Sussex Beacon defies hate with new Elton John mural
An image of Elton John has been installed at one of the charity's shops after a graffiti attack
A Brighton charity has unveiled a new mural of Sir Elton John after bosses there say the shop was targeted in a homophobic graffiti attack.
The artwork global music icon at The Sussex Beacon’s St James’s Street shop stands alongside a mural of Queen legend Freddie Mercury, making a bold statement of pride and resilience.
It comes as the charity steps up plans for a dedicated LGBTQ+ hospice and expanded HIV care, as they call for one million pounds to help fund the work.
They describe how Sir Elton, one of the world’s most celebrated entertainers, has long been a leading voice for communities affected by HIV.
Through his activism, philanthropy and advocacy, he continues to champion access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care while calling out rising homophobia, transphobia, and discriminatory laws worldwide.
Rachel Brett, Chief Executive of The Sussex Beacon, told Hits Radio Pride: "Elton John has done huge amounts for people living with HIV, both at home and abroad.
"He's been the champion - probably as famous as what Princess Diana did back in the '90s with her activism.
"Elton has more recently stood up against homophobia, and transphobia, as well as some of the more extreme ideologies being held around the world at the moment, so it was only right to feature him outside our shop as an act of defiance against hate.
"The whole incident of graffiti was so upsetting, especially because of the important work we do within the local area, so we wanted to turn this around into something of a celebration of our LGBT+ community."
Rachel added: “As we approach World AIDS Day on Monday 1st December, this is an ideal moment to reaffirm our commitment to the LGBTQ+ community and to those living with and affected by HIV.
"The vandalism at our St James’s Street shop only strengthened our resolve to expand The Sussex Beacon’s services. We remain fully committed to developing a dedicated hospice for LGBTQ+ people, while continuing to provide specialist HIV care.
“We hope the murals of Freddie Mercury and Sir Elton John, two icons renowned for standing against stigma and inequality, will inspire everyone who visits our shop and the wider community beyond.”
The Sussex Beacon is partially funded by the NHS, and is now calling for £1 million in additional support to complete essential capital works, to ensure its building is ready to house both a new LGBTQ+ hospice and an enhanced HIV clinical facility.
You can find out more about the charity on their website.