This year’s London Pride event may have been cancelled but LGBT rights are rightly at the top of the agenda. According to Stonewall’s LGBT in Britain research, 1 in 7 LGBTQ+ people report experiencing discrimination because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity when in a shop or department store. 

To fight against this kind of prejudice and to protect LGBTQ+ citizens, Google has launched the #OpenToEveryone drive. A drive that promotes the need for medium-sized businesses to mark their shops as ‘LGBTQ-friendly’ safe spaces. 

To promote the campaign, in a new video, produced by House of Greenland, Google highlights its LGBTQ-friendly ‘Profile’ button, which allows independent businesses to identify themselves as allies and LGBTQ+ shoppers to enter the space feeling safe.  

In the first film entitled ‘A safe space that’s made to measure’, the audience is introduced to Orhan London Tailoring, an East-End business that offers bespoke wedding suits, primarily for lesbian and non-binary customers who want a choice of outfit that goes beyond the traditional wedding dress. The film explores how Orhan London Tailoring came to offer an LGBTQ+ specific tailoring service for lesbian and non-binary women and shows happy brides-to-be trying on clothes, chatting with staff and feeling at ease, safe in the knowledge that they are in an LGBTQ-friendly business. 

The video ends by showing a plethora of positive Google reviews for the store from past visitors as the store’s director, Orhan Kaplan, says: “Our aim is to create clothes for all women, and what we do here is we make them feel welcome.” These Google reviews alongside the LGBTQ-friendly business marker allow future visitors of the store to know that this is a safe space. People can leave their house safe in the knowledge that they can shop without fear of judgement knowing their experience with the business will be a pleasurable one.

“According to Stonewall, giving businesses the opportunity to mark themselves as a safe space for the LGBTQ community is a key tool to help combat discrimination.” explains Charles-antoine de Leiris, product marketing manager at Google, “Through the LGBTQ-friendly attribute, all businesses can mark themselves as a safe space, and a welcoming environment for customers regardless of their sexual identity. House of Greenland has done a great job conveying the joy customers feel and express when this all comes together.”

The #OpenToEveryone drive also comprises of written Google case studies for selected businesses, detailing their allyship. These businesses include Libreria Berkana; Madrid’s oldest LGBTQ bookstore opened in 1993, Two Boys Brew; an LGBTQ-owned cafe in Phibsborough, Dublin; started by couple Taurean and Kevin and Cafe Manhattan; one of Cape Town's oldest LGBTQ bars.

“Whether a business is LGTBQ-owned or simply an active ally to the community, Google Business’ attributes help people feel safe.” explains Martin de Fleurian, co-founder at House of Greenland, “ One of the best ways to combat discrimination is for businesses to self-identity as LGBTQ-friendly, and as businesses reopen after COVID, Google’s asking them to reopen to everyone.”