Attitude’s Ally Award: Reggie Yates
By Will Stroude
This year, BBC Three screened a documentary series that shed light on what life is like in 21st century Russia. The second episode of Reggie Yates Extreme Russia exposed the hatred and violence that the country’s LGBT citizens face following the introduction of anti-LGBT laws in 2013, and made for utterly compelling viewing.
Through the stories of people Reggie met, both homosexual and homophobic, Extreme Russia brought the kind of emotion and humanity to the plight of Russia’s LGBT community that’s lacking in media reports, reaching well reached beyond its young BBC Three target audience following repeats on BBC One right after the 10pm news. We’re honoured to name Reggie the winner of Attitude’s Ally Award 2015.
“I’m not the bravest man in the world; I’m not a superhero, but I am someone who believes that if there’s something to bring awareness to, I have the platform to do that.” Reggie says.
“For me, it’s all about getting to the truth of why someone thinks and acts the way they do. And that’s the case across the Extreme documentaries. Behaviour is learned, and if you’re going to behave in a way that’s shocking and extreme what I’m interested in is where that behaviour comes from.”
You can read more about Reggie – and the rest of winners from the 2015 Attitude Awards, presented in association with Virgin Holidays – in our special Attitude Awards issue, available to download from 11pm tonight at attitudedigital.co.uk and in shops tomorrow (Thursday October 15).
