Bluebella has teamed up with two of the stars of Ru Paul’s Drag Race for a new Pride campaign. The London-based lingerie brand is working with drag artists Tayce Szura-Radix, 26, and A’Whora (real name George Boyle), 25, to call for the abolition of anti-gay laws in 36 Commonwealth countries. Tayce and A’Whora, who shot to fame in the second BBC series of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, posed in Bluebella lingerie in all the colours of the Gay Pride Rainbow flag.
Being actively homosexual is illegal in 35 of the 54 sovereign states of the Commonwealth, and many have harsh punishments including 20 years imprisonment and flogging (Malaysia), 14 years imprisonment with hard labour (Malawi) and in two countries they have the death penalty (Brunei and Northern Nigeria). Proceeds from the Bluebella Pride lingerie collection go to the Kaleidoscope Trust, a British based non-profit organisation that works to uphold the human rights of LGBT+ people in countries around the world.
Drag Race finalist Tayce said: “It is appalling that being gay is still a criminal offence in most Commonwealth countries. We are campaigning to apply pressure on these 35 countries to repeal these oppressive laws which thwart lives, perpetuate misery and exacerbate the impacts of the HIV/Aids crisis. The Bluebella Pride Campaign is all about celebrating Gay Pride in the UK this summer, but it’s also important to note that in several countries in the world LGBT people could face being arrested and thrown in prison for being openly gay.”
Bluebella founder and CEO Emily Bendell said: “We have recoloured some of our bestselling styles to create this beautifully bright collection which is all about celebrating Pride, but at the same time supporting the amazing work of the Kaleidoscope Trust. We’re very proud to be supporting an organisation that is affecting such positive change across the Commonwealth.”
Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, executive director of Kaleidoscope Trust says: “We are delighted to have the support of Bluebella, Tayce and A’Whora in raising money for our important work upholding the human rights of LGBT+ people across the Commonwealth. So many LGBT+ people suffer discrimination, persecution and violence because of homophobic colonial-era laws, and the UK has a responsibility to redress these wrongs and help liberate our LGBT+ siblings. The support of a quintessentially British brand like Bluebella, with two of our brightest LGBT+ stars means the world to all of us at Kaleidoscope Trust.”
