her gender. At every pivotal step of life, the girl/ woman wonders if she is, or she can be. The nagging circle of self-doubt that comes with gender expectations plays on a loop and becomes a wall between her and her unique individuality. The month-long campaign focuses on challenging self-limiting beliefs via a series of posters and also celebrating inspiring women employees. 

  • Films, TV & OTT should actively further the LGBTQ+ cause

    Films, TV & OTT should actively further the LGBTQ+ cause

    NEW DELHI: How many of you know about the LGBTQ community? This was the first and the basic question put  Indiantelevision.com founder and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari during the session titled ‘Finding the Rainbow in the Indian Creative Industry.’ Panellists included filmmaker Ram Kamal Mukherjee, EORTV media executive director Kaushik Izardar, actor Hemant Kher, and renowned entrepreneur, pianist, songwriter and musician Shayan Italia.

    Mukherjee opened the session by stating that they stand for free and equal rights for everybody. “They are not they and us, and it’s the beginning of the conversation. We should stop discriminating,” he said.

    Echoing the sentiment, Italia compared the situation in India and the USA. “In the USA, the LGBTQ community contributes massively to the economy. In India, it is not much. The government cannot allow this community to be segregated community. It has a monetary value in it. We are a little behind and are coming up.”

    Kher shared that there are a lot of members of this community working in the film industry, especially make up people and actors, and he has never had cause to feel awkward and uncomfortable – because irrespective of sexuality or the gender they identify with, they feel the same emotions equally and every day. “People need to understand it from a spiritual perspective,” he remarked.

    Wanvari then delved deeper into the subject of inclusivity and enquired how people from different walks of life were accepting people who identified themselves as LGBTQ+.

    Izardar started off with a quote – ‘First they will hate you and then they will start speaking about you and then follow you.’ He further believes that LGBTQ is a misnomer and the word should not exist. Since there’s no word like MPMHF, putting a label like that automatically creates a sense of ‘otherness’.

    “When these words are not levelled at us then why them? The vision and mission of my platform is to not show a struggle or depressing life of LGBTQ, but a plain story where if someone is showing their sexual preference it is not to be taken as a surprise or in another light,” he declared.

    Three years ago, the Supreme Court struck down section 377, giving the country's LGBTQ+ community the freedom to safely express their sexual orientation. But it’s a fact that they encounter harassment and social stigma even today. Is a truly inclusive society a distant dream?

    Mukherjee, who recently created an original on the subject, said that when the government legalised same-sex relationships, he could see how happy LGBTQ people were, that they could live, breathe and talk freely. It is important for them to have an official stamp for them to live freely in the country.

    Kher shared that in metros, people have started accepting them and the wall is broken. “When you go to small towns, people have stopped talking about this issue anymore as they know they have to accept it because it’s a law. There can be a transformation where people accept them.”

    However, change doesn’t happen overnight – it does take time to understand and make notions long considered taboo a part of peoples’ daily lives and it needs a lot of education, stressed Mukherjee. “I remember the rigidities that we used to witness 15-20 years ago, those things have almost gone. People understand that its legal.”

    He further added that today if a guy gets up and tells his parents that he has a boyfriend and wants to marry him, the parents won’t be as shocked as they would have been 15 years ago.

    Things like coming out also depend on the mindsets and outlook that parents have and the same reflects in the society at large, observed Izardar. If parents find out that their child is inclined towards the same sex, it could result in hostility and alienation. “It happens in rural more and people abandon their child. A lot of cases are there in Mumbai also. It happens at different ages. Most gay men are identified after their marriages and it leads to exclusion from the village. I have seen this kind of prejudice in many educated families as well,” he elaborated.

    The panellists then lowered the lens on how Indian mainstream cinema has portrayed the LGBTQ community on the big screen.

    Mukherjee noted that things are changing – actors like Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao, Sonam Kapoor are not playing a caricature when they take on such projects.

    It was agreed that if big Bollywood actors come forward and play solid roles that are not stereotypical, then the message would percolate to the remotest corners of the country.

    Taking the discussion a notch forward, Italia mentioned that LGBTQ community is accepted in outside countries because its heroes are true contributors to mankind. The minute India would have such heroes and you cannot deny their contribution to the country, I think that would be able to change the mindset more than any Bollywood actor or movie. 

    Kher strongly vouched for teaching the values of acceptance and inclusivity at the grassroots. “In schools we are taught what is religion, we need to teach them about LGBTQ, sexual preferences of the people, and how they live,” he asserted.

    Wanvari added that one of the good ways to educate is via cinema, television and OTT. In India, there are not many OTT shows focusing on or even featuring LGBTQ characters available, and he was not sure that the industry has tackled it well.

