Personal initiative is a trait that helped many Googlers find personal and professional success in their lives. It was also the theme of last week’s Live Out Loud’s Behind the Scenes program at Google, where the company’s LGBTQ employees, known as the “Gayglers,” shared stories about the role that personal initiative played in their lives.

Last week, Live Out Loud held its latest Behind the Scenes program at Publicis Groupe, the third largest communications group in the world. LGBTQ and ally high school students from across NYC met members of Égalité, Publicis’ resource group that supports and connects the company’s LGBTQ and Ally employees.

February is Black History Month – a time to celebrate, learn, and teach the black community’s rich history. This is also an important time for GSAs to recognize the contributions that African-Americans have made for the LGBTQ community.

A few months ago, I visited Bushwick School for Social Justice along with activist and Live Out Loud “friend of the family,” Catherine Marino-Thomas. The opportunity to befriend and work alongside role models like Catherine is one of the biggest benefits of my role as Manager of Youth Programming. However, as a young person, the concept of a role model was something that eluded me….

In November of 2014, the Live Out Loud team attended a panel discussion called Transgender Perspective: In and Out of the Workplace in which transgender women from various walks of life shared their stories and experiences. After an insightful and inspiring evening, one of the panelists, make-up artist Ally Castillo, left our team particularly moved. Her openness, perseverance and vulnerability made her the exact type of role model Live Out Loud wants to connect to the students in our school programs.

Visiting Johnson & Johnson makes you realize how much one company can make up so much our everyday lives. With global brands like Tylenol, Benedryl, and Neutrogena, it’s no wonder that this company has such a large and diverse staff in the tri-state area alone. Last week, Live Out Loud gave LGBTQ and ally students from across NYC the opportunity to meet the people who market and develop these products, as they talked about being openly LGBTQ or Allied in the workplace. As it turns out, the employees of Johnson & Johnson are really just as caring as their marketing suggests.

“At a particularly emotional point in his sharing, Matt told students that he felt weird being referred to as a role model. He said that it was they who were the role models because they were making the choice to be part of the GSA. He reflected on what things could have been made possible for him had he had access to a similar group as a young person.”

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When we consider the growing portrayal of LGBTQ community in the media, one of the most important considerations is the impact this has on the next generation. This is why telling our stories in a genuine way is the heart of Live Out Loud’s programs. While the influx of LGBTQ stories in the media is important, we need to be aware of which stories are being told and how they’re portrayed.