The idea of ‘identity’ is far too vast and fluid to be encompassed in a mere few letters. This powerful campaign video, made by fitness brand Equinox and The LGBT Community Center, celebrates the diverse identities and pride of the LGBT community with The LGBTQAlphabet because “Six letters will never be enough”.
Jordan Bahat’s five-minute video takes its users through the alphabet, while exploring “who you are and how you love”. Each letter, with its own unique definition, connects to the LGBT community in an eloquent dance-form. The video is expansive and inclusive, including trans, kink, masc, womxn, non-binary and even undecided.
The dynamic cinematography, layered with voiceovers from the members of the community, each telling a corresponding personal story, gives the video its unapologetic authenticity and appeal. One voice states, “I’d rather live the life I’m living than the one that other people might want me to live.”
The video faced some criticism on the internet, for assigning the word “ally” to A instead of “asexual” or “agender”. However, in response, Equinox issued a statement saying, “...our goal was to spark a conversation and shed light on the many diverse, evolving identities of the community. This is not a closed narrative. Rather, it’s intended to inspire conversation and new ways of thinking. At Equinox, we want to empower everyone in the community to be proud and unapologetic about who they are and how they identify, and that goes well beyond six or even 26 letters.”
The video pushes the envelope on the question of identity, and elucidates on the fluidity and flexibility of how people choose to live. As someone says in the video, “My identity is my choice and it’s okay with me and it makes me happier.”
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