Homosexuality had been decriminalized in the courtroom but the 150+ year old discrimination against the community continues even today. In a society where conversations around the LGBTQ community were still frowned upon, The Times of India wanted to legitimize and normalise those conversations and make Indians embrace the community. The Times of India used the power of classifieds to create social legitimization and inclusivity for LGBTQ community and get the larger population to engage with them. Out & Proud Classifieds, a dedicated newspaper section for LGBTQ to claim their space in society with pride was launched.

First-hand accounts regarding written by popular personalities like Dutee Chand, Manish Arora added to the credibility of the campaign, followed by digital films and dedicated webpage. Times Out & Proud partnered with Mirror Now, a national TV news channel to debate an array of LGBTQ issues with a panel of members of the community  and pride parades across the country besides Bangalore Times Fashion Week 2019, where transgender models walked the ramp. The Impact:

Inclusion of LGBTQ in the society became a reality.

1. Swapnil Alizeh, who was featured in the campaign found an accommodation.
2. Vivek who also featured, received multiple responses in his search for a partner.
3. Bidishah’s music found its way to the world and touched hearts.
4. Saw a rise in readership with 1.4 lakh new daily readers 
5. 12 million views in the first 10 days, 14 million reach, 30 million impressions and top trending 5 topics in the Times of India app
6. Earned PR worth INR 3.63 crores     
7. A 5% jump in revenue from personal classifieds including Times Out & Proud