    Mukherjee towards the end mentioned that the moment you are not doing something that is not a routine in the world it becomes difficult to raise money for that. “The moment you say that the platform is about LGBTQ community, then the investors will say that it will be niche, no family audience. But it should not deter you from what you want to do in life,” added Mukherjee.

    Kher concluded that the film fraternity is more aware about this subject and is more open than others. “People are not coming out because of this social burden. It stops us from saying and doing what we want to do. The social fabric needs to understand the sensitivity of the subject and that they are human beings.”

  • LGBTQ-focused streaming service EORTV launches website on OTT platform

    LGBTQ-focused streaming service EORTV launches website on OTT platform

    MUMBAI: OTT media service platform EORTV has launched its website www.eortv.com with a differentiated philosophy to focus on the LGBTQ audiences and other communities. The mission of this new OTT platform is to be inclusive and create acceptance for all communities in society by eliminating any kinds of biases based on gender stereotypes and sexual orientation. 

    The logo of EORTV contains the letter “E” which determines the significance of “EQUALITY”. The letter ‘E’ is in GREEN colour to highlight gender equality.  Headquartered in Mumbai, leading the team of EORTV are industry stalwarts with a vision to change the mindsets and prevent discrimination and prejudice against the “hormonally challenged communities” in society with an aim to promote peace, fraternity, equality and brotherhood. 

    EOR TV has appointed Deepak Pandey and Kaushik Izardar as executive directors. Izardar will oversee the overall corporate responsibilities of the company and Pandey will be responsible for the overall creative dimension of the company.

    Renowned industry veteran Deepak Pandey started his career as a cinematographer in the Indian television industry. In his extensive career of 20 years, he has earned many awards for shows like Prithviraj Chauhan, SaraswatiChandra, Mahadev, Ashoka, Veer Shivaji, Bepanaah, Jhasi ki Rani, Shobha Somnath Ki, Humsafars, Qubool Hai,Tanhaiyaan and many more. He has also been the cinematographer for films like Pink Mirror, Yours Emotionally and Baat Ban Gayi. Being an exceptional cinematographer, he has always wanted to tell stories and his first directorial debut was ‘I love US’ which was released on Footlooze Youtube channel. The series gained 150 million views.

    Other series that he directed include a biopic on Indian defence officers, ‘Shaurya’ which aired on Sony LIV, The Bull of Dalal Street, Halala, Paanchali, Singardaan, #Metoo, Dance Bar, Tadap and many more for Ullu channel. He was awarded the best director for the series, Halala. He plays a vital role in establishing the series and is known to experiment in his craft while exploring new technologies in the market. 

    “I’m excited about EORTV as it means more diversity and a uniquely curated selection of global entertainment for our audiences. We strive to bring viewers progressive, inspiring and ground breaking content in the fields of technology, digital media and queer advocacy to start with,” says Pandey.

    Izardar  has worked with media conglomerates including Viacom18 Media, ZEEL, INX Media, Fulford India Limited (subsidiary of Merck; Co, USA). Izardar has a PhD and has completed the thesis under Dr Piyush Sinha (IIM- Ahmedabad). He has a MBA in marketing and has completed his senior strategic management from IIM Kolkata. Studied graduation from Visva Bharati University (Siksha Bhavana- Santiniketan), founded by the renowned poet and nobel prize winner  Rabindranath Tagore.

    “We are excited to announce the launch of EORTV’s website and EORTV app will soon follow to keep expanding our opportunity to touch a broader audience with new offerings. This summer and especially in this period of quarantine, we are planning a distinctly curated selection of entertainment that represents all gender identities, sexual orientations, religions, cultures, ages, languages and walks of life,” said Kaushik Izardar.

    EORTV will provide hundreds of hours of premium, exclusive and original content from leading producers and publishers in domestic and international entertainment that includes award-winning blockbuster films, TV shows, web series, music videos, short videos, cutting-edge series and originals in Hindi and English. 

    EORTV’s viewers can watch content through their smart TV, mobile and other streaming device integrations. The app supports almost 200 TV channels and airs programmes which users can watch at their convenience. Being a global platform, EORTV doesn’t run short of user access in any part of the world. It can be used wherever you are located.

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  • DocuBay acquires LGBTQ+ documentaries from OUTtv

    DocuBay acquires LGBTQ+ documentaries from OUTtv

    MUMBAI: DocuBay, the membership video-on-demand streaming service by IN10 Media Network, has acquired LGBTQ+-focused documentary features from OUTtv, the world’s first and Canada’s only LGBTQ+ television network. The films cover a wide range of issues affecting the LGBT community across the globe and are featured in DocuBay’s newest category called PrideBay, dedicated to films chronicling diverse and complex LGBTQ+ experiences. 

