Page 25 - Adelante Magazine March 2021

of death among young people, and gay,
lesbian, and bisexual youth are four times
more likely to attempt suicide than straight
kids. Nearly, half of all trans people have
made a suicide attempt, many by the age
of 25.
“I knew that telling this story came with a
lot of responsibility,” says gay director and
producer, Constantine Venetopoulos.
“What I truly believe drew me to the story
was Brendonʼs confidence in knowing who
they were at such a young age, and being
ready to use their experience as a tool for
other youth who were struggling with their
identity and coming out. I thought ʻI wish I
had someone like Brendon to talk to when
I was struggling in the closet as a kid,ʼ
Draw With Me was created in partnership
with The Trevor Project (the leading
suicide prevention line for LGBTQ+ Youth)
and powered by the Onassis Foundation.
The film has been presented at Tribeca
Film Festival with the support of GLAAD,
having been the subject of the first-ever
panel at the United Nations on Trans-
gender Health, and having screened at
numerous high schools in conjunction with
the New York Department of Education.
The documentary has also been used as a
tool of diversity education by organizations
such as Esteé Lauder and JP Morgan.
This 24-minute documentary also has
been submitted as an official Oscar entry
from Ithaka Films and the Onassis
Foundation.

A personal highlight for director
Venetopoulos was when Draw With Me
screened at his school in Greece with an
audience of teachers, parents, and his
own family. “There were many feelings in
the room. One thing that stood out was
when my older brother asked one of the
counselors ʻWhat should a parent advise
their child if they come out to them as gay
or trans?ʼ The reply of the counselor has
stuck with me: ʻItʼs not about what you
should tell them, itʼs about just listening to
them.ʼ ”
National Coming Out Day, October 11
2020, marked a milestone for the film
when President Elect Joe Biden supported
the LGBTQ+ movement in an award show
that screened the film and honored
Brendon with the gay streaming platform,
Revryʼs Visibility Award presented by
Brendonʼs aunt, Jennifer Lopez. The
singer, actress sums up the documentary;
“Itʼs about accepting change and
challenges with love, and when we do,
and knowing that when we do, everything
is possible.”

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