Clinton School student Ryan Ubuntu Olson (’11) is serving as a consultant for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, which supports human rights for gender and sexual minorities across the world.
Olson is serving as the communications, outreach and mobilization officer for the organization and is in charge of connecting the more 70 countries that participate in the international day.
Olson, who will graduate from the Clinton School on May 14, has focused his public service efforts on issues affecting the LGBT community around the world.
On the jump, read a press release Olson wrote about the “As I Am Campaign,” which is an initiative of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.
‘As I Am Campaign’ launched as an International Initiative by International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia
PARIS- Through the As I Am Campaign, an online initiative aimed at collecting stories told through creative videos, pictures and written testimonials, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia hopes to inspire hundreds of thousands of people around the world to consider the humanity that binds us all and how people ought to be respected for all of who they are.
The As I Am campaign is the global action produced by the IDAHO committee to coincide with local events and actions that take place in over 70 countries around the world and in various regions and international organizations. The campaign will be asking individuals to submit creative pieces that demonstrate who they are through videos, artwork, or written testimonials. Watch our Promo Video
The As I Am campaign will also sponsor a worldwide PSA contest asking contestants to create a short public service announcement addressing homophobia and transphobia. The videos will be placed on the IDAHO site and used throughout the world, while the winner will have their PSA distributed around the world to be shown in various venues and actions taking place for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Interested parties are asked to go to the As I Am campaign to find contest details.
The As I Am campaign will be reaching out to opinion leaders from around the world to lend their voices in support of gender and sexual minorities in all corners of the world. The campaign will seek out those with influence to comment about the day via Twitter or Facebook and to submit a creative piece to the As I Am campaign.
The As I Am campaign merely hopes to highlight that which makes us all human. It strives to create a space where individuals can highlight their greatest human qualities and craft messages that all people can relate too. For more information please visit the campaign website.
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About the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia:
The International day Against Homophobia and Transphobia was started in 2004 as a way to commemorate on a global scale the World Health Organization’s decision to officially remove homosexuality from the list of mental disorders and to support human rights for gender and sexual minorities. The day has been celebrated every day since in over 70 countries. The day is officially recognized in many countries as well and used as an advocacy strategy by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersexed activists around the world. For more information please visit www.dayagainsthomophobia.org
About the As I Am Campaign
The As I Am campaign is an initiative by the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia and seeks to highlight the parallels of our common humanity through its vast diversity. The As I Am campaign provides an online space for individuals from around the world to submit videos, artwork or written testimonials highlighting what makes them unique. www.dayagainsthomophobia.org/-as-i-am-international-IDAHO,133-
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