Body of Mine Impact Report 2024

Impact Report 2024

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The United States has become a challenging place for trans and gender nonconforming (TGNC) individuals to live.

With a series of executive orders, the new administration has attempted to end the legal recognition of transgender and nonbinary people and condone the discrimination of the wider LGBTQ+ community.

The implications of these orders, and all other related federal and state legislation, are broad and dire, so it is imperative for creators to not only represent the TGNC community in their stories but also create safe spaces that grant people the freedom to live their life on their own terms.

Body of Mine accomplishes both of these goals by igniting a dialogue around gender dysphoria and providing a digital experience where people can practice empathy and understand what brings us together.

The Body of Mine impact campaign was built on the ambition that was foundational to its success and has produced significant results among partners and collaborators around the world.

Safe spaces are hard to find, but thanks to our supporters, we’re starting to build them in our extended reality.

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“Body of Mine breaks through a psychological barrier few pieces of media ever have.”

Eric Ravenscraft - WIRED

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BODY OF MINE

is a full-body VR experience that lets you inhabit the body of another gender, for an emotional and intimate exploration of gender dysphoria and trans identity.

What does it do?

How does it work?

Upon entering Body of Mine, you find yourself standing in front of a mirror, inhabiting the body of another gender. Looking down, you see someone else’s arms, legs, torso, moving in perfect synchronicity with you.

Touching different parts of this new, virtual body activates stories and interviews from trans people.

The experience uses advanced in-headset motion capture to give you the illusion of having someone else’s body. Your actions, down to the wiggle of a finger or blink of an eye is mapped onto a virtual avatar with extreme precision.

As you navigate this embodied narrative, the environment around you evolves into a lush garden, and you transition through the bodies of many, many diverse individuals. This transformation symbolizes the shared essence of our humanity, irrespective of the bodies we inhabit.

This technology is comwbined with the raw interviews of trans individuals, discussing their relationship with their bodies, dysphoria, and gender euphoria. Through the fusion of tech and intimacy, audiences can gain a deeper, more profound understanding of trans identity, gender dysphoria, and our individual relationships with our own bodies.

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to a 2023 report from the Human Rights Campaign WHY BODY OF According LGBTQ+ youth report disproportionately higher rates of anxiety, and lower self-esteem than their cisgender MINE MATTERS depression, and heterosexual peers.

Over Half (55.1%) Screened positive for depression

2 in 3 (63.5%) Screened positive for anxiety

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3 in 10 (30.9%) Screened positive for severe psychological distress

2 in 3 (64.7%) Rate ability to manage stress as "fair" or "poor"

LGB Youth

60.0%

63.7%

Transgender and Gender-Expansive Youth

68.2%

64.8%

69.3%

55.1%

31.1%

Screen positive for depression

Screen positive for anxiety

35.0%

Severe psychological distress

Fair/Poor ability to manage stress

Transgender and gender nonconforming youth were more likely than LGB youth to report all four poor mental health outcomes.

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RECEPTION

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CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED

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AND BELOVED BY AUDIENCES

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OUR CAMPAIGN

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The success of Body of Mine was a springboard into a campaign dedicated to addressing the challenges facing TGNC individuals and the larger LGBTQ+ community.

We listened to our collaborators and stakeholders and formalized a plan to support our audiences and the subjects of this story.

This project has expanded Body of Mine’s influence in three key ways: First, by adapting the original installation to a mobile version that could be distributed through the Meta Horizon Store, ensuring broad public access.

Second, by launching a global VR headset giveaway that places the experience directly in LGBTQ+ centers worldwide, increasing accessibility for TGNC communities and allies.

And third, by collaborating with academic partners to conduct research on the documentary’s ability to influence the way audiences perceive their own body image.

Together, these efforts maximized Body of Mine’s ability to effect change and spark meaningful conversations about gender identity.

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DISTRIBUTION After its world premeire at SXSW, Body of Mine went on to be shown at a variety of events where it was seen by hundreds of people.

Beyond the standard festival run, we wanted make sure that the experience reached as large an audience as possible, so we took it on the road, starting close to home at LA Pride in the Park and then all around the country.

