Trans Big Brother star Zelah Glasson fronts LGBT Foundation’s nationwide ‘Hope Starts Here’ campaign

Former Big Brother contestant and LGBT Foundation patron Zelah Glasson is among the faces of a major new nationwide campaign celebrating LGBTQ+ lives and communities.

The Hope Starts Here campaign, launched by LGBT Foundation in partnership with JCDecaux Community Channel, will appear on more than 250 digital advertising screens across almost 100 towns and cities throughout the UK during August.

Glasson, who has become LGBT Foundation's newest patron, features alongside a range of LGBTQ+ creators, performers and community figures in the campaign, which aims to highlight stories of hope, belonging and connection.

The initiative is LGBT Foundation's largest public awareness campaign to date and seeks to showcase LGBTQ+ experiences beyond Pride season by focusing on friendships, relationships and everyday moments of joy.

Glasson is joined by contributors including RuPaul's Drag Race UK star and LGBT Foundation ambassador Dita Garbo, singer Seann Miley Moore, influencer Tyler da Clare, ITV's Eva and Nik Speakman, and queer content creators Dani and Jodie.

The campaign was first unveiled during Pride Month in June with a high-profile exhibition at Outernet London, one of the capital's busiest public spaces. The latest rollout will take those stories to audiences nationwide through JCDecaux Community Channel's digital screen network.

LGBT Foundation said the campaign comes at a time when many LGBTQ+ people continue to face discrimination and hostility, with Hope Starts Here offering a positive narrative centred on visibility, community and shared experiences.

Sarah Miguel, Director of Fundraising and Marketing at LGBT Foundation, said: "This is a campaign which seeks to bridge divides and unify people through relatable stories of everyday hope.

"Hope Starts Here invites people across the UK to pause, reflect and recognise themselves in LGBTQ+ lives and experiences. By celebrating everyday moments of connection, belonging and joy, we're helping to build understanding, visibility and connection at a time when many LGBTQ+ communities continue to face significant challenges."

Miguel added that support from JCDecaux Community Channel would help bring those stories to audiences across the country and demonstrate the impact that outdoor advertising can have in promoting social change.

Chris Dooley, Head of Responsible Media at JCDecaux, said: "Through the JCDecaux Community Channel, we're proud to support LGBT Foundation's Hope Starts Here campaign, sharing powerful LGBTQ+ stories with people in cities and promoting visibility and inclusivity across the UK."

Alongside the outdoor advertising campaign, content featuring Glasson and the other contributors will continue to be shared through LGBT Foundation's social media and digital channels, as well as through Metro's Queer Hope & Joy editorial series.

The charity said the campaign aims to encourage people to recognise the hope and connection found in everyday LGBTQ+ lives while fostering greater understanding and inclusion across the UK.