Trans+ History Week has launched a nationwide campaign to challenge “harmful narratives”.
The marketing drive, titled ‘Always Been Here’, aims to raise awareness on the “overlooked, erased and untold” stories of transgender, non-binary, gender-diverse and intersex people.
“Making our history visible is a radical act,” said Marty Davies, founder and CEO of Trans+ History Week CIC and founder of Smarty Pants Consultancy.
“For so long, our stories have been hidden or distorted. This campaign changes that. It puts our truth in the spotlight; on billboards, in print, and in spaces that have historically excluded us. It’s a reminder that Trans+ people are not a trend. We are a fact of human history.”
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The campaign will run from 5 to 11 May across major UK cities including Edinburgh, Newcastle, London and Coventry.
It was devised by a team of volunteers led by Uncharted Studio and Smarty Pants Consultancy. Research for the campaign was handled by The Diversity Standards Collective.
JCDecaux, Ocean, Open Media UK, The Guardian and Financial Times, Metro and Reach were among those who contributed media space for the campaign. It was supported by sponsorship from Clifford Chance, Verizon Business, Publicis Groupe UK and Diageo.
Laura Jordan Bambach, chief creative officer of Uncharted Studio, said the creative campaign “cements trans history as something which is as old as time”.
“This wasn’t about rainbow-washing, but honouring stories that span millennia, using bold visuals and confident, declarative language to give these histories the platform they deserve. The creative treatment had to match the depth and dignity of the stories being told,” she added.
