Despite the legalisation of same-sex marriages over three years ago, research by Huetribe, a multicultural and LGBTQ greeting card publisher, has found that nearly half of Brits are still struggling to find the right card to suit the occasion.
Among the disappointing findings of the recent research are:
* 73% of Britons say minorities are excluded from greeting cards
* 83% of LGBTQ people feel excluded on greeting cards
* 52% of people of colour also feel underrepresented on greeting cards
* 47% of Britons say the LGBTQ community is the most underrepresented
Drilling down further into the results of the survey, of all the minority groups, it is the lesbian and gay community that feel most aggrieved at the lack of choice, with 47% of those canvassed saying their needs are underrepresented on cards. This group is followed closely by the disabled (33%), people of colour (27%) and interracial couples or people (26%). However the survey results showed that some tastes transcended sexuality or race, with over half (52%) saying that they love a bit of humour on a card, while 93% of the respondents said they purposefully avoid anything too cheesy or romantic!
Tineka Smith, founder of Huetribe comments: “Nothing says I’m thinking of you or I love you more than a card – but it can be hard to find cards which truly represent modern day society – whether you are gay, straight, bisexual, black or white.”
She set up the publishing company to address ”the gaps of racial, cultural and sexual representation in the greeting card market.”
Tineka, and her husband, Alex, have been together for five years. They have always had difficulty finding cards that reflect their interracial relationship. When Alex gave Tineka a card with penguins on it – because it was the only greeting card with a ‘black and white couple’ he could find, Tineka knew she had to do something about it.
Now in the midst of the wedding season, Tineka said, “I’m not surprised the majority of Brits feel they can’t find cards for minority groups. When you walk into a store and see images on greeting cards that look like you or your relationships it gives you a sense of acceptance that people realise you’re part of our society too.”
Ensuring that the imagery its cards are appropriate for their target audience, Huetribe teamed up with Manchester Pride this year to launch its ‘Join our Tribe’ competition to find a new face for its LBGTQ range. The competition, which launched on July 24, invites entries from individuals, couples and families. As well as becoming the face of Huetribe’s LGBTQ range, which will include a professional photo shoot, the winning entry will also receive a weekend away for friends and family. The competition is being publicised on Huetribe’s and Manchester Pride’s Facebook pages (@huetribedesign and @ManchesterPride), as well as on the Huetribe website (www.huetribe.com).
Adding his endorsement, Mark Fletcher, ceo of Manchester Pride said, “While society has come so far in recent years, minority groups are still underrepresented in many aspects of our lives. There isn’t enough choice when it comes to choosing a card for a same-sex wedding, which is surprising, as it has very much become the norm since its legalisation three years ago! That’s why it’s so fantastic organisations like Huetribe exist.”
Huetribe is exhibiting at Top Drawer (10-12 September at London’s Olympia).
