These influencers who do useful work

Influencers have often had bad press in recent years. However, many of them exercise their influence in the service of causes close to their hearts. On the occasion of the first Influence Creation Gala, which takes place this Thursday, The Press introduces you to three inspiring creators in the running – backed by testimonials from their subscribers.

Create bridges

Name : Atypical Blueberry (Valérie Jessica Laporte)

Nominated in the category: Education and awareness

Valérie Jessica Laporte is nothing typical. She wears long blue braids and expresses herself with volubility. She is also a mother of three children… and autistic.

“What I love is bringing the world together, building bridges between autistics and neurotypicals,” says Ms.^me The door. Known online as Bleuet atypique (in a nod to her region, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, and her favorite color), she demystifies autism to her hundreds of thousands of subscribers on social networks. social.

Thierry Fréchette knew nothing about this neurodevelopmental disorder before discovering her videos on TikTok (but she also has a blog and a YouTube channel). “She taught us a lot of things,” says the father.

Before last year, her autistic daughter often had seizures. “She didn’t walk, she didn’t eat. Nothing was working,” he says. One morning he braided her hair in the style of M^me Laporte, who suffers from sensory hypersensitivity as is often the case in people with autism, he had learned.

And the results were instantaneous. When her hair is braided, her daughter has more concentration and has fewer tantrums.

This story is just one of many that illustrate the impact of the influencer (also a speaker and writer) in the life of Thierry Fréchette and his family. She even told him that her daughter might have an autism spectrum disorder.

“We realized that she looked a lot like our daughter. She saved us a lot of time. Diagnoses were faster,” he points out.

Break down taboos

Name : podcast oral sex

Nominated in the category : Podcast of the year

To break down taboos, there is nothing better than humour. The co-hosts of the popular podcast oral sexJoanie Grenier and Lysandre Nadeau, understood this well.

Solo or in a group, in a wheelchair or in libertinage: they approach sexuality in all its diversity through personal anecdotes and unfiltered conversations with their guests. “We are not scientists. We realize that by bringing the subjects lightly, people see themselves in us, ”says M^me Attic, aka D^D G point.

But oral sex doesn’t just make people laugh: the podcast also does useful work.

Recently, the co-hosts received a paraplegic guest at their microphone. Their discussion has been watched nearly 60,000 times on YouTube. “Talking about it helps to understand and normalize,” says Yannick Sévigny.

At the start of the pandemic, the life of the young carpenter changed. A work accident paralyzed his lower body. He lost the use of his legs – and his penis. Yannick Sévigny does not hide it: the sexuality of people with disabilities causes discomfort.

However, the episode oral sex talk about it in an uninhibited tone.

“I hope the episode opened people’s eyes and that they weren’t afraid to date someone with a disability. “says Yannick Sévigny, who also makes videos on his condition on TikTok.

Debunking prejudices

Name : On the edge of the line (Annie Archambault)

Nominated in the category: Education and awareness

To read the comments of its subscribers, Annie Archambault is a model of inspiration.

For five years, the young woman lived on the streets. Today, she is an outreach worker and debunks prejudices about online homelessness. “It is by changing stereotypes and stigmas that we will advance the cause,” she firmly believes.

Unknown to the public before the pandemic, Annie Archambault is enjoying dazzling success. His videos, posted on his @surleborddelaligne account on TikTok, have been liked more than 1.3 million times. “With the housing crisis and the economic crisis, there are more and more people who are affected in their daily lives by homelessness,” she explains.

But its impact is not limited to social networks.

A concrete example ? Last winter, Stéphanie Langianese, who has followed her since her debut, distributed warm stockings and scarves in downtown Montreal. Another time, she gave gift cards. Gestures inspired by Annie Archambault.

“I really try to donate more. If it can inspire a person, I am sure that its scope is very wide”, underlines M^me Langianese.

Other inspiring creators

Black Girls from Laval (nominated in the Podcast of the Year category)

Born in the wake of the death of George Floyd, the podcast Black Girls from Laval gives a voice to an underrepresented community among Quebec influencers. “I wanted to get more involved and be part of the change,” explains one of the co-facilitators, Naï Tremblay. Her faithful accomplices, Lau To The Rey and Christle Gourdet, and she discuss on a weekly basis on subjects that affect them: racism, fatphobia, cultural appropriation… Sometimes, they debate. And that is the goal, underlines M^me Tremblay. Diversity is not monolithic. “We are three black women, but we have not had the same experience. We have different reactions to what we are going through,” she underlines.

In bed with Anne-Marie (nominated in the Education and Awareness category)

How does the menstrual cycle work? Is my vulva normal? What is emotional dependence? You’ll find all the answers to these questions (and more) on the In bed with Anne-Marie Instagram page. Before embarking on the creation of online content, sexologist Anne-Marie Ménard worked in schools. “That’s when I saw the importance of sharing this knowledge. There are so many questions among young people, ”she explains. And the younger ones too! In bed with Anne-Marie educates, sensitizes and validates. Her subscribers confide in her like a big sister or a friend. “For me, it’s important to transmit rigorous content, but in all authenticity,” she concludes.

What is the Influence Creation Gala?

The first event of its kind in Quebec, the Gala Influence Création, which will be held on February 9 at TOHU, rewards online content creators in 13 categories, including Entertainment, Humor, Fitness and Education and Awareness. The nominees were chosen by a selection committee and had to produce content in French, for a Quebec audience. The winners, selected from the 60 influencers competing, will be determined by public vote.