A Picture of Health
Living Tobacco-free LGBT: A Picture of Health
Statewide Photo Contest Announced by MN Tobacco-free Lavender Communities
According to recent studies, members of the broader LGBT population are 40-70% more likely to smoke than non-LGBT persons. And, LGBT youth are taking up smoking at an alarming rate. In fact, a recent national survey found that 45% of females and 35% of males smoke compared with 29% of straight youth surveyed.
Why? Many psycho-social factors figure into the trend. First, LGBT persons, especially youth, find themselves part of a consumer niche tobacco companies target with advertising. Second, they face higher levels of social stress which can lead to the desire to smoke and many LGBT organizations and events gain much needed financial support and funding from tobacco companies which stipulate that their products be promoted in exchange for funding.
“But there is another untold story. It is one that’s more positive and affirming,” Rainbow Health Initiative’s [RHI] Director of Programs, Loretta Worthington—the lead agency for MN Tobacco-free Lavender Communities [TLC.] “Often times, LGBT persons are portrayed as a community more at-risk for substance abuse, hate crimes, depression, STDs and so forth. And while those statistics are very real and cannot be ignored we also are a community filled with positive role models for tobacco-free, healthy lifestyles,” she adds.
That’s why TLC is announcing a photo contest called, Living Tobacco-free LGBT: A Picture of Health. “We want LGBT Minnesotans to submit photos depicting healthy living in our communities so that more of us will see positive role models that reinforce a more affirming narrative about us as individuals and as a larger community,” says Worthington.
Judges will then select winning entries to be used on the organization’s website, in a photography book and other products and publications. For more information on the contest visit, www.MNTLC.org and click on the photo contest page.
*Rainbow Health Initiative is the lead agency for MN Tobacco-free Lavender Communities.
This project is funded by MN Tobacco-free Lavender Communities
This post was submitted by Prepone.
This is a wonderful way to create a new “narrative for the LGBTQ community.”
See also a recent MinnPost.com story written by veteran journalist Kay Harvey at,(or go to http://www.minnpost.com and google name, Acharya or Worthington.)
http://www.minnpost.com/kayharvey/2008/11/10/4471/anti-smoking_strategy_a_new_story_for_gays
We are so excited to have this opportunity to engage the community state-wide, and to see what healthy living is all about. We are expecting a wide variety of images depicting healthy, fun, loving, entertaining, and creative ways that folks have fun. Since the photos can be from March 2008 to March of 2009, we will not be expecting all winter pics! :) Please contact us if you have any questions! Let’s have some fun!
This strategy of targeting a niche community on this broader issue is kind of fascinating to me. But I suppose it’s not much different from the approach to AIDS awareness in the (specifically) gay (male) community.
Yes, I agree. I think that gaining access to positive, healthy living images of our community will benefit us in many ways. I propose that it will provide us with images that may be utilized to as a way to portray an opposite and more positive side of the LGBT community then what we are often associated with.