A new mural was unveiled in Shoreditch yesterday to celebrate the capital’s LGBTQI+ communities as part of the Mayor’s ‘Loved and Wanted’ Campaign.
The mural was created by Hannah ‘Disco’ Dickins, a London based Graphic Designer, Sign Painter and Artist, and will be in Turville Street until July 20th.
Deputy Mayor for Communities & Social Justice, Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard, unveiled the mural and reiterated London’s commitment to be a place for everyone.
She said: “While some are trying to roll back hard-won rights across the globe, this mural shows that LGBTQI+ Londoners are loved, valued and celebrated in our capital.
“London is proud to be a beacon of inclusiveness, acceptance and diversity, and we will continue to support all of our communities, as we build a better, fairer and more inclusive London for everyone.”
The artwork is part of London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s Loved and Wanted campaign, which was launched in February of this year, and aims to reaffirm to Londoners that no matter their background or identity, they are welcomed in the city.
According to statistics from the census in 2021 by the Office for National Statistics, London has the highest proportion of people (4.3%) who identified with an LGB+ orientation.
The campaign also included almost £1 million of funding for councils and community organisations across the city.
The mural comes just in time for London’s Pride celebrations, which have been going all month and will culminate tomorrow, on the 5th July.
The Pride celebration will bring together 500 groups, and 35,000 people who will march in solidarity through London.
The event also includes performances and talks on stages throughout London, the largest of which will be in Trafalgar Square and is expecting crowds of over 5,000 people.
However, this year’s Pride event in London has not been without political controversy.
In May of this year, London Pride, alongside others, announced it would be suspending political party participation in their events in solidarity with the transgender community, after the Supreme Court ruled in April that the term “woman” in the Equality Act is defined by biological sex.
Featured Image Credit: Hannah Dickins via London Mayor’s Office
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