Former Homophobes Issue Heartfelt Apologies in London Pride Ads

Sometimes all it takes is a truly sincere apology to begin the healing process. In a new series of ads, Pride in London gave people a public platform to issue apologies to LGBTQ family members they didn’t accept in the past.

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Having a video for each letter in the LGBT acronym, a mother recalls how wronged she felt when her daughter came out to her as a lesbian, felling denied the chance to ever have grandchildren. A gay son’s father recalls how, after spewing hatred, the day his finally left was the most excruciating of his life. The mother of a bisexual child apologizes for belittling their sexuality and being misunderstanding. And a trans woman’s college friend apologizes for betraying her and not standing by her during her coming out process.

“Created for Pride in London by WCRS, the ‘Love Happens Here’ campaign centers around several LGBT-themed ads directed by Fred Scott,” reports The Drum. The ads will appear on London’s Channel 4 during a “special season of programming designed to mark 50 years since parliament first voted to legalize homosexuality.” 

To further amplify their message of acceptance, Pride in London is inviting people to share similar stories online, aiming to make 2017 London’s “largest and most vibrant Pride ever.”