You may not have known this, but the United Nations actually has a division dedicated to stamps. And on Thursday it announced that it has created a series of stamps designed to promote LGBT equality worldwide.

 

The United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) created six commemorative stamps as part of the UN Free & Equal campaign, a UN initiative for LGBT equality launched and led by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Two are English, two are French and two are German.

 

"We live in a world where even though (developed) nations have embraced marriage equality (and) LBGT equality, we still have a far, far, far way to go," explained Sergio Baradat, the artist who designed the stamps. "There are some countries in the world right now where not only are we not celebrated or respected, but we are beaten and killed. And I thought that it would be a wonderful opportunity using art, to use postage stamps as a vehicle – using art to change hearts and minds."

 

He said the designs were inspired by the Art Deco style of Miami, Florida.

 

The series is co-sponsored by the permanent missions of Argentina, Australia, Chile, El Salvador, Germany, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Uruguay, the delegation of the European Union, in addition to OHCHR and UNPA.

 

You can purchase the six stamps online here or patiently wait for one of your snail-mail pen pals to send you a letter with one of the stamps on it.