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IPG Mediabrands & The Humsafar Trust #StandWithPride for the LGBTQIA+ community’s First Independence Day with a Pride-themed National Anthem

By Ankit Chugh
August 14, 2019
IPG Mediabrands & The Humsafar Trust #StandWithPride for the LGBTQIA+ community’s First Independence Day with a Pride-themed National Anthem
When the Supreme Court repealed Section 377 on September 6th 2018, it delivered the truest sense of freedom to millions of LGBTQIA+ people within the country. It finally granted them constitutional equality. This year’s Independence Day may be the nation’s 73rd, but it is the Pride community’s first. To commemorate this, prominent community members and a few of the petitioners who worked towards this landmark judgement have come together to present their own rendition of our nation’s National Anthem. To celebrate this, Interactive Avenues – A Reprise network Company, which is the digital arm of IPG Mediabrands India, joined hands with The Humsafar Trust, one of Asia’s first and the largest organisations working for LGBTQIA+ health and rights, to create a special National Anthem film The film, which has been scripted, conceptualised and created by Interactive Avenues, features prominent LGBTQIA+ advocates and activists from NGOs and advocacy bodies like The Naz FoundationKASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film FestivalSweekar – The Rainbow ParentsUmang LBT Group, and The Humsafar Trust, amongst others. The video’s narrative presents a colourful and artistic interpretation of the most popular symbol of India’s unity and diversity – the National Anthem penned by Rabindranath Tagore. On August 15, India’s largest cinema chain, PVR, will be playing this national anthem film across 250 screens in 8 metros during every movie shown in these theatres. This collaboration between The Humsafar Trust and IPG Mediabrands India is the first of many steps that the new world agency network is taking to achieve a lasting culture change across its holding companies. “People are our biggest asset and therefore as a network, collectively we have fostered a culture of diversity and inclusion. We are India’s only advertising network which has 50% women representation in its executive council. And through this film, we want to tell our employees and to the larger society that we welcome everyone and we embrace everyone.” Savita Mathai, Group Chief Talent Officer, IPG Mediabrands India. "This is the first year we LGBTQIA+ are really free and the Independence Day anthem will bring this poignantly. We thank IPG Mediabrands India for recording this happy moment and being part of this celebratory event in a meaningful way. Thank you all for being an active part of the first anniversary of our real Azaadi". Ashok Row Kavi, Founder & Chairperson, The Humsafar Trust Ashok Row Kavi (HST Chairperson & Founder), Suhail Abbasi (Co-Founder & Trustee), Vivek Anand (CEO & Board Member), and HST’s staff members Yashwinder Singh and Gautam Yadav were petitioners before the Supreme Court advocating the repeal of Section 377. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfPhlh2pTwg[/embedyt]   About The Humsafar Trust: The Humsafar Trust (HST) was founded in April 1994 by reputed journalist, Ashok Row Kavi, along with Suhail Abbasi and Sridhar Rangayan to reach out to LGBTQIA+ communities in Mumbai and its surrounding areas. After many efforts, it became the first openly gay community-based organisation to be allotted space in a municipal building in Mumbai.  Humsafar is home to LGBTQ+ Communities, which work towards achieving human rights & promoting health & well-being through community ownership & engagement. Humsafar advocates social & legal reform with a research-based approach to create an enabling environment that promotes acceptance of the community. The Trust has addressed various issues faced by the community like coming out to self and family, relationships, legal issues and handling crisis situations with families, cheaters, extortionists, blackmailers and violence arising out of the existence of Section 377.  2019 marks the start of The Humsafar Trust’s 25th year of serving the spectrum of LGBTQIA+ rights in India.    About Interactive Avenues: Interactive Avenues – a Reprise Network Company is the digital arm of the world’s leading media agency network, IPG Mediabrands. IA is a full-service digital agency network that was launched 13 years ago and was acquired by IPG Mediabrands India in 2012. Headquartered in Mumbai, IA has offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata. IA is reinventing digital experiences everywhere, every day. With end-to-end capabilities that include search, social media, content creation, product and web development, eRetail and strategy, we cut to the core of what truly drives customers by providing a holistic digital-first approach. Armed with intelligent insights and an audience-first approach, our expert team of specialists deliver integrated initiatives that help the world’s biggest brands connect to the people who drive their business forward - efficiently and effectively. About IPG Mediabrands India: IPG Mediabrands: IPG Mediabrands is the global media arm of Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). Today, the network manages $39 billion in marketing investment on behalf of its clients, employing over 10,000 marketing communication specialists in more than 130 countries. In India, IPG Mediabrands is the second-largest media agency network with leading agencies under its banner including Lodestar UM, Initiative, Interactive Avenues and Rapport.   For further information please contact: Pritha Dasgupta, Senior Director, Integrated Communications, IPG Mediabrands India Mobile Number: 9819268730

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