It is no secret that the United States is currently experiencing a moment of tension regarding various opinions towards people’s sexual preferences, especially from systems that are looked to for foundational support by the masses. Despite opposition from numerous external factors such as these, marginalized populations within the LGBTQ+ communities are receiving positive recognition in a variety of ways within the realm of entertainment media.
One of those ways stems from the creation of The Rainbow Project, a collaborative effort formed by veteran entertainment industry professionals to praise and recognize creative projects aimed to shine an optimistic light onto the realities of the lives of those within these communities. The Rainbow Project was formed by Kristi Reed, Chris Nee and Jeremy Blacklow in 2024 with a mission to highlight and elevate children’s film and TV projects that positively depict these communities without stereotypes or negative depictions.
With The Rainbow Project also came The Velmas: An award series that aligns with its parenting organization’s mission to celebrate positive portrayals of LGBTQ+ people in children’s television and film with acknowledgement and praise to ensure the life and longevity of these voices (as promoted by Variety in the accompanying link). The inspiration behind the name is the shared sentiment between its 3 creators of feeling represented by the gender-coded character of Scooby Doo, Velma Dinkley (as stated in an interview for The Hollywood Reporter with the founders). The Velmas are flagship initiative – defined by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as a program launched by an organization that aims to transform humanitarian action by organizing assistance around the priorities of crisis-affected communities – launched to champion these voices even further.
More recently, these initiatives created another avenue of focus for those who are interested in behind-the-scenes insight on how projects awarded by The Velmas are orchestrated and supported. The Rainbow Project Archives consist of first-hand accounts that provide in-depth looks at the inspiration driving character creation and their ties to the creators’ personal experiences and values. The archives may be accessed on their website with login credentials that need to be applied for by contacting The Rainbow Project via e-mail.
Content like this demonstrates the levels of support that exist and are possible even when “the feels” of these communities lean toward feeling defeated or like being against all odds. Inventiveness like this can help provide a sense of foundational support – especially in seemingly dark moments – and make a monumental difference in amplifying morale.
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