ABOUT ONE IN TEN & REEL AFFIRMATIONS

In 1990, Keith Haring died of AIDS. So did Ryan White. The previous year, Alvin Ailey and Robert Mapplethorpe had died. ACT UP led demonstrations against the Reagan Administration's AIDS policy. Gay rights? They were "special rights." Forget about it.

It seems so long ago, and maybe even painful to remember: nearly every day LGBT people faced grim news on some front. In that time of anger and grief, One In Ten was formed, born from the frustration of LGBT struggles, but also the hope that an educational and arts organization would bring a positive message about being gay and lesbian to the public. In 1991, it produced its first program, a film festival that instantly became a powerful center of LGBT affinity and pride. Who knew there were so many LGBT films and LGBT people in DC? Who knew there'd be interest in LGBT lives from all of Washington? And in those early years, who'd have predicted that Reel Affirmations would grow to be annually the largest LGBT arts event in DC?

Since its first festival, Reel Affirmations has grown to include a companion Pride Film Festival, special screenings throughout the year with a variety of community partnerships, and a grant program to support LGBT filmmakers. Meanwhile, its parent organization, One In Ten, was a producer of the community Pride for several years, presents nights of comedy and supports other arts projects that help tell the stories of LGBT lives.

One In Ten's Mission Statement

One In Ten is dedicated to education and cultural activism on behalf of gay and lesbian people. One In Ten seeks to nurture the aesthetics, consciousness, and cultural legacy of this community.

One In Ten is a non-profit 501(c)(3) membership-based organization. One In Ten is non-partisan, non-sectarian, and respects the diversity of backgrounds and ideologies of members of the gay and lesbian community.