Case Study
Uprising of Love
Uprising of Love
Objective
Supporting global gay rights advocates
Project Type
Collective Action Campaign, Stakeholder Convenings
Impact Area
LGBTQIA Issues
Client Type
Nonprofit
Client Need
In 2014, as the Olympics were headed to Sochi, Russia, the US was on the precipice of striking down the ban on same sex marriage. At such a unique moment in history, when we were seeing such rapid progress in the fight for equality at home, there was a prevailing feeling that we couldn’t be blind to appalling violations of human rights elsewhere, including in Russia where the government had placed a ban on same-sex propaganda. In Russia, Uganda, Nigeria, Gambia, Brunei, Honduras, Colombia, India and elsewhere, the LGBTQIA community faced government-sponsored or encouraged harassment, abuse, and violence. In some countries, laws have deemed homosexuality punishable by death and the situation appears to be getting worse, not better.
Our Approach
Uprising of Love was a response to the moment and the movement, creating a global call to action supporting the safety and dignity of LGBTQIA people around the world, with a focus on Russia in the lead-up to the Olympics. Propper Daley led and co-founded the effort alongside Melissa Etheridge, Dustin Lance Black, Bruce Cohen and dozens of prominent individuals in entertainment, sports, business and politics, the campaign was focused on raising awareness and funds for activists making a difference on the ground in every part of the globe where LGBTI safety and dignity is compromised. The Uprising of Love benefit concert for global equality was held as the world converged upon New York City for the United Nations General Assembly and the Clinton Global Initiative. A group of LGBTIA and human rights organizations, along with some of our nation’s most creative artists, joined together to remind global leaders that “the world is watching” and to raise significant funding for grassroots organizations and activists around the world.
Impact
Uprising of Love: A Benefit Concert for Global Equality featured performances by superstars such as Sting, Patti LuPone, Chely Wright, Billy Porter, and the casts of hit Broadway shows. The show, hosted by Jane Lynch and written by Academy Award-winning Dustin Lance Black (Milk), raised awareness and funds bolstering LGBTQIA groups. The net proceeds of the event went directly to Fueling the Frontlines, a three-year, $20-million campaign for global LGBTQIA rights led by the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice.