SoKo is a French singer-songwriter, actress, mother, and muse in the fashion world (see: Gucci), and this year is part of YTTP Pride celebrations. Her Advice for You[th]? "Keep being loud and proud, and keep shining, keep spreading rainbows."
Who are you and what do you stand for?
I am Soko, I’m a french musician and actress. I'm also a mom and I raise my baby with my partner, Stella.
I have been vegetarian for 30 years and vegan for 15 years now. I stand for animal rights, more visibility for the LGBTQ+ community, and making daily efforts towards more sustainability.
What are your pronouns?
She/her.
Why do you feel it’s important to make your voice heard?
I feel very fortunate and privileged to be in the position I'm in, that people would even give me the time of day and want to hear what I have to say in interviews. Because of this, I find it important to use it for the greater good. So, I always make sure that every opportunity I get, I talk about visibility, about going towards a plant-based diet to improve your health, mental health, and the state of the planet, too. And I try to give tips on sustainability. I never want to be too pushy about it, so I just share what I do and how it works for me.
What is your outlet?
I use Instagram mostly. I like posting pictures of my partner and me with our baby—VISIBILITY!!!!!! And then, whatever interview I'm doing while doing promo.
Is there a moment in your memory when your perspective or idea of what Pride is changed or evolved? What happened then?
I think last year I was super stunned by the number of Pride collections in the stores. I remember having to go to the mall for some errands and every single window of every single store was Pride-themed. Rainbows everyyyywhere! I thought, “What a freaking beautiful time to be alive and gay!" It screamed acceptance; it screamed visibility; it screamed, “The world has changed for the better and you are safe now and we see you and we celebrate you!" HOURRAYYYYY!
If you could get the world to change its collective mind about one issue, or adopt one way of being, what would it be and why?
Well, to me, being vegan taps into everything. It could really help people's health and mental health. If going forward people would respect other species' lives and consider it as important as theirs—for the ecosystem of the entire planet—then that would raise people's compassion and understanding of the world. I think it could have a beautiful ripple effect on people's behavior and on their ability to grow more love and respect for each other.
Shop our With Pride kit, with 100% of profits going to GLSEN (up to $75K) here.
