Some of the greatest minds throughout history have been people who strayed from the norm, who challenged the status quo by not conforming to the demands and expectations of society around them. Because of these people, the world has seen unbelievable works of art, read life-changing stories, seen classic movies, and more.
The trouble with being different is that there are people who find that to be a target, not something to be celebrated or nurtured or, at the absolute least, simply left alone. One such example of this was the murder of 21-year old Sophie Lancaster, who in 2007 was beaten so brutally that she lapsed into a coma, never regained consciousness, and died 13 days later. Her boyfriend of three years, Rob Maltby, was also beaten into a coma and has been left with lasting brain damage.
Born from that pain and loss was the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, a group that aims to “Stamp out prejudice, hatred and intolerance everywhere.”
To help with this foundation, alt-rock band Bad Pollyanna along with cult makeup brand Illamasqua has released a charity track entitled “Invincible Girl” to commemorate the seventh anniversary of Lancaster’s murder.
Sophie’s mother Sylvia Lancaster states:
To say that everyone at The Sophie Lancaster Foundation is extremely excited about this track is an understatement. We all feel that seven years is an appropriate milestone to celebrate the strength and courage Sophie’s death has given us to slowly but surely change the world. The proceeds and awareness from this charity single will help us continue our crucial work.
You can purchase the track via Bandcamp. More information about Sophie Lancaster and the work that her mother is doing can be found at the official Sophie Lancaster Foundation.