Have you ever ever puzzled what’s it wish to reside in a rustic the place expressing your sexuality is against the law? To not have the ability to select whom to like, what to be, and methods to reside? To be your self on the danger of being imprisoned and even killed? Those that establish as LGBTQ individuals and come from oppressive international locations know the way it feels to reside in a society that doesn’t tolerate them. In search of security, they run to new locations, the place they’ll cool down and reside a peaceable life.
Serena, Khalid, Farhad, Muhizi, Nour, and Ansumana are six LGBTQ refugees who got here to Sweden to save lots of themselves from the tyrannical governments that criminalize who they’re. But when they wish to keep within the European nation, these individuals have to beat one other problem: An asylum course of that appears to place extra obstacles of their option to constructing a quiet life quite than serving to them finish this nightmare they’ve been experiencing for some time now. To be eligible for asylum in Sweden, LGBTQ refugees are requested to show to the authorities that they’re, in reality, a part of this group; they’re requested to disclose one thing they’ve been hiding for his or her total lives.
West Delight, an LGBTQ cultural competition in Gothenburg, needs to make the authorities evaluate the complete course of and, in partnership with advert company AKQA, kicked off the “Ambassadors of Delight” marketing campaign, an initiative that aligns with the non-profit’s competition (which passed off 13 — 19 June) and which additionally backs up the group’s petition to “Cease doubtful credibility assessments of LGBTQ asylum seekers in Sweden.”
The marketing campaign options the life tales of those six people, whose identities are being stored secret. What’s seen although, are their silhouettes contoured in black and their faces blurred by the equal signal. Below anonymity, the individuals — whose names aren’t actual — reveal the horrors and the horrible conditions they went via whereas again at residence and their experiences making it to Sweden and its tough asylum course of.
“This 12 months, the plight of LGBTQ+ refugees was a type of wrongs we wished to make proper collectively. And if we can’t simply carry consideration to a damaged asylum system, however have a tangible life-changing resolution as a part of the concept, we might create a significant spark of change,” David Wedebrant, Managing Director at AKQA instructed Clear Channel, Norway’s largest participant in OOH promoting, a proud supporter of Delight all through Scandinavia, and accomplice of West Delight.
In keeping with Wedebrant, the important thing to respiratory life into this marketing campaign was to maintain the people nameless, “as they’re risking every thing to take part. The topic is darkish and critical sufficient, so to be able to nonetheless current them proudly; their identities are hidden with a design that takes inspiration from the equal signal within the West Delight brand. Paired with the colours of the rainbow, it additionally illustrates how all love is equal; but additionally, that not everyone seems to be free to point out it.”
By way of this marketing campaign, these six people are being given a critical function inside the group: As Ambassadors of Delight and Honorary Members of West Delight, their job is to make it tougher for the Swedish Migration Company to proceed with this asylum process LGBTQ refugees should endure to be able to begin a brand new chapter of their lives and never danger being deported again to their residence international locations.
Emma Gunterberg Sachs, Normal Supervisor of West Delight, stated: “Letting an arbitrary course of determine if LGBTQ refugees are accredited asylum or not is inhumane. Far too many are wrongly despatched again to a lifetime of persecution, imprisonment, or loss of life. We have to cease this now.”
The marketing campaign is supported by a devoted platform, the place the tales of those people are hosted. Moreover, customers who wish to be part of the trigger, help West Delight in reaching its aim, and assist LGBTQ refugees keep secure can accomplish that by signing the group’s petition.
Credit:
Shopper: West Delight
Company: AKQA
