The La Despensa agency has developed a new awareness campaign for Amnesty International that denounces the violation of rights that LGTBIQ+ people still suffer in different countries around the world. The initiative, which we have accessed for the first time since reason.Whyfocuses on a reality that is still valid in 2026: in more than 60 countries, showing love in public between people of the same sex can have serious consequences.
Thus, creativity starts from one of the universal symbols of love: cupids. However, the campaign alters its usual meaning. Instead of shooting arrows as an expression of desire, union or celebration, they appear pointing weapons at different LGTBIQ+ couples. The visual resource suggests in this way that, where love should protect, celebrate and unite, for many people it continues to represent a threat.
In the piece, cupids, historically associated with romantic love, are presented as figures of danger when the love represented belongs to the LGTBIQ+ collective. This turn allows us to immediately convey a complex reality: in numerous contexts, something as intimate and everyday as expressing affection in public can lead to harassment, detention, torture or even risk of death.
When loving can be a reason for persecution
“It is a piece to raise awareness about a brutal reality that is still too current in 2026: in more than 60 countries, showing love in public between people of the same sex can have serious consequences. That is, something as human, as simple and as luminous as love can be a reason for persecution”stated Miguel Olivares, Founding Partner of La Despensa, in statements to reason.Why. “The cupids appear in an uncomfortable visual turn: where love should protect, celebrate and unite, for many people it becomes a threat.”
“It is one of those projects where creativity and human rights intersect in a very clean way”
The campaign thus seeks to move away from a generic representation of diversity to address head-on the political and humanitarian dimension of the problem. “For us it is one of those projects where creativity and human rights intersect in a very clean way: a simple idea, visually powerful and with an enormous truth behind it”explained Miguel Olivares.
The production of the piece has been carried out by Bandido and has included artificial intelligence, VFX and animation work. The campaign combines highly symbolic visual resources with an execution designed to generate impact, discomfort and reflection, especially in a context like Pride, where the celebration coexists with the need to remember the rights that continue to be violated.
A campaign aimed at generating interaction
The campaign will be broadcast starting June 23 on Amnesty International’s digital channels and the organization will publish organically on Instagram, YouTube, X, Bluesky, Facebook and Linkedin. The communication will remain active until the Pride celebrations in early July, with the aim of expanding the reach of the message and generating conversation around the persecution, discrimination and violence that still affect millions of people due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
In addition to organic dissemination, Amnesty International will activate an amplification campaign with the main objective of driving interaction with the publications.
The segmentation will seek to reach mainly two groups: people interested in LGTBIQ+ rights and audiences linked to art in general. This approach connects with the creative construction of the campaign itself, which combines the denunciation of a violation of rights with a visual language close to art.
The initiative is part of the work that Amnesty International has been carrying out for decades against discrimination and violence towards LGTBIQ+ people. The organization highlights that, despite the progress made in many countries, there are still contexts in which people cannot freely live their sexual orientation or gender identity or express affection without fear of reprisals.
“In the 21st century there are still many people in the world who love with fear of being harassed, detained, tortured or even losing their lives. Amnesty International has been fighting for decades against discrimination and violence towards LGTBIQ+ people, and with this campaign we want to remember that the problem is still very present, especially at a time when there are setbacks and their rights are being questioned in several countries”declared Miguel Ángel Calderón, Director of Communication and Brand of Amnesty International in Spain.
