Help Manchester Pride find the face of LGBTQ

A CARD MEANS MORE THAN YOU THINK

-Nearly 50% of Brits prefer a card instead of a Facebook message on their birthday-

-Despite the rise of social media platforms, greeting cards are more popular than ever before-

-Nation agrees there is a distinct lack of cards, which represent minority groups-

Want to make someone’s birthday? It’s easy. Buy them a card! Research out today by Huetribe, a multicultural and LGBTQ greeting card line has found that almost half of all British adults – from heterosexual to homosexual to all ethnicities – would rather receive a card on their birthday (48%) than a Facebook message (9%) despite the mass popularity of Facebook. And, given the choice, men no matter their sexual orientation, would rather receive a birthday card (40%) than a birthday pint in the pub (27%).

However, when it comes to selecting cards for minority groups, almost three-quarters of Brits (73%) say there isn't enough choice. Furthermore, with wedding season in full swing and same-sex marriages more popular than ever before having been legalised over three years ago, Brits across feel the most underrepresented in the greetings card market are LGBTQ people (47%), followed closely by the disabled (33%), people of colour (27%) and interracial couples or people (26%).

Tineka Smith, Founder of Huetribe comments: “Nothing says I’m thinking of you or I love you more than a card – but it can be hard to find cards which truly represent modern day society - whether you are gay, straight, bisexual, black or white. And with wedding season upon us, I’m not surprised the majority of Brits feel they can’t find cards for minority groups– and that’s exactly why I set up Huetribe – to address the gaps of racial, cultural and sexual representation in the greeting card market. When you walk into a store and see images on greeting cards that look like you or your relationships, it gives you a sense of acceptance that people realise you’re part of our society too.”

With this in mind, Huetribe, has teamed up with Manchester Pride and this year at The Big Weekend Huetribe will search to find the faces of its new LBGTQ range as it looks to expand its current birthday, wedding and special occasions card offering. From solo entries to friends, couples and families – all are welcome to apply.

The Big Weekend, along with The Manchester Pride Parade and The Candlelit Vigil, forms part of the Manchester Pride Festival which is an award-winning four day event celebrating LGBT life taking place in August.  The Big Weekend runs from Friday 25 - Monday 28 August, with the parade happening on Saturday 26 August. The 2016 The Big Weekend attracted acts and appearances from Will Young, Fleur East, Groove Armada, Judge Jules and MNEK.

Mark Fletcher, Chief Executive for Manchester Pride concludes: “While society has come so far in recent years, minority groups are still underrepresented in many aspects of our lives. Same-sex weddings are the norm since their legalisation three years ago and so should be cards reflecting them! We were so pleased when we discovered that organisations like Huetribe exist and we’re delighted to have teamed up with them for this year’s The Big Weekend - where together we’ll be on the hunt for the new face of its LBGTQ range.”

Despite preconceptions, it’s the younger, more socially-savvy generations that like to buy cards most. Even though 18-24 year olds spend at least nine hours online each day, they buy the most cards out of all the age categories. Overall, we purchase at least 10 cards each a year spending up to six minutes looking for the right one.

Not surprisingly for us Brits, no matter our sexuality or race, we are unanimous in that we love a bit of humour on a card (52%), with a whopping 93% of us purposefully avoiding anything too cheesy or romantic!

Up and down the country, it’s the Welsh who send the most cards each year – an average of 21. They also receive more than any other region – up to 23 a year. Mancunians send an average of 12 cards a year, receiving at least 14. Ireland sends the least (8 cards a year) and Scots receive fewer than anyone else (9 a year).

Huetribe has teamed up with Manchester Pride to find a new face for its LBGTQ range at The Big Weekend this August. From solo entries to friends, couples and families - all are welcome to apply. As well as becoming the face of Huetribe's LGBTQ range, which will include a professional photo shoot, the winning entry will also receive a weekend away for friends and family. The ‘Join our Tribe’ competition launches July 24th on Huetribe’s (@huetribedesign) and Manchester Pride’s (@ManchesterPride) Facebook page, as well as the Huetribe website.

For more information about Huetribe visit www.huetribe.com

Published: 10-Aug-2017: (4472)