ITV

Tag: LGBTQ+

  • OkCupid’s Pride Month campaign #LoveAtFirstPride aims for a more inclusive world

    OkCupid’s Pride Month campaign #LoveAtFirstPride aims for a more inclusive world

    MUMBAI: The Pride Month saw brands all across the globe striving for the right to love everyone, gender no bar. One of the most popular dating apps, OkCupid also launched an emotional campaign called #LoveAtFirstPride to bring to light stories for the first time – first dates, first decisions, first moments, first courage, first change, first freedom, first acceptance.

    OkCupid CMO Melissa Hobley told Indiantelevision.com that the campaign is an initiative to celebrate the LGBTQ community on its digital platforms telling stories that are focused on them but hold true for humanity making it relevant for everyone. She sees the campaign as an opportunity to make the world a little bit more inclusive and accepting of the LGBTQ community.

    Speaking about the inspiration behind the campaign, Hobley said that this Pride Month being the very first after the historic Supreme Court verdict to strike down the discriminatory article 377, deserved a celebration and the campaign tries to capture the moment by lauding love beyond the restriction of binary identities.

    She said, “OkCupid users in India truly support gay marriages as indicated by the data collected from their responses and the idea behind the digital campaign was to commemorate the freedom of love which extends to all gender identities. This has been captured in the video through the stories of these influencers and the questions they have answered. Times have changed as today we can ask them these questions and they can answer them proudly. This change in perspective is what the inspiration behind the campaign was.”

    The film that was hosted on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube received an overwhelming response, as shared by Hobley. Launched in the middle of the Pride Month, the video generated almost a million impressions with an engagement of 50K across platforms within just a week. “We have received an overwhelmingly positive response from the influencers, the LGBTQI community as well as the media. This has further strengthened our belief that India is finally ready for such a campaign and we are so proud to have launched something so meaningful,” said Hobley.

  • Tinder Launches More Genders for Users in India

    Tinder Launches More Genders for Users in India

    MUMBAI: Tinder, the world’s most popular app for meeting new people, today announced its latest update: Tinder will now support more ways to express gender identity, by giving users the ability to add information about their gender outside the binary. Users now have the opportunity on the platform to identify as any gender that they believe represents them most authentically.

    Until now, Tinder users in India were offered only two options when selecting their gender: man or woman. For users who identified as transgender, gender neutral or somewhere between or outside the gender binary, that limitation posed an obvious challenge. Tinder now empowers users to just be themselves by adding 23 new genders to the list. From the ‘Edit Info’ screen, users can now type any word that describes their gender identity.  Tinder users may also choose to display their gender on their profile.

    Tinder instituted an advisory panel comprising The Humsafar Trust, India’s oldest LGBTQ organization working for the health and human rights of the community since 1994

    and LGBTQ Author and inclusion advocate, Parmesh Shahani who helped guide local development of the update, help be more inclusive with indigenous gender identities and to reflect cultural nuances of the community in India.  

    Ashok Row Kavi, Chairperson, The Humsafar Trust, said, “Tinder’s new initiative celebrates the diversity and pluralism and truly represents the idea of India. For numerous Indians who identify as trans and non-binary, this will be their chance to be their true selves online and in person. It gives us great pleasure to be associated with Tinder on this bold move.”

    “I am proud to be a part of this. While this is an important effort by itself I believe that the ripple effects will be tremendous,” said Parmesh Shahani. He adds, “I hope it enables Tinder users to express their authentic selves or to express themselves more freely, but beyond that the hope is that this act will empower other institutions, whether government or private to widen the framework with which they approach gender and offer their employees as well as customers a range of gender possibilities.”

    Taru Kapoor, GM, Tinder India said, “Inclusivity, acceptance and individuality are core values of Tinder. Users are best to assert their own identity, and our latest update gives them the opportunity to decide how to express themselves authentically. I think it is vital to be reflective of our time, and it has been a good year in India for gender, sexuality and personal autonomy. What has been crucial is the assistance provided by The Humsafar Trust and Parmesh in customising the update for our community and including indigenous identities. Ensuring users feel like their true selves while using the platform is paramount. Everyone is welcome on Tinder.”

