The Dentsu Group is exhibiting at Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2022 for the first time in three years.
This year, the Dentsu Group participated in Tokyo Rainbow Pride (TRP), Japan's largest LGBTQ+ event.
After holding only online events in 2020 and 2021 due to the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic, this year saw the return of the offline event (Pride Festival) at Yoyogi Park. While Dentsu Inc. had participated as volunteers several times up to 2019, this year's involvement was part of DJN (Dentsu Japan Network)'s DE&I (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) promotion efforts under CDO Kitakaze. The group participated in both the offline event and online offerings.
At the Pride Festival held at Yoyogi Park from April 22 to 24, we participated with a booth. As a project reflecting the Dentsu Group's expertise in communication, we presented an exhibition themed "Rainbow Gallery of Words." Its purpose was to understand the backgrounds and contexts in which numerous LGBTQ+ related words were born, and to raise awareness of the hopes and dreams they embody, as well as the underlying prejudice and discrimination they may carry.
Specifically, it was composed of three sections.
① Vent Paper powered by Team 80
We might unknowingly use words containing discrimination or prejudice. Someone hearing those words might be holding onto that frustration ("Uppun"). This project prints examples of such phrases on toilet paper. After reading, use it and flush it away for a refreshing feeling. At the venue, visitors could instantly print their own "frustration" phrases using a dedicated app and printer. This project utilized a system developed by a team of 2021 new hires as a training assignment: a system capable of printing any text onto toilet paper on the spot.
② The Scales of Language
A scale that visualizes the often-unnoticed biases around "gender" hidden within words. For example, it's a tool to enjoy discovering and confirming neutral expressions, like using "spouse" or "partner" instead of "boyfriend" or "girlfriend," which carry gender-specific connotations.
③ Rainbow Quotes
A section quoting words from many people who have sparked change, however small, and learning about their historical context.
Additionally, for this participation, a special corporate logo (VI) featuring the rainbow motif—a symbol for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies—is being used.
The festival implemented careful operational management by the organizers, taking infection risk countermeasures into consideration. Although the number of exhibitors and the maximum number of attendees were capped compared to previous years, it recorded 66,949 visitors (according to the organizers) over the three-day event period. Approximately 2,200 people visited the Dentsu Group booth, where around 50 volunteers from across the group worked in shifts. They engaged in learning and dialogue about DE&I with many guests.
Furthermore, this year's TRP expanded its scope to coincide with June's "Pride Month" (a period globally marked by various awareness activities commemorating the world's first large-scale LGBT movement in the U.S.). Online offerings were also enhanced, enabling more proactive information dissemination than in previous years. As part of this, the Dentsu Group exhibited at an online booth. Titled "The Dentsu Group: Past and Future Exhibition," it featured a retrospective look at past TRP exhibits and the widely referenced Dentsu Diversity Lab "LGBTQ+ Survey," while also sharing a message from CDO Kitakaze, showcasing unprecedented proactive initiatives.
■Dentsu Group's online booth can be viewed here (available until September 2022)
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