On Pride Weekend this year (June 24 – 26), show your support and solidarity for the LGBTQ+ community by making a Pinky Promise. By simply painting your little finger and showing it to the world (or whatever part of it your social media can reach) you can participate in the Pride 2022 campaign launched by Image Now and ShoutOut.

A Pinky Promise for Pride is the new project created by Image Now in collaboration with ShoutOut, which works on educating school students, parents and teachers on LGBTQ+ issues. The campaign is a call out to end shame, persecution and inequality and a way to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community and be a better ally.

“The Pinky Promise campaign, at its most basic level, is about making a promise to be a better ally and to support the LGBTQIA+ community.” said Éanna O’Shea, the Creative Director at Image Now. “The simple act of painting your nail and wearing it proudly makes a statement to say that you stand with your pride community and that you’ll promise to do better.”

Does this resonate with you? If the answer is yes, you can participate too by following these four simple steps:

“The Promise: To be an ally, to stand with your family, friends and colleagues, to be more aware and to better support our LGBTQIA+ community.

The Paint: Paint your pinky! Paint it your favourite colour, paint a flag, paint a heart, paint anything you want to express yourself and show you will stand up for equality.

The Picture: Share your nail art creations online using #pinkypromise and let’s spread messages of alliance and solidarity throughout Pride Weekend 2022.

The Pledge: Donate €4 to ShoutOut and help them deliver LGBTQIA+ Educational Programmes to schools across Ireland.”

Even though Ireland has taken great steps for the protection of LGBTQ+ rights, there is still a long way to go. As the recent attacks and brutal murders that we witnessed in the country demonstrate, there is still a need for a deep change in our culture and the support of our allies is of crucial importance if we want to achieve it.

“Now, more than ever, we need to change that stigma, break norms and stop shaming. It’s time to re-evaluate and re-think because this ignorance, lack of education and understanding is manifesting unjustified hate, dangerous retaliation and deadly attacks,” said O’Shea.

These sentiments are echoed in the words of ShoutOut’s newly appointed Executive Director, Aifiric Ní Chríodáin, who commented “Ireland has come a long way, but young LGBTQIA+ people still struggle to feel safe and accepted in the face of homophobia, biphobia, interphobia, and transphobia.”

“For 10 years, ShoutOut has asked school students to promise their peers they’ll support them regardless of their sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity.” she continued “We’ve asked them to promise they’ll help create safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ young people, free from violence, harassment, and exclusion. Now, we’re asking Ireland to do the same.”

And there’s no more appropriate time to take a stance for LGBTQ+ rights than Pride season. “Pride for many people is a party but at its core, it is still a protest.” said ShoutOut ambassador Stephen Byrne “As someone who has suffered from targeted physical abuse because of my sexuality, I wanted to be part of the protest, to be part of the change and to be part of the prevention.”

He added “It’s been an honour to witness the work of ShoutOut first-hand in schools and I’m delighted to be part of the Pinky Promise campaign this year. Being an ally is more important than ever so get involved this year and let’s raise some money for an incredible service that helps so many young LGBTQIA+ people all over Ireland.’