The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today (14 February) launched the ‘Love and Wanted’ campaign to highlight the capital’s status as somewhere that everyone should feel welcome.
He has also announced a package of almost £1 million in funding to support communities across London through the Government’s Community Recovery Fund and the National Lottery Community Fund.
Speaking to Gay Star News at the launch, he said: “It’s really important we don’t fall into a sense of false security about how things are wonderful, because for some of our communities – the LGBTQ+ community – things aren’t always wonderful.
“We have seen an increase in homophobia.
“We have seen, particularly in social media, language being used that we thought had disappeared from the English lexicon, the English language.
“And that’s why it’s really important for us to provide allyship, but also for me as the Mayor, to remind everyone that our diversity is a strength, not a weakness.”
The campaign comes just six months after riots rocked the UK, and less than a month after Donald Trump took office for a second time and began signing a number of executive orders targeting the rights of minority communities.
It will see the Outernet, located in Tottenham Court Road, have its screens display the eye-catching, “You are loved and wanted in London” graphics throughout February.
The message is also translated into 17 languages, alongside quotes from Londoners sharing examples about how they feel loved and wanted in the city.
Watch our full interview with the Mayor of London below or by clicking here.
