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'

Sarah Jones
Wednesday 26 June 2019 03:26 EDT
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Pride Month

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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.

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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