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Pride month: Stonewall names Donatella Versace as new ambassador ahead of 50th anniversary

'It is not acceptable that people live in fear because of the person they love'

Wednesday 26 June 2019 08:26 BST

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Pride Month

Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace has been named as a new ambassador for Stonewall – a charity that campaigns for the equality of lesbian, gay, bi and trans people across the globe.

On Tuesday, the 64-year-old announced the news on Instagram alongside a photograph of her holding the LGBT+ flag and wearing a T-shirt that features the Versace logo over a glittering rainbow.

“I’m truly honoured to become a Stonewall Ambassador and so excited to be coming to New York for World #Pride and celebrate #StonewallDay!” Versace captioned the post.

“Join me in supporting the initiative that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots and continues to fight for full #LGBTQ + equality.”

Versace has been a long-time supporter of the LGBT+ community, having been a patron of the Elton John Aids Foundation for many years.

Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities

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1/13Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities

Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities

ASOS x GLAAD

ASOS and GLAAD - an organisation devoted to countering discrimination against the LGBT+ community - have launched their third exclusive collaboration for Pride 2019. The collection includes 50 pieces such as T-shirts, Co-ord sets and tote bags with 100 per cent of all net profits being donated to the LGBT+ charity.

Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities

Converse

Converse honours the origins of Pride with this year’s collection of footwear and apparel, specifically, the 1969 Stonewall Riots. The capsule includes the Chuck Taylor and the Chuck 70 which are emblazoned with rainbow hues and a lightening bolt design. For 2019, proceeds from the Converse Pride Collection will support the brand’s longstanding local and global LGBTQ partners, including It Gets Better Project and OUT MetroWest.

Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities

DKNY

DKNY have launched a capsule collection celebrating Pride in partnership with NY based charity Hetrick-Martin Institute. The collection consists of clothing, accessories, footwear, eyewear, intimates, and jewellery, all with the pride flag incorporated into the design. A donation has been made by DKNY to HMI to support its pioneering mission and empowering results.

Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities

Pride Gin, £36

For 2019, Pride in London has launched Pride Gin: a crisp and refreshing tipple with an added bonus - each bottle sold helps keep Pride free for everyone to attend. Pride Gin will launch at Harvey Nichols and Gerry’s Wine & Spirits on Old Compton Street for £36 from mid-June, as well as being available by the glass at various bars in Soho.

Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities

Harry's Shave with Pride Set, £28

Popular men’s grooming company, Harry’s, has launched a “Shave With Pride” set, which includes their signature razor customized with a unique iridescent handle. The set also includes three blade cartridges and a bottle of Harry’s shave gel. The limited-edition set comes in an art-inspired box designed by Spanish illustrator, José Antonio Roda. Harry’s says 100 per cent of profits from the sale of this set will go to The Trevor Project, which will help the non-profit group serve more than 80,000 LGBTQ youth in crisis this year.

Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities

Marc Jacobs, Enamoured (with Pride) Dazzling Gloss Lip Lacquer, £22

Marc Jacobs Beauty is adding six shades of Pride-themed lip gloss to its best-selling Enamored Lip Lacquer collection. Available in June, the lip gloss will be sold in limited-edition rainbow packaging and 10 per cent of sales will be donated to Sage, an organization that supports older members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities

Boohoo

Online retailer Boohoo has launched the LoveWithoutLimits collection to celebrate Pride 2019. 10 per cent from each sale will be donated between two amazing pride charities - OutRight Action International & LGBT Foundation.

Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities

House of Holland

For 2019, House of Holland is celebrating Pride and supporting the work of the Albert Kennedy Trust - charity that serves the LGBT+ youth community in the UK. A fresh new suiting capsule of 3 piece satin tuxedos in the colours of the Transgender Pride Flag will launch alongside the brand's Resort 20 collection. The four colour-blocked suits include a fitted blazer with large scalloped lapel, fitted waistcoat and a flared tailored trouser. 25 per cent of the profit generated from the sales of the range will be donated to the AKT.

Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities

H&M

H&M continues its support of LGBT+ equality with a capsule collection for women, men and non-binary individuals. Featuring a range of slogan t-shirts, sportswear-inspired garments and fun accessories, 10 per cent of the sales price will be donated to the UN Free & Equal campaign.

Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities

Hunter is celebrating Pride by reimagining its Play boot with a rainbow sole and pull tab. The British boot brand has teamed up with five ambassadors on the launch including ShayShay, Tia Simon-Campbell, Jay Espinosa, Glyn Fussell and Lucy Fizz. Each of the partners has chosen a charity for the brand to donate proceeds to, such as The Outside Project, NAZ, Albert Kennedy Trust, MindOut and Mermaids.

Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities

Morphe

Morphe has teamed up with The Trevor Project, a charity that helps fund 24/7 suicide prevention and crisis intervention services for LGBT+ youth. One-hundred percent of net proceeds from the Live in Color Artistry Palette (£20) and the Live in Color Brush Set 7 Piece Eye Brush Collection (£26) will be donated to the organisation.

Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities

UGG

Ugg’s new limited-edition capsule for Pride Month will benefit LGTBQ youths through the Born This Way Foundation, a crisis support and suicide prevention program. The Fluff Yeah Pride slides retail at £100 each with 25 per cent of the proceeds going to the Born This Way Foundation.

Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities

Ikea

Ikea US has released a rainbow version of its classic blue bag for Pride 2019 to help raise money for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRCF). All proceeds from the bags will go directly to the HRCF.

Versace’s brother, Gianni, was also one of the fashion industry’s first openly gay designers before his untimely death in 1997.

Speaking to WWD, Versace said she is looking forward to adding her voice to the millions of others who demand change.

“In 2019 it is not acceptable that there are people who live in fear because of the person they love, or worse they are persecuted, thrown out of their homes,” Versace said.

“We all need to voice our concern so that everyone can stop living in fear and is free to be whoever they want to be. We need to stop the hate and the discrimination to create a society that accepts diversity, treats everyone equally and is inclusive.”

In addition to the news, Versace has announced that the Italian fashion house is launching a collection of limited-edition Stonewall T-shirts with proceeds going to support Stonewall Day and Pride Live – a global campaign to highlight the importance of remembering the riots.

The T-shirts will be available to purchase at the brand’s Fifth Avenue boutique and online at Versace.com.

This year, Stonewall Day, which falls on 28 June, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots.

Otherwise known as the Stonewall Uprising, the incident saw members of the LGBT+ community fight back against harassment from the police in Greenwich Village, New York.

The riots, which saw protesters take a more militant approach in which they demanded respect and equality, has long been lauded as one of the first major moments in the LGBT+ community’s campaign for wide-scale social change.

It is expected that more than 50 Stonewall ambassadors, which includes the likes of Madonna, Anna Wintour and Whoopi Goldberg, will attend the commemorative event.

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