gay marriage | darylhb

This month is LGBT History Month in the UK. The idea of the month is to reflect on the history of the LGBT community and also think about how the community may evolve from here. The guys over at Carvaka thought it would be a good idea (and I agree by the way!) to produce an infographic to celebrate all that is great about the LGBT community to mark the month. The graphic lists some of the community’s most successful people, which include Giorgio Armani, Peter Thiel, David Geffen, Megan Ellison and Elton John.

To show just how far the community has come in securing equal marital rights for its members, the infographic shows all of the countries in the world where same-sex marriage is now fully recognised. However, there is still much work to do, particularly in Russia, the Middle East and much of Africa where prejudice is still common. Some interesting stats are also included, such as that 1.7% of the UK population identify as being part of the LGBT community, but this number rises to 3.3% when people aged 17-24 are analysed. This disparity points to a lost generation of older LGBT people who could never bring themselves to come out; it is through initiatives such as LGBT History Month that these people are encouraged to be who they really are without fear of prejudice or ridicule.

I hope you enjoy this infographic and during the month of February reflect on from whence the community has come, all that is great about it and how it might develop into the future. Happy LGBT History Month!

lgbt-community-usa

There are many countries all over the world where LGBT people are still persecuted for being themselves. Even in many first world countries, where freedom and equality are expected, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people do not feel safe showing their affection in public. Here in South Africa, the first country in the world to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation, I would not feel safe walking down every street in Cape Town (also known as “The Pink City”, one of the gay capitals of the world) holding hands with another man.

This unspoken danger, like a crack in the democracy beneath our feet, fills many LGBT people with hypervigilance in unfamiliar neighbourhoods. All we want is to feel safe on our own streets. It is this danger and need for safety that American company Allstate Insurance tapped into when creating their latest advertising campaign to coincide with the legalisation of gay marriage. I love the photos and payoff lines they used in the posters below. It was a very shrewd marketing move that will improve their chances of the ads being spread all over social media, as well as emphasise their value proposition as an insurance company that keeps you and your assets safe.

Allstate LGBT ads out holding hands Allstate LGBT advertising campaign2