LUSH’s “We Believe in Love” Campaign Protests Russia’s Anti-Gay Laws


LUSH Cosmetics has an idea to get your next selfie a lot of “likes.”  Instead of posing in a bathroom mirror or making those annoying duck lips, include the hashtag #signoflove when you post a picture on social media, and your selfie might be used as an artistic tool to fight Russia’s anti-gay laws.

Between now and Valentine’s Day, LUSH, the bath and body retailer with a store in Center City, is teaming up with All Out, an organization that, according to their website, is part of “the global movement for love and equality,” to launch the “We Believe In Love” campaign, an imaginative form of peaceful protest Russia’s homophobic legislation.

LUSH is asking the public to take selfies that include a pink triangle (perhaps painted on with lipstick!) and tag the pictures with #signoflove. LUSH will handle it from there by taking the selfies and creating a photo-petition book full of images of people who believe love is an essential human right. They will deliver these books directly to Russian Embassies and Consulate offices in the U.S. and Canada.

“We stand alongside the gay community as they strive for universal acceptance,” says LUSH Ethics Director Hilary Jones. “Love is the world’s most precious commodity and should never be legislated against.”

Don’t feel like taking a selfie? No problem — stop by the LUSH Walnut Street location where you can pose with a giant pink “sign of love” in the store. While there, check out the LUSH Spa — the Philadelphia shop is one of only two locations in North America offering treatments using handmade products by LUSH experts.

It’s a win-win: You get a pampering spa day or a nice bar of soap and you get to make a difference in the LGBTQ community. But, then again, let’s be honest: It’s also a great excuse to take a selfie!

LUSH Philadelphia is located at 1525 Walnut Street.  You can like their Facebook page.  For more information on the “We Believe In Love” campaign, follow Lush on Twitter, @LUSHCosmetics.