LifeLines: Queer Stories of Survival
In 2018 a cast of 10 LGBTQ storytellers from around the country, selected from a nationwide call for stories, took part in a TMI Project true storytelling workshop led by Academy Award-winner James Lecesne alongside TMI Project Co-founders Eva Tenuto and Julie Novak. The culminating Off-Broadway production of Lifelines: Queer Stories of Survival featured inspiring true stories of triumph in the face of suicide and took place on November 5, 2018, on the Irene Diamond Stage at the Pershing Square Signature Center in NYC. The production raised awareness about the importance of The Trevor Project Lifeline and other similar suicide prevention services and also empowered suicide survivors to share their stories in the face of stigma to inspire others who are still struggling.
THE DOCUMENTARY FILM
In addition to the workshop and performance, TMI Project, in partnership with Stockade Works, filmed the entire process from workshop to live performance, along with profiles of the courageous individuals who told their stories of queer survival, for a forthcoming documentary film, Lifelines, to be released in fall 2021 during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Our goal with the film is to make these queer survival stories contagious and spark the will and commitment to live in LGBTQ youth across the country and beyond.
In alignment with TMI Project’s mission to empower people and bring about change through true storytelling, our goal for the documentary is to amplify the voices of members of the LBGTQ community, and to provide audiences the opportunity to listen, be inspired, expand their awareness, and identify with the storytellers. Most importantly, we hope to inspire the next generation of LGBTQ youth to live fully and fearlessly as their authentic selves.