Publications
- H&M launched their “Beyond the Rainbow” campaign on 1 June 2021 in support of the LGBTQIA+ community and Pride.
- With the interactive campaign H&M continues to stand by the LGBTQIA+ community, telling individual stories from the other side of the rainbow.
- From this campaign, a donation of $100 000 USD (approximately R1.3 million) will be made to United Nations Free & Equal Campaign, which champions equal rights and fair treatment of the worldwide LGBTQIA+ community.
H&M launched their “Beyond the Rainbow” campaign on 1 June 2021 in support of the LGBTQIA+ community and Pride. With the interactive campaign H&M continues to stand by the LGBTQIA+ community, telling individual stories from the other side of the rainbow.
The campaign aims to inspire individuals to share their own stories through our newly developed web app and support the core values of diversity, equality and transparency which are the heart of Pride.
Customers and fans can access the stories in the campaign by scanning any rainbow flag, add Instagram filters and share their own Pride stories in social media, through the web app.
The campaign features, among others, American actress and singer Mj Rodriguez (Michaela Jae Rodriguez), Mexican influencer Héctor Trejo, Danish actor, model and DJ Sus Wilkins and Chella Man, American artist, actor and activist.
READ MORE: How ‘allyship’ can make LGBT+ staff feel less excluded in the work place
This year’s Pride campaign includes two South Africans, Siphesihle a.k.a. Dollar Debbie - policy consultant and social activist - and Lethabo Matseke, store manager at H&M in Bloemfontein.
Dollar Debbie
Image supplied by H&M
Lethabo Matseke
Image supplied by H&M
The campaign aims to inspire individuals to share their own stories and support the core values of diversity, equality and transparency which are the heart of Pride.
Pascal Brun, Global Sustainability Manager at H&M expresses that they are "very proud of the way this campaign brings together the LGBTQIA+ community and tells all these different but important stories of pride."
"It connects directly to our core values and encapsulates our social vision to enable everyone at H&M and beyond to live the life they want, express who they are and to be the best of themselves," Pascal adds.
The stories told are of love and hate, of growing up and coming out, of finding true love wherever and whoever you are and celebrating everyone’s right to be themselves. It features people from different continents, age, gender and sexual orientation.
Pose star, Mj Rodriguez (Michaela Jae Rodriguez), says; "It’s not to wave around to show like ‘We’re here’, it’s ‘Look what we fought for’. We’re the ones who created our own liberation.
"The Pride flag is beautiful, but I’m not sure a lot of people understand how beautiful, I’m not just talking about the colours, it’s what’s beyond them.”
Image supplied by H&M
In connection to the campaign, a donation of $100 000 USD (approximately R1.3 million) will be made to United Nations Free & Equal Campaign, which champions equal rights and fair treatment of the worldwide LGBTQIA+ community.
Teen Vogue also reports that H&M is taking steps to support the LGBTQIA+ community through charity The Trevor Project, which is the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organisation for LGBTQIA+ young people. "Throughout the month of June, H&M will match any donations made to the organisation," Teen Vogue adds.
Other faces of the 'Beyond the Rainbow' campaign include Mexican influencer Héctor Trejor; Danish actor, model, and DJ Sus Wilkins; as well as various H&M employees from around the world.
See some of them here:
Press information and images provided by H&M South Africa
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