bubly™ sparkling water Releases Short Film, "Coming Home," That Honors LGBTQ+ Chosen Families and Safe Spaces Where They Form & Flourish

To further elevate the bubly™ brand's commitment to celebrating chosen families, the brand is also partnering with Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative to provide funding and support to safe space businesses in need

PURCHASE, N.Y., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To honor LGBTQ+ chosen families, bubly™ sparkling water is unveiling a short film, "Coming Home," that showcases an LGBTQ+ nightlife space and the chosen families that find each other there. Chosen families play a critical role for many in the LGBTQ+ community, and they take form in safe spaces where people can come together as their authentic selves without the fear of being exposed to discrimination or harassment, and with the promise of being accepted and celebrated for who they are.

Since its inception, bubly has supported the LGBTQ+ community 365 days a year by promoting inclusivity through playful positivity, including an #UnstoppablePride Parade, celebrating the return to nightlife with Out at Night, championing the drag community with #DragForAllFlavors and on "RuPaul's Drag Race," and raising awareness for the path to parenthood.

This Pride Month, bubly is honoring and celebrating chosen families with the "Coming Home" release. The piece shines a spotlight on critically needed safe spaces and stars musician Naomi McPherson and their band MUNA's new song, "Home By Now," actress Kimia Behpoornia and drag artist Eureka O'Hara, among other LGBTQ+ talent. It showcases McPherson playing Jac, a nonbinary person, and their uncertain journey navigating an LGBTQ+ bar alone, before being welcomed into the inner circle of a new friend, Christina.

bubly has also partnered with actor Brandon Flynn to raise awareness of the importance of chosen families and the significance of experiences like Jac's. "bubly's new short film, 'Coming Home,' captures what it's like to be welcomed into the LGBTQ+ community as someone discovering who they are at their core. Chosen families are so important because they signify that you have a shared language, shared heartbeat and shared sentiments—and that everyone is welcome," says Brandon. "Chosen families provide the luxury of safety and the ability to truly enjoy life, which is a right everyone should have!"

With many safe spaces in the LGBTQ+ community having to shutter their doors in the last two years due to the pandemic and staffing shortages, and many others on the verge of closure, bubly is joining forces with Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (SIGBI) and providing $100,000 to help support the organization's ongoing efforts to protect LGBTQ+ safe spaces across the country.

"The Stonewall Inn's history and role in New York City culture welcomes all LGBTQ+ individuals to be their full, authentic selves. It's at Stonewall and other safe spaces where people even meet their chosen families, which for some, is their only true family," says Stacy Lentz, Co-Founder and CEO, SIGBI. "We're grateful to bubly for furthering our mission to ensure every member of the LGBTQ+ community has a safe space where they can feel accepted and celebrated."

bubly is also providing grants to LGBTQ+ safe spaces in need of support to ensure they can continue their important purpose of connecting the LGBTQ+ community. The safe spaces receiving grants from bubly include The Apartment Lounge of Grand Rapids, Michigan, InCahoots Nightclub of Jacksonville, Florida, Boycott Bar of Phoenix, Arizona and South Press Coffee of Knoxville, Tennessee.

"Even for those in the LGBTQ+ community who have the acceptance of their biological family, chosen families are often the ones who truly understand their experience on a deeper level – providing them the sense of belonging they've been seeking all their lives," says Zach Harris, Vice President, Water Portfolio at PepsiCo Beverages North America. "Through 'Coming Home,' our donation to SIGBI and the LGBTQ+ safe spaces we're assisting, bubly is proud to be highlighting safe spaces where chosen families can be free to be who they are."

For more information on bubly and "Coming Home," visit www.bubly.com/pride and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. MUNA's self-titled album including their new song, "Home by Now," will be out June 24. Pre-save the album here and check out their upcoming tour dates here.

The bubly sparkling water brand is shaking up the sparkling water category with refreshing and delicious flavors, an upbeat and playful sense of humor, all while keeping it real with no artificial flavors, no sweeteners, and no calories. Each flavor of bubly and bubly bounce™ features bright, bold packaging, unique smiles for every flavor, and comes with its own witty greeting on the tab and personal messages on the can for maximum enjoyment and smiles. Just as love comes in all colors of the rainbow, bubly sparkling water is available in nine delicious flavors: blackberrybubly™, limebubly™, cherrybubly™, grapefruitbubly™, strawberrybubly™, raspberrybubly™, mangobubly™, passionfruitbubly™ and coconutpineapplebubly™. bubly bounce is available in three refreshing combo flavors: mango passion fruit, triple berry and citrus cherry. no calories. no sweeteners. all smiles.™

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $79 billion in net revenue in 2021, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

Kelly Rada, [email protected]

SOURCE PepsiCo