Love is love — and regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, it’s beautiful. And this month, World Pride month, is an occasion to celebrate just that.

But the freedom to be oneself and love as one chooses shouldn’t be limited to just this one month. People everywhere should feel empowered to be themselves, always. That’s the message P&G hair care brand Pantene is spreading with its new video, “Don’t Hate Me Because I’m BeautifuLGBTQ.”

The short video features people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, races, and hair types challenging stereotypes of what it means to be “beautiful.”

The new video is part of Pantene’s recently launched “Power To Transform” campaign, which aims to give visibility to those who are often underrepresented, particularly women. “Don’t Hate Me Because I’m BeautifuLGBTQ,” which was released on June 18, also marks the start of Pantene’s partnership with GLAAD, a nonprofit that monitors media bias and discrimination against LGBTQ communities.

Pantene admits it was once known for a particular kind of “beautiful hair,” but the brand is now committed to shattering stereotypes of all kinds. “Don’t Hate Me Because I’m BeautifuLGBTQ”, created in partnership with GLAAD, calls back to the company’s famous 1986 “Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Beautiful” ad campaign and re-defines what “beautiful” looks like.

Set to Keri Hilson’s “Pretty Girl Rock,” the video features people joyfully dancing and expressing their love, bathed in the bright colors of the rainbow Pride flag. It makes a strong statement about the progress made in LGBTQ rights and also reflects the journey of Pantene.

 

In celebration of the great strides made by the LGBTQ movement, and acknowledgement of the work still left to be done, P&G has also released the short film Out of the Shadows, which follows the efforts of a group of LGBTQ employees of P&G, who fought for equal benefits and respect in the workplace. The 25-minute film is a sequel to the award-winning film The Words Matter, which told the story of Michael Chanak, a gay P&G employee, who became a vocal LGBTQ rights activist.

Out of the Shadows shows the power of challenging the accepted narrative and changing how companies view their roles in conversations around equality and social justice.

Together with GLAAD, P&G will continue to uplift members of the LGBTQ community this Pride month and beyond by celebrating inclusion, representation, and freedom of expression.

Pantene is one of several P&G brands whose commitment to championing equality extends past borders. The brand has recently launched global campaigns in the Philippines and the UK, which celebrate and showcase transgender beauty.

By sharing these powerful stories, P&G and its brands aim to spark important conversations, encourage people to broaden their views, and, ultimately, build a better world.

Source: Global Citizen