Unilever’s 3rd year of United We Stand supports LGBT-focused orgs in underserved areas
As it moves into its third year, Unilever’s LGBT-focused United We Stand campaign is entering a new phase with a focus on organizations in areas where the LGBT community often is underserved.
This year, Unilever is focusing United We Stand’s work in five communities outside major cities to support five grassroots organizations focused on front-line change. Unilever said the communities were chosen based on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index, which looks at the ways municipal laws, policies and services support LGBT people in the community.
The cities are Monroe, La.; Moore, Okla.; Clemson, S.C.; Florence, Ala.; and Cape Girardeau, Mo. United We Stand will be providing direct support to Louisiana’s Forum for Equality, Freedom Oklahoma, South Carolina Black Pride, Alabama’s The Knights & Orchids Society and Missouri’s PFLAG chapter. The support will offer year-round partnerships focused on addressing issues that will help raise the standard of living for LGBT residents of these areas. Efforts will include a focus on lowering hate crime rates, increasing local service access, combating conversion therapy, decriminalization, reducing youth homelessness and nutritional support for the LGBT community.
“While much progress has been made, the LGBTQI+ community needs more support especially in underserved areas,” said Fabian Garcia, president of Unilever North America. “By working with on-the-ground grassroots organizations that have an intimate knowledge of their local communities, Unilever intends to make a lasting impact and contribute to a fairer, more inclusive society.”
In addition to the locally focused efforts, Unilever also once again will partner with filmmaker Tourmaline — who has collaborated with the company since United We Stand launched in 2019 — to support the creation of five films about change-making individuals. Unilever said the films’ focus would be on intersectional LGBT experiences, including rural, Indigenous, Black, Latino, trans and gender-nonconforming, and young people.