Burberry champions LGBTQ+ communities as part of its upcoming February show

Burberry announces today that it will be cementing its commitment to LGBTQ+ communities through a series of initiatives.

The LGBTQ+ rainbow, an emblem for optimism and inclusiveness, will feature prominently across the brand’s February 2018 collection, rooted in the introduction of a new Rainbow check, the latest iteration of Burberry’s most iconic symbol.

The Rainbow check pieces in the collection will be available for purchase immediately after the show in London on Saturday 17 February.

To solidify its support of LGBTQ+ communities, Burberry also announces today that it has made donations to three charities - the Albert Kennedy Trust, the Trevor Project and ILGA – all dedicated to broadening the awareness, mentoring and resources available around the world.

Burberry has long been committed to supporting young people to fulfil their potential including through the company’s internal apprenticeship and work experience programmes, as well as through supporting numerous creative institutions with donations and scholarships including the Royal College of Art and the British Fashion Council.

The February 2018 show, which will unveil Christopher Bailey’s last collection for Burberry, will take place in London at 5pm GMT on Saturday 17 February and will be streamed live on Burberry.com.

Notes for Editors

About the Albert Kennedy Trust

• The Albert Kennedy Trust is the national LGBT+ youth homelessness charity providing safe homes, mentoring, training and support to give young people the start in life they deserve. Twenty-four per cent of young people facing homelessness identify as LGBT+ with 77 per cent of those citing familial rejection and abuse as the primary cause.
• Website: www.akt.org.uk
• Instagram: @albertkennedytrust

‘We are overjoyed with this generous donation and support from Burberry, which will make an incredible difference to preventing LGBT+ youth homelessness in the UK. Twenty-four per cent of the 150,000 young people facing homelessness in the UK identify as LGBT+ after experiencing abuse and rejection just for being brave enough to come out to their families. Burberry’s donation will support our ongoing work to provide safe homes and support to young people, grow our youth engagement programme and fund our plans to bring AKT to more cities to reach the most vulnerable people across the country.’

Tim Sigsworth MBE, Chief Executive of the Albert Kennedy Trust

About the Trevor Project

• The Trevor Project is the leading and only accredited national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) young people under the age of 25. The Trevor Project offers a suite of crisis intervention and suicide prevention programmes, including TrevorLifeline, TrevorText, and TrevorChat as well as a peer-to-peer social network support for LGBTQ young people under the age of 25, TrevorSpace. 
• The Trevor Project also offers an education programme with resources for youth-serving adults and organisations, a legislative advocacy department fighting for pro-LGBTQ legislation and against anti-LGBTQ rhetoric/policy positions, and conducts research to discover the most effective means to help young LGBTQ people in crisis and end suicide.
• Website: www.TheTrevorProject.org

‘Burberry's generous donation will make a transformational difference in growing the Trevor Project's life-saving work for LGBTQ youth. We are incredibly excited to partner, and with Burberry's support we will be able to continue to meet the increased demands for our services.’

Amit Paley CEO/Executive Director, the Trevor Project

About ILGA

• The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) is a worldwide federation of organisations committed to equal human rights for LGBTI people. Founded in 1978, it enjoys consultative status at the United Nations, where it speaks and lobbies on behalf of more than 1,300 member organisations from 142 countries.
• ILGA delivers successful programmes including the United Nations Advocacy Programme and the Gender Identity and Gender Expression Programme. Each year, ILGA releases three landmark publications: the State-Sponsored Homophobia report – including its sexual orientation laws maps - the ILGA-RIWI Global Attitudes Survey and the Trans Legal Mapping Report.
• ILGA supports regional development in six regions covering the globe, supporting the delivery of regional conferences and a biennial world conference on LGBTI human rights.
• Website: http://ilga.org
• Instagram: @ilgaworld

‘This generous donation will continue to empower efforts to raise the voices of and mobilise LGBTI people, It will help us to support activists as they advocate at the United Nations for repeals of discriminatory laws, equip and train LGBTI human rights advocates in Africa, Asia and Latin America to sustain movements in these regions, to help bring about societal change, and to research laws and attitudes impacting our communities, shining a spotlight on the unequal treatment LGBTI people face the world-over. For all of this, we at ILGA are grateful.’

Ruth Baldacchino and Helen Kennedy, co-Secretaries General of ILGA

‘We are happy to receive this generous donation from Burberry, a company that has recently strengthened its commitment to LGBTI rights by publicly supporting the United Nations Standards of Conduct for Business.’ 

J. Andrew Baker, Senior Development Officer of ILGA