Meredith Corporation’s PEOPLE and its Let’s Talk About It Mental Health Initiative is partnering with actor and advocate Glenn Close and her non-profit organization, Bring Change To Mind, in an effort to destigmatize mental illness.
A four-part virtual panel discussion series on mental health and young people through the lens of masculinity, race, LGBTQIA, and digital life, Conversations with Bring Change to Mind in Partnership with PEOPLE, will be moderated by PEOPLE’s editor in chief, Dan Wakeford; PEOPLE Every Day podcast host, Janine Rubenstein; filmmaker, co-founder of Wayfarer Studios, and author of the new book, Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity, Justin Baldoni; and critically acclaimed actor and star of HAMILTON, Javier Muñoz, during Mental Health Awareness Month and will stream from May 24-27 on PEOPLE.com, PEOPLE’s YouTube, Twitter and PeopleTV’s social channels, as well as on BringChange2Mind.org.
Glenn Close, her sister Jessie Close and nephew Calen Pick are featured in the 5.24.21 issue of PEOPLE (on newsstands Friday, May 14), where they talk about the experiences they faced when Jessie was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and Calen with schizoaffective disorder. This inspired the family to become mental health advocates. “You can’t solve problems unless you start talking about them and not whispering,” Close said. “That changes everything.”
Schedule (subject to change):
MEN and MENTAL HEALTH (May 24) – Moderated by Justin Baldoni with panelists Billy Porter (Emmy, GRAMMY, and Tony winner), Matt McGorry (actor/activist/feminist dedicated to racial justice and gender equality), and Bring Change to Mind ambassadors Solomon Thomas (Las Vegas Raiders’ defensive tackle), and Chase Stokes (actor/activist).
LGBTQIA and MENTAL HEALTH (May 25) – Moderated by Dan Wakeford with panelists Roxane Gay (writer), Alec Mapa (actor/comedian/writer), Gigi Gorgeous (author/advocate/content creator), and Wilson Cruz (actor/activist, he/him/his).
RACE and MENTAL HEALTH (May 26) – Moderated by Javier Muñoz with panelists Don Lemon (CNN anchor/author of This Is the Fire), Matt James (TV personality/entrepreneur), MJ Rodriguez (actor/singer/activist), and MILCK (musician/writer/advocate).
DIGITAL LIFE and MENTAL HEALTH (May 27) – Moderated by Janine Rubenstein with panelists Bethany Mota (founder, Atom&Matter, author/content creator), Jordin Sparks (multiplatinum recording artist/actress), Alyson Stoner (actress/activist/entrepreneur) and TikTok stars Ian Paget/Chris Olsen (synonymous with the platform and recently nominated for the first-ever TikTok x GLAAD Queer Advocate of the Year).
Panel discussions are generously sponsored by Talkspace and Pair of Thieves.
Bring Change to Mind recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a special that aired on PeopleTV featuring John Mayer, Will Smith, Whoopi Goldberg, Alanis Morissette, Conan O'Brien, and many others. PEOPLE’s Let’s Talk About It Mental Health Initiative encourages readers to have vital conversations. It has been recognized with an Erasing the Stigma Award by Didi Hirsh Mental Health Services, a nonprofit providing mental health, substance abuse, and suicide prevention services. PEOPLE’s partnership with the Crisis Text Line has also helped hundreds in their time of need.
“Almost all of us know or love someone affected by mental illness or have dealt with it ourselves,” said Wakeford. “Bring Change to Mind and PEOPLE’s Let’s Talk About It initiative share a common goal: to destigmatize this sensitive topic, to provide resources about where to get help, and to offer support to help anyone in need.”
“Bring Change to Mind is honored to renew its partnership with PEOPLE on this May discussion series. Every opportunity to share authentic and vulnerable conversations about emotional health is a chance to save a life. Start a conversation and change someone’s life,” said Pamela Harrington, Executive Director, Bring Change to Mind.
