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Galop tackles LGBT+ hate crime this Pride

The immersive digital 'It’s not all sunshine and rainbows' campaign was created by LGBT+ anti-abuse charity Galop and Gravity Road

By Creative Salon

17 June 2024

This Pride month, the UK’s LGBT+ anti-abuse charity Galop, creative studio Gravity Road and the ADOT Foundation have launched a campaign that reveals Pride season is not all sunshine and rainbows.

Pride is supposed to be a time of celebration and protest. In reality, it’s when Galop sees the largest rise in demand for their hate crime support services.

Last Pride season, Galop saw a 60 per cent increase in LGBT+ hate crime victims coming to them for support, compared to any other three-month period throughout the year.

The immersive digital campaign 'It's not all sunshine and rainbows' features the voices of LGBT+ celebrities and allies, including Dr Who and Good Omens actor David Tennant, comedian and the voice of I Kissed A Girl Charley Marlowe, West End hit My Son’s A Queer actor, Rob Madge, and former Holby City and Coronation Street star, Charlie Condou. They are joined by the voices of real victims of hate crime, who share the impacts that hate crime has had on them.

The public can hear the stars and experience an all-encompassing storm turn into sunshine and rainbows at the immersive digital experience from the 14th-23rd June, in the heart of central London at Outernet’s Now Trending space.

Ben Kernighan, Galop’s interim CEO, said: “In the last year, there were over 30,000 reported anti-LGBT+ hate crimes across the UK. The Government’s own research shows that over 90% of anti-LGBT+ hate crimes go unreported, so the true picture of hate crime in the UK is largely unknown. What we do know is that when our community is at its most visible, during Pride months, this is when we see the largest rise in abuse and violence.

"I’d like to thank our partners, Gravity Road, Engine House, Virtual Sound and ADOT for this crucial campaign that will help connect so many LGBT+ people with Galop’s vital support during Pride season. Every LGBT+ person deserves to have a safe and happy Pride.”

“We’re inviting audiences to step into the eye of the storm in an experience that makes full use of Now Trending’s immersive capabilities,” explains Sophie Cullinane, executive creative director at Gravity Road. “Surrounded by the huge screens and spatial audio, the arresting visuals will take people out of their comfort zone and into the bad weather, reflecting the experiences of the LGBT+ community. The arresting audio features soundbites taken from actual testimonies, read by influencers and celebrities from within the community and allies. The journey eventually reaches an epic crescendo as we’re greeted by a rainbow towering over our heads as we look towards a more hopeful future.”

Mark Eaves, Gravity Road founder said, "By highlighting the horrific rise in hate crime at this time of year we want to drive even greater support across the capital. The forecast for Pride month deserves a much brighter outlook."

Actor and writer Rob Madge said: “It is vitally important that allies to the LGBTQIA+ community stand beside us this Pride season and after. Pride is a protest and it lasts all year long for queer people - we don’t just exist in June so please continue to fight for us when this month is over. It’s a frightening time being proudly queer so your support is crucial.”

ADOT Foundation says: "We are proud to partner with Galop for the second year in their 'It's Not All Sunshine and Rainbows' campaign. The ADOT foundation is deeply committed to promoting unity, a sentiment that is especially crucial during PRIDE. Supporting and standing with the LGBTQ+ community to break stigmas and create a safer, more inclusive world is a mission we are honoured to champion. We hope this campaign encourages a change of perspective and brings about positive change that can be reflected in ILGA’s Rainbow Europe Index of ‘safe’ countries for LGBTQ+ people."

Outernet, London says: “Outernet sits at the heart of central London in Soho, and our local area has significant cultural significance for the LGBTQ+ community. We are continually proud to celebrate and represent the community, with diverse cultural programming that creates an inclusive district for everyone 365 days a year. Given the shocking news the UK has plummeted down ILGA’s Rainbow Europe Index of ‘safe’ countries for LGBTQ+ people, from 1st place in 2015, to 17th place in 2023, Outernet is hugely proud to once again partner with Galop and provide a platform for the incredible work they do to support the community, tackle homophobia, and support those affected by hate crimes. We hope the stunning campaign, running on our Now Trending screens, will encourage everyone who visits to help bring back the sunshine and fill the UK with rainbows again.”