Dumfries and Galloway is all set to host its third Year of Young People 2018 Signature event this month. The LGBT National Youth Gathering will celebrate LGBT Young people from across Scotland and support the development of the LGBT Youth social action programme.
Key partners Dumfries and Galloway Council, LGBT Youth Scotland and The Crichton Trust have organised the event that will celebrate diversity and the lives of LGBT young people through bringing 250 LGBT Young People and their allies from across Scotland together in the region for a national gathering.
The weekend will consist of a range of workshops, guest speakers and a celebration dinner on the Saturday evening. The event looks set to be an incredible platform to celebrate the achievements and identities of LGBT Young People. The young people will all be staying in a campsite on the historic grounds of The Crichton Campus.
Keynote speaker Alex Bertie is a transgender YouTuber and author. He presents content on YouTube centred around LGBTQ+ issues on his channel, “TheRealAlexBertie”, has over 300,000 subscribers. His book ‘Trans Mission: My Quest to a Beard’ was published in 2017 and is a brave and ground-breaking first-hand account of the life, struggles and victories of a young transgender man.
As well as Alex, Kate Adair will also provide a keynote address. Kate is a film maker, vlogger and trans rights activist from Glasgow. She started her career in media producing and presenting a drive time radio show for a Sony Award nominated station in Liverpool called KCC Live.
Kate has worked on outside broadcast events filming events in various locations behind the lens for organisations such as The Hay Festival, The Telegraph and BBC Arts. She’s currently working as a production researcher at BBC The Social where she contributes trans-led content regularly.
July Jones is a 21-year-old singer/songwriter, writing for different record labels and artists, but also performs high-end function gigs and originals gigs on festivals such as Pride, TEDx, Essex Festival, Hard Rock Cafe anniversary. Her experience and style will be an exciting addition to help wrap up the Saturday night party in a really memorable way!
Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Young People’s Champion, Councillor Adam Wilson, said “Our Council’s ambitious programme for Year of Young People 2018 is once again demonstrating what great opportunities there are for young people in Dumfries & Galloway and across Scotland. As we progress further through the year, it’s heartening to see the breadth and depth of young people that are engaging with the events we are proudly hosting. It is also fantastic to see national events like the LGBT National Youth Gathering coming here to Dumfries, where young people from all across Scotland will be involved in activities and make their voice heard.”
Fergus McMillan, Chief Executive of LGBT Youth Scotland said “The LGBT National Youth Gatherings are always a particularly exciting moment in our annual calendars. They are a safe space for LGBT young people to meet like-minded people in an environment that allows them to be their authentic selves and a place where people make friends for life, discover new skills and increase their self-confidence.
Our National Gatherings have grown over the years, and life for LGBT young people has changed substantially since our last Gathering in Dumfries in 2005. This is our most diverse programme of workshops and speeches to date, and a great reflection of the values of the Year of Young People 2018 and our positive partnership work with Dumfries and Galloway Council. I’m excited for us to showcase the talents and energy of young people from around Scotland in this beautiful corner of Scotland.”