    The licensed titles and new PrideBay category are now available for global streaming on DocuBay, along with the recently-launched CrimeBay, PoliticsBay, NatureBay, TravelBay, AdventureBay, ScienceBay, and many others. The DocuBay app can be downloaded in 180+ countries on the App Store, Google Play, Fire TV, Android TV, and Apple TV, among others.

    Notable titles acquired by DocuBay include -19 and Homeless which captures two years in the lives of former foster kids as they age out of the system and are faced with overwhelming odds and tragic personal struggles; Why Go Through That? which shares the personal stories of six transgender individuals, each at a different stage of life and transition; Made With Pride which follows the emotional and inspiring journey of a gay couple who decide to build a family through surrogacy; and Safe Country follows the stories of three queer refugees in Vancouver with very different experiences of adapting to new lives in Canada.

    DocuBay acquisition & content head Adita Jain stated: “We’re thrilled to partner with OUTtv, not only to share LGBTQ+ stories that address critical issues, but to highlight them in our new PrideBay. DocuBay is committed to being a platform that brings important social issues like those that affect the LGBTQ+ community and others to a wider, global audience, a mission that is made easier by the rapid increase in internet connectivity all around the world.”

    OUTtv CEO Brad Danks stated: “At OUTtv we pride ourselves on being leading providers of queer content across the globe. Our partnership with DocuBay will allow us to continue to expand the availability of queer-focused programming and ensure that LGBTQ+ content is accessible to everyone, world-wide.”

  • Tinder adds New Safety Feature: In-App Alert for LGBTQ+ Users when in Hostile Territories

    Tinder adds New Safety Feature: In-App Alert for LGBTQ+ Users when in Hostile Territories

    India: Tinder, the world’s most popular app for meeting new people, today announced a new safety feature, Traveler Alert. The feature is designed to protect and inform members of the LGBTQ community from the inherent risk of using dating apps in the nearly 70 countries that still have discriminatory laws effectively criminalizing LGBTQ status. The Traveler Alert will appear when the app is first opened in one of these countries to educate and warn users about the potential dangers LGBTQ people face. This update further strengthens the brand's focus on keeping all its users safe.

    As part of the update, users who identify as LGBTQ will no longer automatically appear on Tinder when they open the app in these countries. Once the alert is activated, users will have the choice to remain hidden while in that location or opt into making their profile public so that they can connect with new people. In the latter case, if a user has added sexual orientation or gender identity to their profile, the app will automatically take the step to remove this information to safeguard users from law enforcement agencies and individuals who may target them. The alert will appear when users are on the ground in these countries, as well as if they are using Tinder’s Passport feature to connect with users in any location in the world. Once users have left the country or changed their location, then they will be visible again on the app.

    Taru Kapoor, GM-India, Tinder and Match Group says, “Inclusivity and acceptance are core values at Tinder and drives all our efforts. Everyone is welcome on Tinder- regardless of gender identity and orientation and the safety and security of our users is also of paramount importance to us. The Tinder Traveler Alert combines these values, ensuring that our LGBTQ+ users are aware of the necessary precautions they need to take in countries that are hostile towards gender and sexual orientations outside the binary. This alert is an example of the many steps that we are taking to protect our users around the world, and is an extension of our many efforts to facilitate better connections for LGBTQ+ users in India.”

    Tinder collaborated with ILGA World, sourcing data from their latest State-Sponsored Homophobia report, to help establish where the alert should be deployed. If users are served the warning and would like to learn more, they will be directed to ILGA World’s 2019 resources focused on sexual orientation laws.

    “We hope that this development will raise awareness amongst all Tinder users, and help protect people of diverse sexual orientations in the 69 countries around the world that currently still criminalise same-sex love,” said André du Plessis, Executive Director at ILGA World. “We support Tinder’s dedication to improving security features for their users. We work hard to change practices, laws and attitudes that put LGBTQ people at risk – including the use of dating apps to target our community – but in the meantime, the safety of our communities also depends on supporting their digital safety.”

    In addition to its Traveler Alert, Tinder has launched a number of updates and efforts in support of the LGBTQ community over the last year. With the help of India’s oldest LGBTQ organization, The Humsafar Trust and LGBTQ author and inclusion advocate, Parmesh Shahani, the app released 23 More genders. This was followed by the launch of a new Sexual orientations feature, which gives users another way to express sexuality and have more control over potential matches.