PRIDE & Equality - PRIDE 2016: Extras: The G Word: Breaking Gender Norms

We are now in a day and age where being put in a box to describe yourself is no longer a way of life. Digital Producer and filmmaker Ishita Srivistava with her new digital storytelling project, The G Word, looks to break the norm. Srivistava, like the rest of the country, has witnessed LGBT rights becoming different from everyone else’s. A reason for that is the barriers we create due to gender norms and stereotypes. This project will hopefully open the door to transforming how we understand these and start to create change. Srivistava shared the importance of covering this topic. “It’s important to cover the topic of gender, and gender norms, because, in one way or another, they affect pretty much everyone who is human. By “norms” around gender, we mean the roles and expectations that society and culture impose on all of us based on our perceived gender. We say that those roles can be limiting, even damaging. And as we know, they often lead to discrimination and violence. We believe that if we can–individually and as a society—bust through those norms, we can build a world where everyone can be who they need to be and where all of us are respected for our full humanity. That would be a pretty great world. By inviting people to share their stories about gender norms, and to envision a world in which we can all live with respect, we enable people to start transforming those norms and get closer to imagining that world.”

The G Word gives citizens a voice to share their gender norm experiences and stories on a digital level. Readers can go to The G Word website and help educate the world on what they went through.. Srivistava feels that when everyone shares their experiences, a change can truly begin. “

Stories connect people. They make people say, “Me too!” about things they might not have felt connected to when they read about them as disembodied “issues” rather than as a relatable experience from a fellow human. Stories allow people to process their experiences and heal; they help form a community. They inspire us to expand or change our point of view. Most important to my work, stories can provide an alternative to mainstream narratives and allow us to break through norms. And in the right context, stories can inspire people to take action for change—to change not just their own lives but culture itself.”

To learn more about The G Word visit http://us.breakthrough.tv/thegword/.