Storyblocks Launches "Queer Spaces and Faces" Campaign to Drive Visibility of LGBTQIA+ Lived Experiences in Advertising and Media

New Media Collections Focus on Themes such as Black Male Love, Queer Artists and "The Chosen Family" to Close Diversity Gap in Media through Authentic Content

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Storyblocks

May 17, 2021, 09:00 ET

ARLINGTON, Va., May 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Storyblocks, the first and largest subscription-based platform providing unlimited stock content and tools for creators to keep up with the growing demand for video, today announced the launch of "Queer Spaces and Faces", a campaign geared toward increasing visibility of underrepresented communities in media through the curation and production of inclusive content that accurately reflects today's world. The new media collections featured in Re: Stock will focus on adding authentic representation of LGBTQIA+ communities in media, while also remaining true to the intersectional foundation of the community by exploring robust race and gender themes.

Sannchia Gaston, Storyblocks Queer Spaces and Faces Collection

Following the success of the first installment of Storyblocks' Webby-nominated Re: Stock campaign, which announced the campaign's goal of quadrupling the amount of diverse content in Storyblocks' library by the end of 2022, the company is further expanding the pipeline of its stock contributors to include directors, filmmakers and cinematographers who belong to the LGBTQIA+ community. To build the collections, Storyblocks commissioned a cohort of six LGBTQIA+ filmmakers to each create collections of 50+ videos that portray people, places and communities who are underrepresented in digital media today. Supporting intersectionality within the creative community, and ensuring that all creators are understood and celebrated, whether it be in relation to social or political identities, is at the forefront of this campaign.

"Through our "Queer Spaces and Faces" campaign, we're setting the standard for the industry at large to ensure that diverse and represented stories are not simply met or produced as a quota, but provided as a necessity for telling real and impactful stories," said Sydney Carlton, Senior Director of Brand and Creative at Storyblocks. "By changing the face of stock media, our goal is to equip everyone from advertisers and filmmakers to emerging creators and freelancers with the tools they need to accurately depict not only the world we live in, but the world we want to build for future generations." According to an annual report released earlier this year by LGBTQ advocacy organization GLAAD, LGBTQ representation on television decreased during the 2020-21 season for the first time in five years. However, a recent Gallup poll found that the number of adults who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender has steadily increased over the past four years, with one in six adults in Generation Z identifying as LGBTQIA+.

To kick off the second iteration of the Re: Stock initiative, Storyblocks is introducing collections from Daisy Gaston, Ryan McLendon, Sannchia Gaston, Aiden Korotkin and Shannon Beveridge. An additional collection will be released in June 2021 by Sav Rodgers, Founder and Executive of the Transgender Film Center. These collections represent a wide range of the community's demography and will dive into themes such as black male love, queer artists, and the idea of "chosen families" or nonbiological bonds that are forged by folks within the LGBTQIA+ community for the purpose of authentic love and support.

When asked to comment on his involvement in the "Queer Spaces and Faces" campagin, Cinematographer Aiden Korotkin said: "Having the opportunity to show the vastness of society in a media format that has been historically behind the times was a huge honor. Re: Stock allowed me to turn the mirror to represent — through my art form — what exists in society, and create a collection that reflects that true nature of the modern world."

For more information about Storyblocks' "Queer Spaces and Faces" campaign, and to check out the new collections, please visit www.storyblocks.com/restock.

About Storyblocks:

Storyblocks is a different kind of content company delivering a fresh approach to meet the creative needs of a new generation of storytellers. Built on the belief that all stories deserve a chance to be told, Storyblocks provides video, audio and images through its unique subscription model. By offering unlimited downloads and continually adding fresh content, Storyblocks challenges the paradigm that your ambitious creative vision requires deep pockets. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, Storyblocks has been recognized by the Inc 5000 list seven consecutive years and was recently named as one of Washington D.C.'s Top Workplaces by The Washington Post, and among the Best Places to Work by the Washington Business Journal.

To find out more about how Storyblocks is changing the future of content creation, go to www.storyblocks.com and follow Storyblocks on Twitter (@storyblocksco) and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/StoryblocksCo)

SOURCE Storyblocks