Pride marketing has become synonymous with empty gestures and rainbow-logo washing. However McCann London punctures this cynicism with its 16th Century Portrait Campaign for UK Black Pride. The campaign parodies the misinformation fueling a culture of hate against Trans people. 

The works shuns empty gestures in favour of sharing the stories of real lived experiences of Trans people. It rallies audiences to become allies by sharing a letter to the UK government to improve healthcare for Trans people.

As the media continues to push an anti-Trans rhetoric research shows that Trans people are two and a half times more likely to be victims of violence than cisgender people. As media misinformation intensifies, so too do the real-world threats to Trans people.

To bring to life the dangers of misinformation 16th Century Life Expectancy has been created following the insight that one of the most harmful pieces of misinformation about Black Trans women is that they have a life expectancy of just 35. A life expectancy akin to those living back in the 16th Century. 

This statistic, which was first reported by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, found that the average age of Trans homicide victims in South America was between 30 and 35. Although a very real and shocking statistic for that specific group, the statistic has since been extrapolated, misappropriated, and shared across social media fuelling a rippling effect of fear for a vulnerable section of society. 

The statistic diminishes the full, happy and usual lives that many Trans people lead and contributes to the harmful rhetoric of pity and fear. To show the ridiculousness of the misinformation the portrait series depicts five leaders of the Black trans community reimagined as paintings from the 16th Century. These leaders include Talulah Eve (the first Transgender woman on Britain’s Next Top Model), Amani Cosmo, Ebun Sodipo, Mzz Kimberley and Rico Jacob Chace. The images are intended to help spark conversation and create debate about misinformation and the harm it can do.

Alongside the images the campaign shares the stories of the leaders depicted and points audiences to the 16th Century website which shares facts and truths about Trans people which can be used as a source of valid, trusted information. The campaign also asks for improved healthcare for Trans people and calls on supoort from allies via a letter on the 16th Century website, to open discussions with MPs across the UK asking for the rights and safety of Trans people to be a priority. The letter asks for an urgent review of waiting times for trans-related care to reduce from the current wait time which stands at five years.

The campaign was unveiled at Christie’s Pride Lates series, where a panel session explored what it means to be Trans today. The panel discussion also focused on the need for  urgent reform of medical and Trans support services.

Misinformation is not only misleading it is extremely dangerous for the Trans community. The campaign playfully pokes fun at one of the most common well-known misleading statistics. The campaign has a powerful message at its core; misinformation is violence against Trans people. 

In a world where empty gestures and rainbows once a month serve as lip service to companies with no real inclusion or LGBTQIA+ policies, it’s easy to become cynical about the power of creativity for change. However, campaigns like 16th Century Life Expectancy which are rooted in facts, show that getting comfortable with the uncomfortable is the only way to rally for real change.