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UK Prime Minister supports us
07 Oct 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 8th October 2009:
Same-sex hand holding (Sshh): Our silent revolution
UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown meets gay rights activist David Watkins
who wins award for campaigning work with
A Day In Hand
the world’s first Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans (LGBT) same-sex hand holding campaign
David Watkins (centre with AIDS ribbon) won this year’s Social Inclusion Award for his campaign to inspire and support same-sex couples who want to hold hands in public, as a way of changing cultural perceptions of same-sex love.
David Watkins, (black tie, left of centre) receives praise from Gordon Brown at 10, Downing Street for his work with A Day In Hand.
Where and when was it?
Award winners of the Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK) were invited to 10 Downing Street on October 7th, to meet the UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. Mr Brown met David Watkins, Founder of A Day In Hand and thanked him for his work for the SMK Social Inclusion award. At the awards ceremony Jon Snow (Channel 4 news) and Shami Chakrabarti (Liberty) presented the award to David who said “It’s great that an activist who fights for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) rights is being recognised by the Prime Minister. Homophobia is a human rights issue and increasing visibility of LGBT couples will help to ultimately challenge discrimination. Gaining support from the Sheila McKechnie Foundation and the Prime Minister enables me to more visibly fight for the rights of LGBT people to express their love openly in public without fear of abuse.”
For a video of the event go here
 
Jon Snow and David Watkins Shami Chakrabarti and David Watkins
Jon Snow, Patron of SMK said:
“I am thrilled to be standing here in her (Sheila McKechnie’s) honour with these wonderful Sheila McKechnie Awards, and the sheer diversity of the people who have both been nominated and eventually won these awards is itself a testament to the kind of work that we remember her for.”
What’s going on?
• The award recognises the outstanding contribution that David Watkins, Founder of A Day In Hand has made towards achieving social justice for LGBT people both in the UK and abroad.
• The next international Same-sex hand holding (Sshh!) Saturday will be on Saturday 31st October 2009. On that day same-sex couples are encouraged to express their commitment to each other by publicly holding hands. They can email their photos to yourstories@adayinhand.com to show support for LGBT rights.
Who?
• Gordon Brown, UK Prime Minister joins the growing number of public figures and celebrities that have endorsed A Day In Hand through photoshoots and same-sex hand holding pictures. Others include 4 Poofs And A Piano, Brian Paddick and Boy George, author Paul Burston, MEP Michael Cashman, Mayor Boris Johnson and activists Peter Tatchell & Cleve Jones (Harvey Milk’s aide).
What is A Day In Hand?
• A Day in Hand heralds a revolutionary way of making the world a more liveable place: a revolution in which anybody, on any day, can be a part of. The campaign is designed to promote equality of respect for people who wish to hold hands with someone of the same gender in public. How? By holding hands we visibly challenge stereotypes and show same-sex couples love and commit like everyone else. Events like ‘Sshh! Saturdays’ on the last Saturday of every month remind people that each individual has the power to change the cultural zeitgeist. Holding hands with your partner or your friend, where you can, is about being true to yourself and to those you love.
How?
• Go to our website at http://www.adayinhand.com, register with the site and spread the word. We are asking people to upload photos of public, same-sex hand holding to the site or to our Facebook and Flickr groups (links below). Collectively, these photos will map the public presence of same-sex love across the world, and provide inspiration for millions of LGBT people to hold hands unashamedly in public. Straight people can get involved to, by taking Elvis Presley’s A Day In Hand “Walk A Mile In My Shoes” challenge. We are asking straight people to walk a mile (or any distance) holding the hand of someone of the same sex, and talking/writing about how it feels. http://www.adayinhand.com/news/aboutus
What is the Sheila MacKechnie Foundation?
The Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK), is the UK’s only charity dedicated to connecting, informing and supporting campaigners. SMK have searched communities across the UK and abroad for individuals who are campaigning on issues that matter, locally and globally.
Linda Butcher, Chief Executive of SMK said:
“Many people say they feel jaded about democracy, in terms of what they see as the compromises that take place in Government, and are concerned at wider apathy across society. Our award winners, like so many other campaigners out there, are tenacious, positive and creative individuals that prove that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. They demonstrate that while there are wrongs, abuses, injustices and inequalities, there are also individuals and communities working tirelessly to do something about them.”
About Shelter
1. The Social Inclusion Award is sponsored by Shelter
2. Shelter believes everyone should have a home. Shelter helps more than 170,000 people a year fight for their rights, get back on their feet, and find and keep a home. Shelter also campaigns for decent housing for all.
Can I get involved? - Absolutely! Here are the links:
Website: http://www.adayinhand.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44558452324
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1046660@N20/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/adayinhand
SMK: http://www.smk.org.uk/social-inclusion-2009/
No. 10: http://www.number10.gov.uk/
Contact - RSVPs
David Watkins +44 (0) 7931 461810 info@adayinhand.com
(A Day In Hand founder)
Note to Editors
Photographs available. Feel free to use any images from the website as long as they
are featured as part of A Day in Hand campaign and the relevant photographer is credited. Print copies of many of these images are available. Email info@adayinhand.com
ENDS
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