Fifty years after the Beatles first sang these famous words, Josie May Copson investigates an organisation called A Day in Hand which works to promote same-sex hand holding in public
When people think of the month of February, the first thought that usually comes into their head is ValentineÔÇÖs Day. For some of us, it is a dreaded day, as for those who are single it can be painful. However, it is a day to celebrate the love that exists in our world.
This is something the creator of the website A Day In Hand believes should be celebrated 365 days a year. David Watkins created the website essentially to celebrate the relationships we form in life and the feeling of love we publicly display by the simple yet so meaningful gesture of holding hands. Yet, for the people featured in the pictures on his website, it can cause an unnecessary backlash, this is because the people partaking in the campaign are LGBT+.
ItÔÇÖs very difficult to imagine the discrimination some people experience for simply showing their love for someone if you have not been in the situation personally. Perhaps this freedom is something many people often take for granted. I, for one, could not imagine what it would be like to be unable to hold hands with a partner whilst walking down the street. To be discriminated against for doing something that is so natural and which does not affect other people is something that I cannot comprehend.
The websiteÔÇÖs message is one of positivity and hope for the future. It encourages people to support the cause by following three simple steps. These are: firstly, to find someone of the same sex you love, respect, or admire; secondly, to put your hand in their hand; and finally to step outside.
This is a campaign not just exclusively for the LGBT+ members of society, but it is also for anybody and everybody who believes that being able to express your love for somebody should not be confined to straight people. The website quite cleverly points out that you do not have to be black to object to racism, nor do you have to be female to object to sexism, and you certainly do not have to be gay yourself in order to know that ÔÇ£LGBT+ rights are human rightsÔÇØ.
In fact, the website features straight people holding hands with people of the same sex, in order to show their support for the cause. The site also has other features, such as forums, latest news and links to other websites that have a similar theme, as well as messages from people who have got involved and supported the cause.
ValentineÔÇÖs Day is for everyone, no matter what the sex and gender of the people in the relationship are; the hand- holding pictures are a simple and emotive way of showing that love should not just be for straight people. A Day In Hand is an innovative idea that challenges perceptions of so called unconventional relationships and instead should be relationships that people openly accept.