The most recent episode of UpLift Women's Wellness, featuring media advocate Antoine Elhashem, offered a powerful deep dive into the history, impact, and ongoing necessity of diverse media representation. Here, we unpack some of the most compelling facts and concepts from the discussion:

The Roots of Queer Media Advocacy

The episode underscored the crucial role queer media has played in achieving equal rights.

Antoine Elhashem's obsession with media began at age 13 in Kuwait after watching a show on the influence and power of media, inspiring a desire to be a “force of good”.
After moving to Canada, a visit to Pride Day in Toronto inspired him to enter queer media.
Early Canadian queer media, such as the magazine The Body Politic and the newspaper Xtra, and the directory The Pink Pages, were instrumental in pushing politicians to recognize the community, which helped achieve equal rights.
The establishment of early publications like The Pink Pages directory legitimized the community and contributed to the rise of the queer village in Toronto.

Inspired Media and a Lifetime of Perseverance

After 17 years of working in the media space, Antoine Elhashem founded Inspired Media, a marketing and design agency, and later acquired The Pink Pages directory.

The Pink Pages directory, now 36 years old, expanded from Toronto to cover all of Ontario and then North America, after recognizing that queer people live outside the downtown core.
The publication was named a top resource for reaching LGBT people in North America by the US Chamber of Commerce.
Antoine Elhashem is also the producer and host of the talk show On the Couch on Rogers TV Ontario, which holds the title of the longest broadcasted queer talk show in Canada.
The importance of perseverance was a key theme, as Antoine Elhashem emphasized his policy of not taking "no" for an answer, exemplified by a decade-long lobbying effort to secure land for a community contribution memorial.

The Battle for Authentic Representation

A core issue discussed was the widespread lack of authentic representation for diverse communities in media, including the LGBTQ+ community, women of color, and people of color generally.

Antoine Elhashem shared his hurt at hearing from women that traditional queer media was often male-focused.
To counter this, Inspired Media ensures its publications are extremely representative of all authenticities, genders, abilities, and ethnicities to combat the demoralizing effect of not being seen.
The speakers agreed that media often falls short because it is still largely controlled by “white men,” which contributes to the difficulty of even finding diverse and appropriate stock images for content.
Antoine Elhashem corrected a common assumption, noting that market research is conducted for the queer community, and it confirms that queer people are inclined to support companies that reach out to them and where they see themselves represented.
To fight back against negative stereotypes (such as those against Arabs, Persians, and Indians in media), Antoine Elhashem expressed a wish to create a production company specializing in mainstream movies that represent diverse people globally.

Moving Forward

In conclusion, the message was clear: The fight for rights is ongoing, and engagement is necessary.

Listeners were advised to reach out to local queer media and organizations like GLAD for support and ways to get involved.
The hosts, Auria Zahed and Bethany Busch, affirmed their company’s solution is to offer a safe space and unconditional support for the queer community.1
The episode with Antoine Elhashem will kick off the start of the podcast’s Season Two.

Episode Show Notes: The Power of Positive Inclusion: Shattering Stereotypes in Media

Antoine Elhashem detailed his background in media advocacy.
His "obsession with media" began at age 13 in Kuwait after watching a show on media's influence and power, which led him to want to be a "force of good".
He moved to Canada at 18 to study creative advertising and broadcasting, but a visit to Pride Day in Toronto inspired him to get involved in queer media instead of a corporate path.
He was initially hired as the advertising coordinator for a leading queer media publication after offering to work for free.

The Role of Queer Media in Equal Rights

Early queer media in Canada, such as the magazine The Body Politic and the directory The Pink Pages, played a crucial role in pushing politicians to recognize and listen to the community, helping to achieve equal rights.
The establishment of early publications legitimized the community, which led to the rise of the queer village in Toronto.
Antoine Elhashem’s career highlight was changing attitudes, citing a story where a marketing manager's husband defended a queer person in a sports bar, demonstrating the positive effect of these conversations.

Inspired Media and Publications

After 17 years of working for others, Antoine Elhashem started his own marketing and design agency, Inspired Media.
Two years later, he acquired The Pink Pages directory from his former publisher, who wanted someone to carry it into the future.

The Pink Pages expanded from Toronto to Ontario and then North America after realizing queer people lived outside the downtown core.
The 36-year-old directory is considered an iconic publication in Canada and was named a top resource for reaching LGBT people in North America by the US Chamber of Commerce.

His other media ventures include:

Pink Play Mags: A lifestyle and community issues magazine published for 17 years.
The Buzz Magazine: An entertainment magazine.
On the Couch: A talk show on Rogers TV Ontario, which is the longest broadcasted queer talk show in Canada’s history.
The Queer Bunch: A show discussing community issues, started during COVID and scheduled to return soon.

Community Work

He founded the Inspire Awards, a not-for-profit organization that annually celebrates the accomplishments of the LGBT community.
He created the music festival Kimal after hearing that queer artists lacked opportunities. Kimal expanded to five days and is the only festival of its kind in Canada specifically for queer artists.

Inclusivity, Perseverance, and Advocacy

Antoine Elhashem emphasized that he does not take no for an answer and keeps a fortune cookie that says "perseverance pays off" as a reminder.
Since starting Inspired Media, he has ensured his publications are extremely representative of all authenticities, genders, abilities, and ethnicities to counter the demoralizing effect of not being seen.
He advocated for "positive inclusion" and expressed a wish to create a production company specializing in mainstream movies that represent diverse people globally.
He advised listeners to reach out to local queer media and organizations like GLAD if they feel unsafe or want to get involved, stressing the need for mutual support.

Connect with Antoine Elhashem

To connect further with Antoine Elhashem and his organization, Inspired Media, you can reach out to the following email address associated with the company:

Email: inquiries@inspiredcreative.ca