Wittenberg students made a documentary entitled “Invisible Light” to shed light on the Springfield LGBTQ community, according to Wittenberg senior Hannah Yalaz.
The documentary focuses on recognition, equality, and protection under the law for the Springfield LGBTQ community.
“The message we want to send is that the LGBTQ community doesn’t deserve to be invisible in the eyes of their peers of the law,” Yalaz said. “They deserve to be themselves wholly and openly, just as all humans do.”
Yalaz worked alongside other Wittenberg students, Amarra Oriaku, ‘15, Jess Asperger, ’15, and Savannah Marceau, ‘17, to write, direct, edit, and manage the entire process with the help of Dr. Incorvati and Dr. Hinson.
The documentary came to be after an idea was brought to the students’ attention by Equality Springfield for a documentary about the LGBTQ community. The students conducted interviews, did research, and attended Equality Springfield.
Throughout the process of making the documentary, Yalaz admits that she didn’t know that workers in Springfield could be fired over sexual orientation.
“We want to bring awareness to the fact that in Springfield it is legal to be fired for being gay, which is a very backwards and old-fashioned legislation,” Yalaz said. “I feel bad for being ignorant on the subject, and I’m glad that I was given this opportunity because it really opened my eyes to the unfairness of the situation.”
The documentary has also given Yalaz a stronger sense of social responsibility.
“I know that in order for positive things to happen, legally and socially, I need to do much more than just vote,” she said. “This documentary has shown me the importance of becoming an active member of society and fighting for what I believe in.”
