PRESS RELEASE : UK Promotes Great Presence for World Pride [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 February 2023.

Showcasing and supporting LGBTQIA+ communities is the focus of the UK Government Sydney’s WorldPride activity.

Showcasing and supporting LGBTQIA+ communities is the focus of the UK Government Sydney’s WorldPride activity.

The programme includes:

• London Taxi and 50+ UKinAustralia team members taking part in Mardi Gras Parade (led by the British High Commissioner and LGBTQIA+ envoy
• Unveiled to coincide with Sydney WorldPride, the UK’s GREAT Love campaign comes to Australia to celebrate the diversity of LGBTQIA+ communities, where individuals share their unique stories, through pivotal moments in their lives when they realised being part of the LGBTQIA+ community was a good thing – a superpower that should be celebrated and to share with the world that GREAT Love tells many stories
• UK’s LGBTQIA+ envoy (Lord Herbert) visit to Sydney as part of the Sydney WorldPride programme
• Significant tourism programme led by VisitBritain, encouraging visitors to the UK to See Things Differently, and an extensive cultural programme led by British Council
• Event celebrating the diverse and outstanding LGBTQIA+ business community and organisations in Australia that have worked hard to be LGBTQIA+ inclusive, in partnership with Cunard and hosted on the Queen Victoria

This is the largest scale participation of the UK Government in Mardi Gras and will mark the global launch of its new GREAT Love campaign, LGBTQIA+ storytellers – using an object symbolising a pivotal time in their lives – will share the moment they realised their sexuality or gender identity was a superpower to be celebrated. The storytellers include boxer and two-time Olympic gold medallist Nicola Adams OBE, world-leading human rights barrister Dr S Chelvan and Drag Queen royalty Vanity Milan and Elektra Fence. Broadcaster and DJ Adele Roberts and her partner Kate Holderness will share their stories as will the first gay owner of Attitude since the publication was founded almost 30 years ago, Darren Styles OBE – just to name a few.

GREAT Love shines a light on the breadth of the LGBTQIA+ community, demonstrating its acceptance and inclusion across the UK. A rainbow union flag wrapped British taxi will feature a heart to symbolise open heartedness. The vibrant UK community will be incorporated into the design and the participants’ costumes and placards will read:  “GREAT Love Is For Everyone”.

British High Commissioner Vicki Treadell, the UK’s LGBTQIA+ envoy Lord Herbert and British Consul-General and Deputy Trade Commissioner Louise Cantillon will lead a 50+ strong group of participants from the UKinAustralia at the Mardi Gras Parade.

Vicki Treadell, British High Commissioner to Australia, said:

I’m delighted to be able to join the Mardi Gras Parade, alongside representatives from across our UK in Australia network and our iconic London taxi cabs.

Supporting WorldPride and the Mardi Gras Parade allows us to use our platform to showcase the LGBT+ community and highlight that truly, GREAT Love Is For Everyone”.

The UK’s Special Envoy on LGBT Rights Lord Nick Herbert of South Downs is visiting Sydney for a week of activity linked to WorldPride. In addition to taking part in Mardi Gras he is also speaking at both the WorldPride Human Rights Conference and the Resourcing LGBTIQ Movements for Change in Asia and the Pacific Conference. He will attend the launch of the HIV Prevention Handbook by the Global Equality Caucus and take part in a range of UK Government hosted events for business, civil society and stakeholders.

Lord Herbert said:

It’s fantastic to be in Sydney for WorldPride and to join the famous Mardi Gras.

I’m proud to be representing a country with a great record on LGBT+ rights. The UK will continue to work with our partners worldwide to champion equality for all.

An event celebrating the steps taken by businesses to be LGBTQIA+ inclusive is being held in partnership with Cunard. Members of the business community will gather on board the Queen Victoria for a British afternoon tea and networking event with special guests Lord Herbert and British High Commissioner Vicki Treadell.

Louise Cantillon, Deputy Trade Commissioner and British Consul General NSW, said:

Sydney’s support of WorldPride has been phenomenal and I cannot think of a better place to launch the global GREAT Love Is For Everyone Campaign.

Supporting LGBT+ communities is everyone’s business, and it’s great that Government is able to spotlight businesses and individuals who are actively working to be inclusive and build diversity into their workplaces.

The British Council is supporting the Australian premiere of acclaimed dance work The Dan Daw Show, presented by the Seymour Centre in association with Sydney WorldPride. In the weeks surrounding Sydney WorldPride, the British Council is supporting four other live productions, workshops and exhibits by LBQTQIA+ artists in Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. In addition the British Council and the BFI are hosting Five Films for Freedom, a global, short film festival in support of LGBTQIA+ rights.

Amplifying the GREAT campaign messages of Britain as an inclusive, welcoming nation, VisitBritain, the UK’s national tourist agency, is set to launch a new destination campaign inspiring Australian LGBTQIA+ visitors to ‘Come See Things Differently’ in 2023. The campaign will promote the warmth of the British spirit, highlighting Britain as a dynamic destination, compelling travellers to visit today, not one day, with the message that WorldPride is just the start of the party this year.

Five Films for Freedom: https://film.britishcouncil.org/about/work/fivefilmsforfreedom