On Wednesday (24 June), Stonewall broadcasted lockdown stories from the LGBTQ+ community on Piccadilly Circus’ giant screen.
The LGBTQ+ community has been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus pandemic, facing food and shelter insecurity due to job loss, disruptions in accessing healthcare and elevated risk of domestic and family violence.
Due to lockdown measures, LGBTQ+ people are also without their support systems and chosen families, with a recent study discovering that 79% of LGBTQ+ individuals have experienced a plummet in their mental health.
Stonewall collected videos from various LGBTQ+ people and allies – including Juno Dawson, Sandi Toksvig and Gok Wan – to highlight the difficulties some members of the community have faced in quarantine.
The video was broadcast on the giant Piccadilly Lights, proving that even in lockdown, you can still #ComeOutForLGBT.
Lucy Devine, Director of Communications at Stonewall, said in a statement: ‘Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, we’ve heard some truly harrowing stories from LGBT people about the difficulties they’ve faced while in lockdown.
“Whether that’s spending lockdown in unsupportive or abusive environments, losing work or not being able to access healthcare services, LGBT people have been hit hard by the pandemic.”
Devine said the project came to fruition to show LGBTQ+ people who feel isolated that they aren’t alone.
“Even though many of the Pride events we all love have been postponed or cancelled that doesn’t make Pride season any less important. Pride is about coming together in celebration, unity and solidarity,” she continued.
“That spirit is still very much needed. The Black Lives Matter movement in the US and around the globe is a powerful reminder that Pride was and continues to be a protest for equality and liberation for all of us who are oppressed.”
Devine added that “true equality is a collective struggle” and Pride will “continue to be an act of defiance where we find for the equality of every LGBT person – from all backgrounds – be that race, gender, class or disability.”
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