Announcements Community Stories
Published: 3 June 2026 by Matthew Belfield
As hate crime rises and public debate around LGBTQ+ lives becomes increasingly polarised, LGBT Foundation — the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing charity — is launching its largest national campaign to date: Hope Starts Here, launching Monday 1 June for Pride Month and running throughout 2026.
From Thursday 4 June until Saturday 4 July, the campaign is headlined by a free digital experience at Outernet London — one of the UK’s most visited cultural destinations and home to the most advanced screens in the world — alongside nationwide billboards and a coordinated social and digital campaign, bringing LGBTQ+ lives into public view and inviting audiences to see moments of connection, belonging and love reflected in everyday life.
At a time when many LGBTQ+ people feel unsafe, even small moments of connection and visibility can be vital. Last year, LGBT Foundation supported more than 50,000 LGBTQ+ people — many needing help simply to get through the day. Hope Starts Here shows that belonging still
exists, even in difficult times.
Rather than focusing on marches or festivals, Hope Starts Here highlights how LGBTQ+ pride is lived year-round — often through relationships, friendships, and family life — bringing these day-to-day experiences and ordinary encounters into the spotlight.
Through Outernet London, two powerful stories will be brought to life at scale, for free, in the centre of London. Zelah Glasson (he/him), a Big Brother Season 25 star, reflects on reclaiming boyhood through football with friends, while Winona Wee (she/they), a London-based skater,
finds joy, calm and community on and off the board, supported by her husband and family – activities that are ordinary to some, but extraordinary to others.
Alongside these stories, the campaign features Drag Race UK star and LGBT Foundation Ambassador Dita Garbo, Manchester-based queer influencers Dani and Jodie and others, and community role models from Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and communities across the
UK – all sharing their special moments.
Crucially, the campaign is designed to resonate beyond LGBTQ+ audiences. By spotlighting experiences many people recognise, it invites wider audiences to see shared humanity, building empathy and connection rather than division.
Sir Ian McKellen (he/him), Patron of LGBT Foundation, shares his ambition for “pride – which is a wonderful word – to take over”, highlighting how everyday actions can help people feel hopeful, valued and at home.
Zelah Glasson (he/him) said: “Hope and joy are not abstract ideas — they’re things everyone deserves access to in real, tangible ways. For LGBTQ+ people, especially trans people, those can often feel harder to hold onto when you’re constantly being judged, having your existence debated, and when access to essential healthcare is often out of reach.
This campaign is a reminder that community, visibility and support aren’t optional — they’re essential, and they genuinely change lives.”
Dr Paul Martin OBE (he/him), Chief Executive of LGBT Foundation, said: “We’ve made real progress as a society, and that matters. But for many LGBTQ+ people, simply living their day-to-day lives is still questioned or criticised. Hope Starts Here sits alongside our Refuse to Be Invisible campaign — one calls for change, the other celebrates the lives we’re fighting for. Together, they show there is far more that brings us together than pulls us apart.”
Scott Neal, Outernet Creative Director Culture and Lifestyle, said: “Outernet is all about bringing people together through culture, creativity and shared experience, so partnering with the LGBT Foundation on this campaign for Pride Month felt incredibly important to us. At a time when division and negativity can feel overwhelming, this partnership uses the power and scale of our screens to celebrate connection, joy and belonging. We’re proud to help amplify everyday LGBTQ+ stories in the heart of London and give visibility to moments of hope that deserve to be seen and shared.”
Brought to life with the support of M3 Labs, I Am Female, Open Media, JCDecaux and Metro, the campaign builds on LGBT Foundation’s previous national campaigns, including This Is What a Woman Looks Like and Man Enough.
Beyond its high-profile presence, the campaign will also be taken directly into communities through a Pride Roadshow this summer, supported by Barefoot Wine.
People can visit www.lgbt.foundation/hope-starts-here to learn more, share the campaign and support LGBTQ+ communities — whether by taking action, donating, or amplifying messages of hope and inclusion.
