I Advocate...Glenne McElhinney

...International Documentary Association.
Documentary filmmaking has been so important over the years, exposing wrongdoings in communities, bringing to light hidden, wonderful characters and geographies, and showing people there are others like them (or not like them) in the world. For LGBT and ally filmmakers, the IDA has been a supportive place to start the process of making a documentary film. The IDA awards given to filmmakers such as Rob Epstein (The Times of Harvey Milk) and the support given to beginners such as myself are vital in our journey as documentarians. LGBT documentary filmmakers provide a valuable service to our community by bringing historical people and places out into the open, highlighting the growing spectrum of our people, and definitely helping to spotlight and right social justice wrongs against us. Documentary.org

...Montana de Oro State Park. In Los Osos, this is one of my favorite state parks in California. It has breathtaking views and great hikes--a wonderful way to decompress after a long day in the archives. The combination of coastline and foothills makes for a wonderful day in nature.

...Outfest Legacy Project. The people here are protecting queer films and restoring some that otherwise would sit on a shelf or disintegrate in a film can. The project has preserved many films that are incredible--worth watching and saving. Outfest.org/legacy

...Out & About Tours. Hollywood's gay bus tour really does a good job of making our history fun and entertaining. The tour highlights Los Angeles's rich culture and diversity as well as the fact that LGBT people in Southern California were some of the first to stand up to homophobic oppression in the U.S. OutAndAbout-Tours.com

...Gay-Straight Alliance Network. I work with the GSA Network to screen my film to high schools, GSAs, and Youth Empowerment Summits. Its efforts across the state of California are phenomenal, especially in reaching into suburban and rural areas where getting any kind of support as an out teenager can make a big difference. GSANetwork.org

...listening to Carlos Santana. Always a treat, and he is still cranking it out, in his fifth decade of awesome musicianship. I enjoy observing his journey as ambassador of peace, love, and friendship across the globe. Santana.com