Battlefront You're Already Involved

I ask Rachael & David...

A: You’re campaigning against homophobic behaviour. What happened to spark your interest in this issue?

R&D: A few years ago there was quite a lot of bullying going on as a few people 'came-out' at around the same time and we were really angry that the school did nothing to help any of us who were being abused. For example a friend of ours left a 'social education class' very upset and angry because remarks were being made about gay people that wouldn't have been allowed if it was any other kind of prejudice. 

 

A: So how long have you been thinking about actually campaigning about it?

R&D: Very soon after these incidents, around May 2007, we both set up campaigns on the issue. Rachael created the AAHB (Association Against Homophobic Behaviour) on the social networking site Bebo which was designed as a support group for people who had been bullied because of their sexuality. At the same time David came up with the slogan HOMOPHOBIA = ZERO TOLERANCE and asked people to put it at the top of their Bebo pages to show solidarity against the prejudice.

 

A: And when did your campaign become official?

R&D: Originally our campaigns were separate but when we were contacted by Battlefront we decided it would make sense to combine them as they were campaigns on the same issue. 

 

A: The two of you are our only ‘joint’ campaigners on Battlefront and our only couple. What's it like working as a pair? 

R&D: We've been a couple for nearly a year and a half so we're used to doing pretty much everything together. We have quite different personalities so we both bring something different to the campaign and we always enjoy the time we spend together. 

 

A: Aah, well I hope it carries on working well. What are you up to for your campaign at the moment? How is it progressing?

R&D: So far we've started setting up our support site. It still needs a little bit of work but it's coming along nicely. We've also been getting Edinburgh to think by interviewing randoms on a few issues we wish to draw attention to. We'll keep everyone updated with our weekly blogs and video diaries. We're also having quite a lot of fun!

 

A: What sort of response have you been getting?

R&D: Mixed to be honest. We've not gone very deep with our debates and discussions (that's coming up a bit later) but we're definitely seeing differences in the responses we get and we see that as a very positive thing - it gives us an idea of what we're up against!

 

A: So what are you up to next?

R&D: We've got loads of ideas - we're in the process of interviewing people and asking their side of the 'story' so we can help build up a picture of how life is affected by homophobia. Once we're through this initial starting-up phase, we're going to seek publicity on a very large scale - radio stations, local and national newspapers, poster campaigns - everything to raise awareness of what we're trying to do.

 

A: Are your friends and family getting involved?

R&D: Quite a few of our friends are bisexual, homosexual and transgender and we're keen to get them involved. A few have agreed to be interviewed for the mini-documentaries we have been planning. It's good to have their support. 

 

A: And how is your support site http://www.wix.com/battlefront/aahb coming along?

R&D: We've set up our support site (bar a couple of pages) but it's only been up for a few days and it'll take a little time before we begin to see responses on a bigger scale. All in all we're really looking forward to our campaign kicking off properly!

A: Thanks Rachael and David – good luck!