We’ve screened Body of Mine for free and participated in Q&As and panel discussions at events like a Rainbow Hill Recovery fundraiser where the experience was seen by the mayor of West Hollywood. Additionally, it was featured at the CenterLink Conference in Chicago and the Human Rights Campaign gala in D.C., sparking dialogue with legislators and Capitol Hill staff.

During this tour around the nation, Body of Mine was adapted for large-scale distribution on the Meta Horizon store, and as aresult, our production made XR history as the first LGBTQ+ experience to be sold exclusively on the Quest.

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The enormity of this achievement gave us the momentum to do more and resulted in a program that got Meta Quest Pros into the hands of LGBTQ+ centers around the globe.

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WHO’S SEEN IT? Since the release of Body of Mine in the Meta Horizon store, it has garnered more than one thousand installations and countless views.

1,281

Lifetime Copies Sold

$11,046 Lifetime App Sales Revenue

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1,636

Lifetime Installs

1,635

Lifetime Active Users

“Every person, every human needs to do it. Really. Every human, every age whether they’re little kids or old. I think every human needs to do that.”

LA Pride in the Park attendee

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GIVEAWAY Following the launch of Body of Mine on the Horizon store, we worked to receive a donation of 75 Quest Pro VR headsets to distribute LGBTQ+ centers around the world.

This program was conceived with the intention of empowering these spaces to transform the lives of queer and trans individuals in their communities, using a groundbreaking new tool, and with the help of our friends at CenterLink, we did just that.

Alongside the headset, we are providing centers with comprehensive resources to implement VR, including guidance for onboarding and offboarding, research questionnaires, technical support, recommendations for accessories and additional experiences, and redemption codes to download Body of Mine for free.

Thanks to the generosity of our stakeholders, Body of Mine has been seen and used in LGBTQ+ centers, therapy clinics, recovery homes, advocacy groups, and more across the globe, and has effected change in the lives of people at home and abroad.

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At centers like:

Affirmations Community Center in Ferndale, MI Black Pride YYC in Calgary, AB Blue Water Allies in Port Huron, MI Centre LGBT+ in State College, PA Charlotte Trans Health in Charlotte, NC Colors+ Youth Center in Fairview Park, OH Covenant House in Charleston, WV Dallas Hope Charities in Dallas, TX Diversity OK in Oklahoma City, OK EDGE New Jersey in Parsippany, NJ Global Action for Trans Equality in Mijdrecht, Netherlands Grand Rapids Trans Foundation in Grand Rapids, MI Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation in Pittsburgh, PA Inside Out Youth Services in Colorado Springs, CO

Jewish Queer Youth in New York City, NY LGBT Center of Raleigh in Raleigh, NC LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin in Racine, WI Los Angeles LGBT Center in Los Angeles, CA Loving Beyond Understanding in

Our Spot KC in Kansas City, MO OutFront Kalamazoo in Kalamazoo, MI OUTSaskatoon Inc. in Saskatoon, SK Prism Center hosted by Transformation Project in Sioux Falls, SD Prism Counseling & Community Services in Enterprise, AL

Resilience Resource Center in Huntingdon Valley, PA SMYAL in Takoma Park, MD Spencer Pride CommUnity Center in Spencer, IN Support Volusia in DeLand, FL The Center Project in Columbia, MO The Diversity Center in Carmel, CA The Enchanté Network in Mississauga, ON The GLO Center in Springfield, MO The LGBT Center of Greater Reading in Reading, PA Trans Thrive in San Francisco, CA Transhealth in Florence, MA Triangle Community Center in Norwalk, CT Utah Pride in Salt Lake City, UT We Are Family in North Charleston, SC Western Montana LGBTQ+ Community Center in Missoula, MT Youth Outlook in Naperville, IL Zebra Youth in Orlando, FL

BODY OF MINE IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN

40 States and 4 Countries

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Grand Junction, CO Montgomery Pride United in Montgomery, AL New Hampshire Outright in Dover, NH Nio Millán in Bogotá, Colombia Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma, WA Omaha ForUs in Omaha, NE one·n·ten in Phoenix, AZ

Prism United in Mobile, AL Queermunity Collaborative in Minneapolis, MN Rainbow Bridge Community Center in Northfield, VT Rainbow Hill Recovery in Los Angeles, CA Rainbow Youth Center in Durango, CO

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SPOTLIGHT

Every center was touched by the gift of our piece and the headset, but some took the opportunity to go above and beyond.

