If you’re a member of the LGBT community, you’ve likely felt the sting of hate that comes from anti-gay internet comments, fliers, and discriminatory efforts. These messages, which range from subtly homophobic and transphobic to flagrantly hateful, are harmful for all members of the LGBT community. What if we could turn these hateful words into something positive? One company in Europe is doing just that.
Daintree Paper, a handmade paper shop in Dublin, Ireland, recently launched a campaign to combat homophobic messages that are being promoted in response to the country’s upcoming same-sex marriage referendum in late May. Reports PinkNews,
Extreme anti-gay leaflets have been distributed by groups ahead of the referendum, with some claiming that being gay will give you cancer, and equal marriage ‘exposes’ children to the ‘sounds of sodomy.’
In reaction to the deluge of leaflets, Daintree have begun to offer a special service – shredding the anti-gay literature and re-purposing it as wedding confetti for same-sex couples.
The campaign is brilliantly titled, A Shred of Decency, and is inspiring for its ability to turn hateful anti-gay literature into a beautiful celebration of love. An ad from Daintree explains,“We believe in making beautiful things out of paper. So when paper was used to print some ugly lies in the run up to the marriage equality referendum, we wanted to do something about it.”
Not only does A Shred of Decency serve as a way to stand it solidarity with the gay community in Ireland and raise awareness for same-sex marriage equality, Daintree also plans on donating proceeds from the confetti sales to the campaign group Yes Equality. Yes Equality is a nationwide campaign that is working to secure a Yes vote in the Marriage Equality Referendum on May 22nd, which makes it a very worthy cause to support.
Hopefully A Shred of Decency will create more support for marriage equality in Ireland, and encourage people to head to the polls on May 22.