Converse’s 10th Annual Pride Campaign Celebrates LGBTQIA+ Community’s Trailblazing Spirit

In celebrating its 10th annual Pride campaign, Converse continues its longstanding commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community through ongoing social and community-impact partnerships, as well as its annual Proud to Be collection.  

Since launching its first Pride campaign and collection in 2015, Converse has pledged and donated nearly $3 million to LGBTQIA+ organizations such as the It Gets Better Project, a long-term global partner that harnesses the power of the internet to create community and show youth that things do, in fact, get better.

Mirroring localized commitments, Converse is also partnering this year with organizations across the globe that are dedicated to serving the community, including: 

• The Ali Forney Center, a New York City organization focused on protecting homeless LGBTQIA+ youth and empowering them with the tools needed to be independent
• The Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth (BAGLY), a nonprofit committed to creating and advocating for programs for the LGBTQIA+ youth community
• The Theater Offensive, a nonprofit Boston theater company that produces art by, for and about queer and transgender people of color
• COC Netherlands, which educates and empowers LGBTQIA+ communities across the globe
• Homotopia, based in Liverpool, England, and IGLYO, based in Belgium, which leverage creativity and storytelling to amplify LGBTQIA+ youth voices
• Minus18, Australia’s largest youth-driven nonprofit championing LGBTQIA+ young people — letting queer youth know they’re supported and seen while educating the wider community on the importance of allyship

In designing this year’s Proud to Be collection, Converse LGBTQIA+ employees and allies infused it with a Western-inspired aesthetic that nods to the queer community’s trailblazing spirit with a vibrant spectrum of colors that help empower individuals to stand out and live unapologetically.

Converse enlisted photographer Cully Wright, whose work embodies the meaning of creating space, to capture the essence of its 2024 Proud to Be campaign. As a self-described romantic, Wright focuses on representing various queer experiences to provide exposure to the community and demonstrate the expansiveness of humanity and joy. For Converse, Wright focused on capturing the tenderness and peace of authentic love to show the power of standing in one’s own truth.  

“When we create a safe space to fully express who we are, we allow others to do the same. That’s the goal,” says Wright. “As I keep growing, I want to inspire people and evoke emotions. I want to tell stories and give people the space to feel. I think the more diversity showcased in art, entertainment and media, the more opportunities for acceptance.”

Wright’s role in the campaign reflects Converse’s aim to celebrate the community in meaningful ways by showcasing creators who are pushing boundaries in their fields and building a future where everyone can unapologetically be their full selves. For past Pride campaigns, the brand has worked with creative voices from the community across music, fashion and sport, including Big Freedia, Richie Shazam, Alexis Sablone and Munachi Osegbu.

Each of the collection’s footwear styles feature unique design details, such as a first-of-its-kind Run Star Utility Sandal CX colorway highlighting the transgender flag and a Chuck 70 with a platinum upper and harness-inspired embellishment. Western embroidery, prismatic Chuck patches and license plates, and neon-rainbow outsoles are featured throughout the footwear collection.

The Chuck Taylor All Star high, low and platform styles are customizable through the Converse By You experience, which includes personalized laces, flags, stars, hearts, flames, trim and tongue patches.

The Converse Proud to Be collection and Converse By You experience are available now on converse.com.