Edge New Jersey: Parsippany, NJ Founded in 1992 as a safe haven for people in need of housing and supportive services due to their HIV status, Edge New Jersey empowers their community to help them achieve a healthy, safe, and self-sufficient life by providing supportive services, housing opportunities, prevention strategies, and education opportunities.

They are sharing the headset and Body of Mine with their staff of 30, eight student interns and an LGBTQ+ Parent Support group while actively promoting the headset on their socials.

Here is what some of their staff said about Body of Mine: “Seeing myself as another gender made me more aware of who I am and how I want to present to other people.” Alison Battaglia, Social Work Student Intern

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“Body of Mine is a thought-provoking VR experience that helped me disconnect from my mirror reflection and broaden my understanding of the complex and unique nature of dysphoria.” Sierra Winters, Director of Operations

LGBT Center of Greater Reading: Reading, PA The LGBT Center of Greater Reading creates, administers, and provides services, advocacy, and support to Berks and Lebenon Counties’ TGNC community, and to celebrate Trans Day of Visibility, they are inviting people to watch Body of Mine and listen to guest speaker Dr. Ashley Brandt discuss gender-affirming medical and surgical care.

In a time where trans folks are being erased, the center for greater Reading is putting compassion and knowledge front and center, and that is something worth celebrating.

Rainbow Hill Recovery: Los Angeles, CA Rainbow Hill Recovery is a mental health and substance use outpatient treatment program provided by queer people for queer people. Their program is designed to support body, mind, spirit, and recovery from substance use disorder and mental distress, and for some patients, they’ve even started to integrate Body of Mine and the Quest Pro headset into their practice.

The use cases for VR in the medical field are endless and untapped, but Rainbow Hill continues to push the envelope and has become a wonderful resource for other centers looking to do the same.

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The Enchanté Network: Edmonton, AB The Enchanté Network is the largest network of 2SLGBTQI+ organizations in Canada. Their members span across every province and territory and include 2 Spirit societies, pride centers, HIV/AIDS organizations, trans collectives, and countless other essential, frontline organizations.

They signed up for this giveaway not with the intention of using it at their own organization but to spread the joy and conduct a giveaway within their own network during the holidays.

Black Pride YYC: Calgary, AB As a result of The Enchanté Network’s giveaway, Black Pride YYC, a Black-led center based out of Calgary now has a headset.

This organization provides support programs and create a platform to empower, uplift, and advocate for the holistic well-being of Black 2SLGBTQ+ individuals, families, and communities, and they’re already putting the headset and Body of Mine to use at capacitybuilding events.

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“From the moment we put on the headset, we really enjoyed the body-tracking details and the representation in the avatars. It was clear that Body of Mine VR is more than just a virtual reality experience, it’s a powerful tool for empathy, self-discovery, and understanding.”

Volusia Pride: DeLand, FL Volusia Pride is “Crafting Positive Change’’ through a hands on and nuanced approach that has resulted in a stronger community despite Florida’s near-constant assault on the rights of queer people. With the support of their four member organizations, they are empowering youth, advancing equity all over the county, and spreading joy to community members of all ages with Body of Mine and their VR headset.

“Body of Mine is fantastic! I’ve used it several times today and keep discovering different stories hidden within! Great stuff!”

LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin: Racine, WI While small, the LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin is making a mighty impact in the community of Racine by advocating for the rights of individuals who have experienced discrimination and for policies and ordinances that make cities more inclusive.

They have already had multiple sessions with Body of Mine, showing it to their staff and allies, and the reactions have been priceless.

“Woooow, I’ve had a dream like this before!” “*Gasp* This is amazing! I can see how VR can open a whole new world. The kids are going to LOVE this!”

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“This is going to be such an experience and so important for our trans and nonbinary groups. I can’t wait to show them Body of Mine.”

