The Only Way Is Essex is normally based around romance and drama.

However, series 24 has brought a much more serious subject to the forefront of the show.

Episode 5 of the 2019 series saw longtime cast member Bobby Norris launch a campaign against homophobic bullying on the internet.

Want to find out what the campaign is about and how you can help? Find out all the details below…

Bobby Norris

What does the campaign aim to do?

In February 2019, Bobby launched an online petition that calls for online homophobia to be made a specific criminal offence.

The petition aims to gain the attention of the UK’s government, in hopes of passing a law to end online hate and homophobic comments.

In a Twitter video, Bobby said he aims to get as many signatures as possible in order to help the law get passed.

Why did Bobby start the campaign?

Alongside the petition, Bobby wrote about the homophobic comments he received online that led him to speak out.

Talking about his own experiences with bullies on social media the TOWIE star said:

Just because I am on TV I don’t think that makes it acceptable to be sent homophobic messages/ comments on social media platforms. Nobody should have to receive these comments. I won’t go into detail as to the various names I have been called, but this should not be acceptable and can have an impact on people’s mental health and has certainly helped in making my anxiety and low self esteem worse by receiving them.

How can I sign the petition?

If you would like to sign the petition you can simply add your name digitally here.

If a petition reaches 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

Bobby’s Bill has gained 132,617 signatures as of May 6th 2019 and parliament will debate his petition on July 1st 2019.

 

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