A STUDENT has designed a line of Pride inspired T-shirts to help promote diversity and support young people exploring their sexuality.

George Gibbens created the tops to raise money for Swindon & Wiltshire Pride, Oxford Pride and a mental health charity.

The 19-year-old economics student at Brighton University started doing freelance design work alongside his studies and came up with the idea after finishing his second-year exams.

He said: “Being at home was getting a bit boring, Pride month was coming up and I usually create a special pride logo.

“I usually volunteer for Pride too at the start of June but with the fallout of coronavirus this was cancelled. I wanted to help create awareness, raise funds for my pride groups and ultimately create pride for people who might not feel it.”

Swindon & Wiltshire Pride announced in April that this year’s annual August LGBTQ+ festival had been postponed until 2021.

George added: “We don’t need a parade or a festival, but we still need to make young people aware that they are not alone and there is support there for them.

“Without pride many will be isolated and in potentially negative spaces. It is unfair to go through something as complicated as finding your sexuality alone. It is a confusing journey. Pride, and standing with pride, is a message to allies and members of the LGBTQ+ Community a like that you can be who you want to be with pride, you can ask for help and I think most importantly, know that you are not alone,” he added.

The design for the shirts stemmed from the phrase ‘Stand with Pride’.

George, from Faringdon, said: “It means stand proud of who you are.

My design is for anyone whether you stand with pride as a member of the LGBTQ+ Community or stand with pride being an ally supporting the community.”

As well as raising money for Pride, George will also donate five percent of production costs to Mental Health UK.

George said: “

Because the LGBTQ+ community is already an underrepresented group, there are many inequalities that we face – mental health is one of them and probably one of the least discussed of them all.

“While there is access to mental health services, many have the perception of being discriminatory.

"We need to remove these barriers to access while raising awareness of equality,” said George.

“Pride is so much more than just an event. By donating, celebrating, remembering Pride you are supporting this idea of equality, kindness and friendship.

"An idea which must continue because the fight for equality has a long way to go, for everyone.”

The T-shirts can be purchased from weareprintsocial.com