In 2003, Fondation Émergence founded the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHTOB), now observed worldwide. Held annually on May 17, the day aims to better the situation of LGBTQ2+ people all around the world.

Every year, the Foundation's objectives are to raise awareness around LGBT rights, advocate for victims worldwide as well as remind the general public of the still ongoing fights for diversity, equality and inclusion. Unfortunately, every year, the budget is the key hurdle. Being a NFPO, Émegrence relies on social channels and organic PR to raise awareness around its objectives.

Another challenge they face, especially in more progressive countries and communities, is to re-engage citizens who tend to forget that LGBTQ2+ acceptance is still far from being widespread, and that many members of the community are still victims of violent acts. Originally a symbol of activism, the Pride Flag gradually lost its meaning as organizations kept co-opting it to signal mere openness and acceptance. Colours of Pride is the reimagining of one of the world’s most iconic symbols using real bruises from real assaults against LGBTQ2+ activists to remind all of us of the real price of pride.

They initially reached out to many activists and victims of aggression to help tell their story through their campaign. Six of them courageously agreed to tell their story, as well as providing shocking images
of their injuries and bruises.

As it turns out, the different healing stages of bruises cover a wide range of colours, from red to orange to green to blue. They therefore created a version of the Pride Flag where they replaced the bright rainbow colours by their darker bruised counterpart.

Originally launched as a video piece on social channels and via PR efforts, people were redirected towards an online platform (www.thecoloursofpride.com) to read and share full testimonies of victims. The platform
also acted as an online invitation for additional victims to share their own stories and photos
to fuel the online spread.

Out-of-home installations were deployed in select cities, showcasing enlarged bruises. From afar, a simple LGBT Pride flag. As pedestrians walked towards the print installation, the bruises relieved themselves along with the impactful message and an invitation to continue the conversation online.

Physical flags produced for the launch were also sent directly to government leaders in the UN Member States that still have homophobic laws. Framed flags and personal testimonies of victims were sent to the six UN Member States that still impose the death penalty as a legally prescribed penalty for consensual sexual acts between people of the same sex. Their bruised flag also flew in dozens of Pride events worldwide.To further amplify these initiatives, Émergence leveraged its network of ally organizations all across the world, as well as influential members of the LGBTQ+ community. A PR push was also made.

Finally, Émergence produced printed awareness material (educational flyers, posters and stickers) that were made available for free to schools and school boards wishing to promote the IDAHT.

The Colours of Pride really became a symbol of strength and resilience for the LGBT movements in 2021. Picked up by LGBT media at first, larger press outlets and traditional media followed soon after. Approximately 123MM impressions were generated globally, with 50+MM in Canada and the US, where the LGBT fight is often said to be a thing of the past.The Colours of Pride video generated more than 2.4 million views across all platforms. A lot of notable local celebrities, notable activists and social media influencers shared the video.

Notable news outlets such as Radio-Canada/CBC, Journal de Montréal, CP24 and many local TV and radio stations covered the initiative, allowing for additional reach and awareness of the platform. Several officials and political decision-makers underlined May 17, including the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, by mentioning Émergence and the campaign in his official statement. Member of Québec Parliament Jennifer Maccarone tabled a motion for the National Assembly to highlight the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia under the theme "For some, showing their colours isn’t a choice.”

Toolkit orders more than tripled vs the previous edition, while requests for Emergence interviews in the media grew by 50%. The IDHATOB Facebook community also grew by 30%.