Starting as a reaction piece fuelled by the hurt of many, Hands Against Hatred followed the news of an unjust attack that occurred in Birmingham’s gay district in the early hours of Sunday 10th October 2021. A young man obtained horrific injuries after being brutally attacked. The motive? He was holding hands with his partner.
The why behind Hands Against Hatred is simple, despite how far we’ve come, homophobic hate crimes have continued to rise by 210% in the past six years. Wanting to educate the public in becoming a better ally, Hands Against Hatred set out to inspire individuals, unite communities, and spread awareness that this is a big fight that takes more than a handful of people to win.
Birmingham. A diverse city filled with passion, character and pride. Recognising the power of their voice, Birmingham is building momentum and paving the path for a brighter future.
Diversity is a part of Birmingham's DNA and is seen as heavily involved in supporting and celebrating the LGBTQI+ community. Hosting the annual Pride Festival, Birmingham has recently created the Pride House – a safe space for LGBTIQ+ supporters, athletes, staff, volunteers, and organisations at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Looking to become a better ally and encourage passersby to have the confidence to speak up, Hands Against Hatred was born.
In the early hours of Sunday 10th October 2021, a young man suffered injuries to his head after being brutally attacked with a bottle and hit with an iron bar for holding hands with his partner in Birmingham's gay district. His attacker fled, leaving the injured man bleeding on the roadside. The victim and his partner were then subjected to homophobic taunts from passers-by.
On the launch of Hands Against Hatred, the awareness campaign against gay hate crime built momentum not just through social media.
With a simple image, a simple hashtag and a strong message, Hands Against Hatred was born. It set social media alight and within days it lit up billboards across the city.
Holding hands is about as natural as it comes in terms of communication. However, this action is a privilege that unfortunately doesn’t extend to many of the LGBTQI+ community. In fact, letting go of their partner's hand is often the immediate response if they feel uncomfortable or in danger.
Leaving a lasting impression, Hands Against Hatred created a single image that was distributed alongside the campaign's hashtag #handsagainsthatred. Designed to spark disruption and generate a wave of reaction, the campaign commanded attention from millions of social media scrollers and high street bypassers.
Suddenly the campaign organically rocketed off as the baton was passed to the public. Reaching 24 million views, becoming the talk of the city with 994 mentions, getting the word out and about with 167 thousand shares and 4.2 thousand social scrollers interacting – in just four days, Hands Against Hatred had gone global.
It was clear that the city was united against hate and it wasn't long till the perpetrator handed himself in. It’s a small win in a big fight and there’s a long way to go. Hands Against Hatred continues to be recognised globally for its organic impact and strong message.
We hope that any recognition received is a reflection of the Hands Against Hatred message and can add to the work that needs doing.
Anyone should be able to hold hands with whoever they want.
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