“I love this headset, it’s so awesome to be able to play cool games with it! It gave me something to do when I was feeling kind of anxious today.”

“Looking down at my virtual self and seeing a body that matched me for the first time nearly brought me to tears.”

“Going through the experience hit me harder than I anticipated, particularly watching the environment change as I explored my body in the program. That little detail enhanced the transformative power of exploration, it felt like coming into myself. It felt like the entire experience of settling into my skin and feeling comfortable with my whole self, which took me decades, condensed into a brief and evocative moment of storytelling.”

“Body of Mine is a fascinating experience that allows the user to get closer to imagining what it feels like to be in a different body. I enjoyed the details and how interactive it is. I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in understanding and learning of different person’s experiences.”

“Body of Mine was really cool, I feel like it will help my mom understand why I’m trans.”

“This is amazing! I can see how VR can open a whole new world.

The kids are going to LOVE this!”

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RESEARCH The final phase of the Body of Mine impact campaign came from an academic desire to learn more about the psychological impacts of the experience we created.

In collaboration with the University of Tübingen’s Department of Psychology, we conducted a controlled research study around Body of Mine to measure and confirm its positive impact on body image perception.

The study, employing validated instruments—the Body Image States Scale (BISS) and the Body Appreciation Scale II (BAS-2)—revealed that Body of Mine significantly improved body image and reduced body dissatisfaction among users, who also displayed confidence-boosting behaviors postsession. It also enhanced understanding and empathy towards gender dysphoria, with participants showing increased support for trans rights.

These findings illustrate the power of VR to foster empathy, improve mental health, and advance acceptance of trans and queer individuals, and paves the way for future research on the impacts of VR on those with conditions like gender dysphoria.

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Our research is now published in the peer-reviewed, open access journal Media and Communication.

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WHAT THE DATA SAID

Respondants were asked to rank how they felt about their physical appearance before and after watching Body of Mine.

Before After

Respondants were asked to rank how they felt about their body weight before and after watching Body of Mine.

Before

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After

Respondants were asked to measure how connected they felt with their bodies before and after watching Body of Mine.

Before After

Respondants were asked how well they identified with the struggles of trans indviduals before and after watching Body of Mine.

Before After

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OUR TEAM & COLLABORATORS

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Cameron Kostopoulos Created by Founder & CEO, Kost

Michaela Ternasky-Holland Impact Producer Award-Winning Creator

Alex Coulombe Lead Developer CEO, Agile Lens

Amy Seidenwurm Producer Formerly Meta VR for Good

Ecstasy Plant Narrator

Lennon Torres Designer

Evan Siegal Unreal Artist

Matthew Hayden Production Coordinator

Nonny de la Peña, PhD ‘Godmother of VR’ Arizona State University

Mary Matheson XR Filmmaker Arizona State University

Richelle Gordon Director of Digital Innovation Northwestern University

Scott Fisher Interactive Media Division University of Southern California

Dr. Jen Svaldi Professor of Clinical Psychology University of Tübingen

Dr. Eva Naumann Clinical Psychologist, University of Tübingen

Dr. Philipp Schroeder Researcher of Psychology University of Tübingen

Stephanie Kane Research Coordinator, George Mason University, CVPA

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CONCLUSION

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The success of Body of Mine demonstrates the transformative power of immersive storytelling, and this impact campaign is a testament to how far that power can go.

By facilitating the large-scale distribution of this experience, we have sparked a meaningful dialogue about gender dysphoria amongst VR users and general audiences alike, and expanded access to TGNC narratives.

Our giveaway has furthered the capacity of LGBTQ+ centers and organizations around the world. With the Meta Quest Pro headset, these spaces are exploring new ways to serve their communities and extending their hands to both allies and those who fail to understand.

As we look ahead, Body of Mine serves as a foundation for continued progress in both immersive media and LGBTQ+ advocacy. The conversations it has ignited, the lives it has touched, and the research it has inspired will continue to shape future initiatives that empower and uplift marginalized voices.

While there is still work to be done, this project proves that through technology, art, and community, we can build a more inclusive and compassionate world one experience at a time.

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THANK YOU Contact hello@kost.ai linktr.ee/BodyOfMineVR

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