Hollywood actor Jonathan Bailey and his organisation, The Shameless Fund, have announced a transformative partnership with the Yorkshire-based charity Out Together, naming it as one of only four UK-based founding partners. This collaboration provides a national platform for intergenerational LGBTQ+ support, focusing specifically on those most at risk of isolation due to geographical location or historical stigma. Founded in 2020 to support older LGBTQ+ individuals, Out Together has evolved to bridge the gap between generations, ensuring that those who paved the way for modern progress are both honoured and supported. The partnership has already proven instrumental, providing the funding necessary to recruit permanent staff and expand digital and in-person resources far beyond its Yorkshire roots.
Sharing why he chose to partner with the charity, actor and founder of The Shameless Fund, Jonathan Bailey, commented: “All of us at The Shameless Fund are so excited to be naming Out Together as one of our founding partners. We love the joy they bring to their community, and we’re so proud to be able to honour the dedication of people who’ve paved the way for my generation to be out and proud. We’re delighted to be contributing to this milestone of Out Together recruiting permanent staff, and I encourage you all to dig deep to allow them to plan long into the future.”
The initiative also develops workplace programmes to challenge shame and oppression, allowing future generations to live authentically in all areas of their lives. Thomas Porteus, Chair of Out Together, discussed the impact of the collaboration, stating:
“We are very excited about our partnership with The Shameless Fund and proud to be chosen as one of the organisation’s founding partners. Our partnership and the extremely generous funding provided have really supported the resilience of the charity over the last year, enabling us to expand our work, not only in providing support services to people directly through our local hubs, but in actively making positive changes for current and future generations through amplifying LGBTQ+ voices and visibility across the UK to build intergenerational solidarity. We’re also building workplace initiatives to challenge shame, stigma and oppression in work environments, to support real change in allowing current and future generations to be able to live freely and show up in all areas of their lives as their authentic selves. We’ve also been able to take on more staff and progress in expanding our in-person and digital resources, allowing us to move towards supporting people nationally who are most in need of staying connected.”
