The Story of #YouAreIncluded
By Louise Østergaard Sørensen
#YouAreIncluded is the overarching theme for when WorldPride and EuroGames come together as Copenhagen 2021. It was conceived as a direct message to LGBTI+ people around the world that they are included, welcomed, and appreciated in the event. Furthermore, the hashtag has become a campaign intended to highlight the situation for LGBTI+ people around the globe.
Copenhagen has a long and proud history of a flourishing LGBTI+ community, and while there can be no doubt that Denmark still has a long way to go, equality and human rights remain at the center of the country’s national identity. In 2015, Copenhagen Pride was awarded the bid to host WorldPride in 2021 by InterPride, while Pan Idræt was granted the right to host EuroGames, the annual LGBTI+ multi-sport tournament held in a different city each summer, by EGLSF.
Before bidding for the events, the two organizations then came together to form Happy Copenhagen, which is the organization delivering Copenhagen 2021, to deliver the ambitious LGBTI+ event in August. Paul Brummitt, Head of Communications at Pan Idræt (and the person behind the name ‘Happy Copenhagen’), says that the inspiration came from two things: the fact that Denmark has often been declared the happiest country in the world, and the name of the Copenhagen-based tourist organization, Wonderful Copenhagen.
Copenhagen 2021 is going to be the most significant LGBTI+ event in 2021, combining WorldPride, EuroGames, an eclectic arts and culture program, and a historic LGBTI+ human rights forum in Copenhagen and Malmö.
From Jailhouse to InterPride
The idea for #YouAreIncluded came about over a beer at Jailhouse, an LGBTI+ bar in Copenhagen. Paul Brummitt was with Peter Hylleberg, the graphic designer behind Happy Copenhagen’s first logo, and the two were trying to come up with a tagline for Copenhagen 2021 to add to the logo. They talked about how ‘Love’ had been a theme many years in a row, and “not that there is anything wrong with that”, Paul says. “Quite the opposite. I just didn’t want to copy it.” He wanted a tagline that showed that people were included, “and then the words just fell naturally into place.”
Paul introduced his idea, #YouAreIncluded, to Søren Aare Jensen, Project Leader at Pan Idræt, and Lars Henriksen, chairperson of Copenhagen Pride. Lars recalls that they were sat around his dining room table one day – at first, he was a bit skeptical but then he quickly realized that “often it is the simplest things that work. It made a lot of sense.” With this slogan, the two organizations wanted to send a direct message to people that they wanted them to not only feel included but actually be included.
More than a hashtag
Worldwide, LGBTI+ people continue to face discrimination, exclusion, and even criminalization of their sexuality, gender identity, or gender expression. Being such a significant LGBTI+ event, Copenhagen 2021 is using its platform to raise the voices of LGBTI+ people everywhere through the #YouAreIncluded campaign.
Lars Henriksen emphasizes that even though it is the LGBTI+ community that set the agenda, the event is for the whole city. The message is made to ensure that no one feels left out and that all voices are heard – those that are not part of the acronym can still be part of the sense of community by showing their support for LGBTI+ rights. Of course, neither Denmark nor Sweden is perfect, and the Copenhagen 2021 platform will be used to give the stage to those who are advocating for improvement both locally and around the world.
One of the messages behind the slogan is the importance of everyone being able to see themselves reflected in it – to actually feel included. The conflicts that arise from inside and outside of the community are often based on exclusion, and that needs to change.
The voices and experiences of LGBTI+ people all over the globe need to be heard, and with Copenhagen 2021 being the most significant global LGBTI+ event this year, it is exactly what the platform needs to be used for. These voices will add meaning and urgency to the fight for human rights in Copenhagen and bring to life the demands contained in the Øresund Declaration – demanding global LGBTI+ equality by 2030.
The campaign also enables Copenhagen 2021 to reach people who are unable to attend the physical events in Copenhagen and Malmö, whether for reasons related to travel costs, visa restrictions, or uncertainties caused by the pandemic. With this slogan and campaign, we want to show that no matter where you are, who you love, or how you identify, #YouAreIncluded at Copenhagen 2021.
Tell us what #YouAreIncluded means to you!
We want to know what #YouAreIncluded means to you, in your town or city, school or college, workplace, at home, just walking down the street. Tell us by going to copenhagen2021.com/youareincluded and fill out the form. The form is available in 15 languages, and you can of course be anonymous.
Your answers will be placed on a huge online map we publish on 11 August, and we’ll be sharing answers with global leaders and politicians, to focus their minds on the changes we need to see. You can also see them on Copenhagen 2021 social media during the event, and broadcast on ClearChannel’s big screens across Denmark and Skåne region in Sweden.
