“Olly Alexander: Growing Up Gay” is a documentary on BCC Three that addresses issues in the LGBTQ+ community presented by Olly Alexander, a gay out man and lead singer of the British pop band Years & Years.
According to the statistics, 40% of the LGBTQ+ community are more likely to suffer from mental health issues rather than 25% of the general population, moreover, LGBTQ+ people are twice more likely to commit suicide.
Olly Alexander opens up about his struggles, how it was growing up gay in a straight world and how that affected his mental health. He goes in his old home and talks with his mum about how it was for her raising a gay kid with mental health issues that was bullied in school. “I think especially for my mum it was a really positive experience and it really helped me understand a bit better what it was like for her while I was going through all this shit as a teenager. I never really asked what it was like for her, so to have a better perspective on that really helped our relationship,” he says for Gay Times. In the documentary, Alexander talks with queer people and finds about other’s experiences, he goes back in school and helps teens to understand better LGBTQ+ issues. He also visits LGBTQ+ youth group and confesses how much he wished he had that at the time and how important it is to be able to talk about what’s happening in your life in a safe environment.
This is an eye opening documentary and every parent of LGBTQ+ kids should watch. The documentary will air on BCC One later this July but you can see it now on BBC iPlayer HERE.
