DGS LGBT+Allies Logo

Back in 2018 [gawr-juhs] worked with John Johnston on creating a new icon and branding for the Pride Saltire East Lothian group, that he had founded. John was always a generous person, and when Dunbar Grammar School’s LGBT+Allies group asked if they could use the Pride Saltire logo too, he naturally said yes.

Initially there was little conflict in these two groups using the same branding. However at the start of this year, John informed me that Pride Saltire East Lothian had been the target of anti-LGBT campaigners, who were unhappy about the HappyFest event that was being organised by Dunbar Grammar School.

On hearing this, my recommendation to John was that [gawr-juhs] create a logo especially for the DGSLGBT+Allies group. I felt there needed to be a visual difference, which signalled that these groups operated separately from one another. My design proposal for DGSLGBT+Allies was that they use the Dunbar Grammar School castle logo as their base. I felt that this would help people to identify the group as being part of the School, rather than being linked to Pride Saltire East Lothian.

Just before the UK went into the COVID19 Lockdown, John kindly introduced me to members of staff at Dunbar Grammar School, who I sent my design ideas to. Of course, none of us could foresee that John would leave us all so quick and so suddenly. I was aware that he had in hospital earlier in the year, but from chats on the phone with him, he never mentioned that it was for anything serious. So news of his untimely death, at the beginning of May, was heartbreaking for us all.

Today the DGSLGBT+Allies group unveiled their new logo, as part of Pride month, and dedicate it to John. It is a very fitting tribute that I know he’d be very proud of.