ement for their LGBTQI+ friends and loved ones. Those recordings will then turn into a playlist and feature on Levi’s Australia Pride 2020 SoundCloud to remind people of how much they are valued by others in the wider community. The phone booth is part of Levi’s wider campaign, ‘Use your Voice’. “It’s about more than just decorations, tinsel and glitter to represent the LGBTQI+ community. It’s about how we actually demonstrate what we stand for as a precinct,” explained Melissa Polglase, development marketing manager for Melbourne Central. “Whether you want to show your support or you’re part of the community, we want to create a space where everyone can say something positive, drive it forward and have an interaction.” “We’re on a journey to becoming a space of social and cultural exchange..Retail is a byproduct of it. You’ll buy things here, but it is a community hub where you’ll have a cultural or social experience with someone else and these activations are part of that too.” Meanwhile, Mirvac has partnered with LGBTQI+ organisation ACON’s Welcome Here project, which involves putting a ‘Welcome Here’ sticker on its stores so that people know they are entering an inclusive space. ACON will also offer training programs to Mirvac’s internal teams on how to promote and create diversity for their customer base. “ACON’s Welcome Here project is a tangible way to demonstrate to our communities that we also embrace these views and want to play a role in enhancing Australia’s widely diverse and tolerant society,” Kelly Miller, general manager of retailer at Mirvac, told Inside Retail Weekly. “Within our retail business, our centres are pivotal lifestyle destinations and gathering places for their communities, proudly often at times of cultural and community celebrations. It is important to us that we provide environments where people feel welcome and that we are an extension of their community, home and lifestyle needs, so it’s important everyone feels safe and respected.” Bonds’ Out Now campaign shines a light on the journeys of those in the LGBTQI+ community, whether they’ve been “out” for six months or 55 years. The campaign includes a video series featuring everyday Australians from the queer community, as well as an exhibition in partnership with youth organisation Minus 18, which showcases high-profile LGBTQI+ personalities, including singer Mojo Juju, musician Montaigne and comedian Rhys Nicholson. Last but not least, lingerie retailer Honey Birdette has just unveiled the raunchy ‘Fluid’ campaign, featuring naked gay and lesbian couples embracing each other in its latest ad. Interestingly, both managing director Eloise Monaghan and her wife also both posed in the photo shoot. According to Monaghan, the point of the campaign was to highlight the inequality between how queer and heterosexual couples are featured in advertising, as well as male and female nipples. “We certainly will cause a stir, but I still don’t see the difference between a female and male nippe,” said Monaghan in a statement. “We will be showing this campaign in all its equal glory in the UK and the US. However, it seems equality in Australia still has a long way to go. Instead our hands have been tied and we are forced to post a censored image. There seems to be a difference between the male and female nipple and gays embracing over heterosexual advertising of a similar nature.” More substance, less sequins According to retail expert and founding member of the Independent Fashion Advisory Board Saskia Fairfull, it is important that retailers ensure that Mardi Gras aligns with their values before simply jumping on the sparkly bandwagon. “From a cultural standpoint, there’s no doubt it’s a positive move forward as more retail businesses jump on the Mardi Gras float. The challenge is aligning who they are as a company and their values and commitment to championing inclusivity and diversity as an organisation. There’s no point producing a hundred thousand T-shirts with the brand’s name in rainbow colours if the company isn’t prepared to wear the shirts and stand for what it represents,” Fairfull told Inside Retail Weekly.   “If retailers are in it to ride on sequin coattails without a commitment to keep the support and conversation going, they’ll miss an opportunity to make a significant positive impact to both their staff and community.”