Giant Rainbow Dress with powerful equal rights message to arrive in Sunderland ahead of LGBTQIA+ conference

The Amsterdam Rainbow Dress is a living work of art, comprising all the national flags from countries where being LGBTIQ+ is illegal, on penalty of imprisonment, torture or capital punishment.

When a country adopts LGBTIQ+ inclusive legislation, the respective flag is replaced with a rainbow flag.

The dress, which has a diameter of over 16 metres, has already been displayed in iconic cities around the world, including Amsterdam, San Francisco, Madrid, Athens, Seoul, Antwerp, Johannesburg and Brussels.

It will arrive at the National Glass Centre on Tuesday June 20 and will be displayed as part of the very first International LGBTQIA+ Community Conference on Thursday June 22,

The dress will represent a powerful message of inclusion, equality, and the rights of sexual and gender minorities.

The ‘Safer To Be Me Symposium’ is a joint initiative between the University of Sunderland and human rights charity, ReportOUT.

Visitors will be able to view the monumental dress during a drinks reception at the Glass Centre, attended by members of the Amsterdam Rainbow Dress Foundation.

There will also be a speech from Drew Dalton, the Chair of Trustees at ReportOUT.

Drew, who is also a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the city’s university, said: "We welcome everyone to come along to our launch night, to view the Rainbow Dress and listen to its history as a symbol of protest.

"We want Safer To Be Me to be open to all, so please grab a ticket, and find out more about global LBGTQI+ rights."

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The conference will provide a “safe space” where some of the most important issues facing international LGBTQIA+ human rights can be explored in detail.

Drew added: “This Symposium is sorely needed at a time when global rights of sexual and gender minorities are on a precipice. Whilst we see countries dropping like dominoes in terms of decriminalising same sex activity and the voices of our community being louder than ever, we are also seeing a well-organised global fightback with punitive laws being enacted, growing transphobia and camps for LGBTQI+ people being set up.”

Further details and tickets can be obtained from the ReportOUT website.