Wilder and Junior have been partners for three years and are friends with Nan and Kamahl.

Our Stories

Pride 2023: Celebrating Found Families

This Pride season, Penneys is celebrating found families everywhere and the importance of the family we find and the family who finds us.

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A found family is a group of people who come together and share a connection based on mutual love and respect. For many in the LGBTQI+ community, found families can provide a safe space and a home where people can feel understood and supported.

This year, we wanted to tell the stories of these people. We invited four real found families to share their stories with the world. Through imagery and video content that they have captured themselves, they shared their homes, their love and their very special bonds. Through these behind the scenes stories, our campaign celebrates the diversity of our customers and our colleagues everywhere.

Throughout Pride season, our campaign will come to life through our website, our social channels and in all of our stores across our 16 markets. We were proud to provide a platform for these found families to share their stories. A found family can mean many things to many people, but ultimately it is a shared space for special bonds and love. But don’t just take it from us. Let's hear about what found family means to the stars of our Pride campaign.

Junior, Wilder, Nan & Kamahl, UK

Wilder and Junior have been partners for three years and are friends with Nan and Kamahl. 'Found families are so much more than just trying to ‘replace’ those you grew up with. It’s about accepting your past and growing with new people. It’s accepting that you need love in a new way and that you can love in a million more ways than you ever realised.' Junior

Lowe, Lennox, Stacy & Dina, UK

A family of four based in London. ‘A found family = When we have the same beliefs, values, and love for each other, regardless of race, gender, religion or creed. When a group of individuals are proud of being who they are and when that group of people feels like home.’ Lowe and family

Jude & Michael, Germany

Jude and Michael are best friends who live and work together as performers in Berlin. ‘A found family is about finally feeling whole, something that might be absent in your biological family, like a full set of acrylic nails or a good pair of fake lashes. It’s a community you choose, whose values and honesty speak to your own.’ Jude and Michael

Ellen, Elly, Ska & Sam, Northern Ireland

Ellen, Elly, Ska and Sam are a group of friends from Northern Ireland. ‘To me found family is about finding people who are like you, who understand you at a fundamental level, in a way that your own family may not be able to. Being Queer can be a very lonely existence and when I first came out, I was the only Queer person I knew.’ Ska

Our Pride Collection

At Penneys, we work hard to represent the beautiful diversity within our customer base all year round. That’s why we have created a product collection that can be worn throughout Pride season and beyond.

This year’s collection features colourful slogan t-shirts, sweatshirts and vests, as well as accessories including hats, colourful socks, jewellery and badges. The collection is available across adults and kidswear with sizes ranging from XS to 3XL and prices starting from €3.

New to the collection this year, we have also launched a six-piece gender-neutral base wear range. Available from 2XS – 2XL, the range is designed to be accessible and affordable to as many people as possible and each item is priced at €4.50. The range can be worn as underwear or outerwear, and is made from Lycra’s adaptive elastane offering stretch and recovery properties that mean the base wear fits different shapes and sizes. The range includes two tops and one pair of shorts in two designs - a striking cobalt blue, as well as a black base with a rainbow band.

We pride ourselves on being a brand for everyone, and we want our actions to speak louder than our words. That is why this year we have committed to making a donation to ILGA world, irrespective of the sales of the product collection. Building on our commitment to the LGBTQI+ community, we will continue our ongoing financial support of ILGA World with a donation of €173,000 to support their work.

Did You Know?

This is our fifth year supporting ILGA World and to date we have donated over €550,000*.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment in Penneys where everyone can be their most authentic, unapologetic selves. We believe that the work we do to support our colleagues is just as important as the work we do externally.

Last year we launched our internal networks, and the LGBTQI+ network is a community of colleagues who celebrate inclusivity and diversity, creating the start of our own found family at Penneys. It is a safe space for members of the community to feel represented, supported and heard. From our interactions with our LGBTQI+ network, we continue to learn more about the community and their needs and wants, and this has helped to influence not only the direction of this year’s campaign, but also the new products that we are bringing to our stores.

Did You Know?

In developing our base wear products, we sought feedback from ILGA World and our LGBTQI+ colleague network and made improvements based on their input.

This Pride season we are supporting the LGBTQI+ community and creating products that represent them and their lives. For us, it’s about real representation and inclusion for an entire community.

The Pride collection is available in stores now with prices starting from €3.

*These conversions are intended as an approximate conversion and should not be relied on for any other purposes.