Brit trans filmmaker  (and newly married husband) Jake Graf has always used his art to pursue his activism too,  and he’s been extremely successful at it.  Last year his 4-minute short HEADSPACE  about the everyday traumas the trans community face went viral on YouTube and was viewed some 13-7 million times. Also from 2017 his movie  DUSK  which is a dramatic tale which follows the story of a trans man from childhood into adulthood won 30 Awards at Film Festivals around the globe.

Now Graf has turned his attention to the really troubling problem of cyberbullying in the LGBTQ community.  In his new film, he features high-profile members of the international LGBT+ community who read out hurtful messages they’ve received online, in order to raise awareness of the impact of cyberbullying. 

The problem is getting more widespread too.  The UK charity Stonewall has estimated that one on 10 have suffered from it, and it steps up to 1 in 4 when it comes to the trans community.  Graf told Queerguru that he hopes the film will make people rethink before posting hate online. To the bullies, he says: “Maybe just take a moment to consider how you would feel if someone said them to you, and write something kind instead.”

Singer-songwriter Jaimie Wilson, who began to experience cyberbullying during secondary school,  didn’t think twice about sharing his experiences. “I hope people can watch this film and be able to take away that cyberbullying goes further than just some mean words written on a keyboard,” he said. “The words written can strongly affect an individual, and I think this film exhibits what goes on even after the words have been said.”

 

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