Spotlight: Stories For Love
A collective of everyday people who share LGBTQIA+ stories of personal truth
Stories For Love is key to revealing the personal truth behind the faces of everyday members of the LGBTQIA+ community. The nonprofit has expanded nationwide, to capture and captivate generations of previously hidden tales in celebration of love for each other and the stories we all have. At the forefront of Stories For Love is founder and president Jaclyn Kravatz. Jaclyn has been committed to building connections between everyday people through recorded conversations and portrait photography.
As a completely volunteer-driven organization, Stories For Love relies on its passionate portrait photographers and interviewers to collect its stories. Volunteering can also be therapeutic and self-empowering. Photographers describe these opportunities as helping them “step out of [their] comfort zone and meet new people”, “navigate [their] own identity”, and overall feel inspired by each storyteller.
Below are photos and quotes to just a handful of stories that can be seen on their website!
Jan 27 . Washington, DC
"I didn’t find my story particularly interesting until having spoken it aloud."
This man is a pianist with the Washington National Opera. He discusses how music as an outlet, open relationships, and how his experiences when he was young shaped who he is today.
Jan 9 . Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
"Sharing our story opened our eyes to realize that we can inspire others in ways we never thought we would."
This couple shared their experience with religion, why they posted their story on Pantsuit Nation, and learning that they had the ability to help other people in their position by sharing their story.
Sept 20 . Alexandria, Virginia
"t is not about what people think is good for the country, because we are not going away.The more of us that become confident and accepting of ourselves, the more you will see of us."
From U.S. Marine to Model: The Secret of Being Transgender
The story shared reminded our photojournalist of what it means to be confident, and to never underestimate the struggles people face.
The mission of Stories For Love is to “empower the LGBTQIA+ community to unfold their personal truth to create positive change within ourselves, our relationships, and ultimately our community.” Stories For Love empowers and validates each member of the community, which is needed more than ever.
Queer Society was lucky enough to have Stories For Love document the 2017 Queer Gala in April, as well as gather stories from some of the guests who attended. The photos to the event can be found here.
We applaud the work that Jaclyn and Stories For Love has done and continues to do. We invite Queer Society members and allies to donate, volunteer, get connected, and check out them out!
To visit, donate, volunteer, or connect with them go to: www.storiesforlove.com or email jackie@storiesforlove.com.
