Sir Stephen Fry is among 30 LGBTQ+ figures and allies backing The Proud Trust's #DeserveBetter campaign for UK LGBTQ+ youth. The new campaign film arrives as the charity says demand for its support has risen by 171% following the UK Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers.
Rachel Williams, the charity's CEO, said: "Every LGBTQ+ young person deserves to feel safe, accepted and proud of who they are. At a time when LGBTQ+ lives are being debated more than ever, it's vital that young people know they are valued, supported and never alone." That line is the campaign's real brief: it is not asking for abstract sympathy, but for safer spaces, better support and clearer protection for young people already trying to get through school and family life.
Stephen Fry and 30 supporters
The film brings together names from music, television, comedy, theatre, literature and elite sport, with Dannii Minogue, Dame Kelly Holmes, Tom Allen, James Barr, Denise Welch, Kizzy Edgell, Adele Roberts, Cyril Nri, Charlie Condou, Alexandra Mardell, Anita Asante, Matt Cain MBE, Nathaniel J Hall, Neil Ashton, Elijah Young, Peter McPherson, Shakeel Kimotho, Gabriel Clark, Rob Madge, Lianne Sanderson, Heather Fisher, Meg Jones MBE, Kirsty Gilmour, Lucy Shuker BEM, Bruce Mouat, Danny Beard, Courtney Act, Catrin Feelings and Elle Vosque all involved alongside Fry. The scale matters because it turns the campaign from a single-voice appeal into a broad public alignment around the same message.
Dannii Minogue said: "The future becomes brighter when more of us choose kindness, compassion and understanding. Supporting LGBTQ+ young people shouldn't be extraordinary; it should simply be what we do. I'm so proud to support The Proud Trust and the #DeserveBetter campaign." Dame Kelly Holmes added: "I know how hard it can be but also how important it is to be able to live authentically and without fear. Every LGBTQ+ young person deserves the chance to be themselves with confidence as well as feeling safe. The Proud Trust is helping make that possible, so it's a pleasure to stand with them and support #DeserveBetter."
The Proud Trust and UK LGBTQ
The Proud Trust says it supports thousands of LGBTQ+ young people every year through youth groups, one-to-one support, mentoring, family services, education programmes and professional training. Against that backdrop, the charity says nearly half of LGBTQ+ pupils experience bullying because of who they are, almost six in ten have seriously considered suicide and almost a quarter may never complete secondary school, twice the UK national average. Those figures explain why this campaign leans on visibility from Fry and the other supporters rather than a standard awareness push.
Danny Beard put the practical problem bluntly: "No young person should ever feel like they have to hide who they are to be accepted. The Proud Trust creates spaces where LGBTQ+ young people can be themselves without apology, and that's incredibly powerful." For families, teachers and young people in the UK, the immediate takeaway is simple: the campaign is live now, and the group behind it is pushing for more support around the people most likely to need it first.
