The Best Work You May Never See: Lena Beug Directs A Different Kind of Coming Out Video For L.A. LGBT Center

To commemorate National Coming Out Day which was this past Friday (10/11), the Los Angeles LGBT Center has released a two-part video that offers a different perspective on coming out, highlighting how family acceptance is essential to the mental health and well-being of LGBTQ youth.

Created by agency RPA and directed by Station Film’s Lena Beug, the video deploys a heart-wrenching cover of a renowned artist’s famous track, “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” performed by Rose Cousins (the use of which was donated by the publishers). The video puts parents at the center of the conversation around coming out and tells the story of teens who aren’t afforded the luxury of “stereotypical” teenage heartbreak--heartbreak at the hands of an unrequited teenage crush or being left out of the “cool kid” club at school or not getting an invite to the senior prom.

LGBTQ+ teens can experience an altogether different kind of heartbreak--that of their parents’ disappointment and rejection at their coming out. This ScreenWork entry depicts that--but keep in mind that RPA and Beug also turned out a video that fast-forwards to the future where we see the effect of parents who have learned ways to support and simply love their teen through the coming-out process.

Both parent orientations will run on the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s social channels, and through donated media will be promoted on Twitter and shared by Team Liquid. The work will also be shown in select theaters throughout Los Angeles as well as on various TV and digital placements (all donated by Hulu, National CineMedia, Spectrum, Twitch, Twitter and Tubi). Additionally, the Los Angeles LGBT Center will post behind-the-scenes videos featuring cast members’ coming-out stories.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, the Los Angeles LGBT Center has cared for, championed, and celebrated LGBT individuals and families in Los Angeles and beyond since 1969. Today, the Center’s nearly 700 employees provide services for more LGBT people than any other organization in the world, offering programs, services, and global advocacy that span four broad categories: health, social services and housing, culture and education, and leadership and advocacy.