  • UrbanClap launches campaign addressing LGBTQ issues

    UrbanClap launches campaign addressing LGBTQ issues

    MUMBAI: Augmenting its reputation as a firm supporter of equality for all, UrbanClap launched ‘LGBT’ campaign championing its cause for the greater good of the community as well as the society. Known for its stance on social issues like women empowerment & education, UrbanClap strongly felt the need to come out in support of the LGBT community in India, promoting their right to love anyone they want – irrespective of Caste, Creed, Religion, or Gender. With this campaign, UrbanClap supports the right to love anyone you choose.

    As part of this campaign, UrbanClap has tied up with a Delhi-based startup agency called Ufaan, which has worked on a number of social films in the past. Together, they have launched a short film titled ‘Show your Love with Pride’, which portrays a father’s struggle to accept his daughter’s relationship with another woman. With her supportive mother, the daughter proves to her father that her love is genuine, via a photoshoot organized by UrbanClap. The photos of his daughter makes him realize the dynamics of modern day relationships and reminds him of the barriers he had to counter in his interfaith marriage. This realization leads him to believe that love has no boundaries and finally accepts his daughter’s relationship.

    Commenting on this empowering initiative, Abhiraj Bhal, Co-founder, UrbanClap said, “We at UrbanClap are a simple bunch of people. We believe that everyone should have the right to love whoever they want to as it’s the most basic human right. We firmly stand with the LGBT community in India as they fight for their equal rights in the eyes of law, or society. Our past efforts with the NAZ foundation, and this film, are very small gestures towards furthering the cause of the LGBT community.”

    The social film is an attempt to make people realize that love has no boundaries and should be accepted without judgment.

    To further the impact of this campaign, UrbanClap is offering to sponsor 5 photoshoots across the country for any same sex couple who wish to opt for this service. They can easily reach out to the team at UrbanClap through its Facebook or Twitter channels. UrbanClap promises to maintain all confidentiality if that is what the participants wish for.

  • UrbanClap launches campaign addressing LGBTQ issues

    UrbanClap launches campaign addressing LGBTQ issues

    MUMBAI: Augmenting its reputation as a firm supporter of equality for all, UrbanClap launched ‘LGBT’ campaign championing its cause for the greater good of the community as well as the society. Known for its stance on social issues like women empowerment & education, UrbanClap strongly felt the need to come out in support of the LGBT community in India, promoting their right to love anyone they want – irrespective of Caste, Creed, Religion, or Gender. With this campaign, UrbanClap supports the right to love anyone you choose.

    As part of this campaign, UrbanClap has tied up with a Delhi-based startup agency called Ufaan, which has worked on a number of social films in the past. Together, they have launched a short film titled ‘Show your Love with Pride’, which portrays a father’s struggle to accept his daughter’s relationship with another woman. With her supportive mother, the daughter proves to her father that her love is genuine, via a photoshoot organized by UrbanClap. The photos of his daughter makes him realize the dynamics of modern day relationships and reminds him of the barriers he had to counter in his interfaith marriage. This realization leads him to believe that love has no boundaries and finally accepts his daughter’s relationship.

    Commenting on this empowering initiative, Abhiraj Bhal, Co-founder, UrbanClap said, “We at UrbanClap are a simple bunch of people. We believe that everyone should have the right to love whoever they want to as it’s the most basic human right. We firmly stand with the LGBT community in India as they fight for their equal rights in the eyes of law, or society. Our past efforts with the NAZ foundation, and this film, are very small gestures towards furthering the cause of the LGBT community.”

    The social film is an attempt to make people realize that love has no boundaries and should be accepted without judgment.

    To further the impact of this campaign, UrbanClap is offering to sponsor 5 photoshoots across the country for any same sex couple who wish to opt for this service. They can easily reach out to the team at UrbanClap through its Facebook or Twitter channels. UrbanClap promises to maintain all confidentiality if that is what the participants wish for.