The clock strikes 12 a.m. on June 1. Almost immediately, a plethora of brands I follow is seen with rainbow-garnished logos, headers and bios.
Then I recall the summer of 2017 when Skittles released white candies in honor of Pride Month. Standing by the sweets aisle and reading the back of the Skittles packaging that said, “Only one rainbow flag matters this pride.” I had to stop and think, what difference does this actually make for the community and where was this support all year long?
Support for the LGBTQ community in the form of social media and commercialized campaigns sounds great on the surface, but allyship limited to one month a year, done merely for publicity and profit, and without constant, genuine commitment to uplifting queer communities year-round is futile.
This phenomenon is commonly called “rainbow-washing.” And unfortunately, I grow more aware of it every year.
This performative support, such as Burger King releasing “Pride Whoppers,” a normal Whopper hamburger in rainbow wrapping to make the statement of “we’re all the same inside,” but not taking direct action to help their LGBTQ consumers and employees, does not celebrate queer folk, it merely monetizes from it.
Companies’ attempts of visible “support” similar to this should be backed up with less vague gimmicks, symbols and catchphrases. Rather, they must have more contextualized, concrete missions to make a real difference in these causes.
A company that effectively learned from their first attempt at Pride Month campaigns, ironically enough, is also Skittles.
After revisiting their website and pride campaign this year out of curiosity, I was happy about what I saw. Their previously all-grey package now collaborated with six LGBTQ artists to help design its packaging that does show queer creativity and art that captures the community’s diversity.
Every pride pack purchased also donated $1 to GLAAD, which according to the Library of Congress is an organization that empowers real people to share LGBTQ stories by holding media accountable for the words and images they present.
Rather than limiting this campaign for a month, this initiative remained on the front pages of Skittles’ website, in their bios and in other media throughout the year.
These changes may be ‘bare minimum’ to some, but it’s a step in the right direction that other companies can start to adapt on their own. And to be fair, visible support is lengths better than silence.
Growing up in less ‘queer tolerant’ environments, I always loved seeing more representation across brands and media, especially when June’s Pride Month and October’s LGBTQ History Month do aim to celebrate the self-expression of these communities.
But in today’s world when social media and consumerism, especially are on the rise as students, it is essential we avoid equating media posts and obligatory Pride Month themed branding as real action.
Here are some companies that show genuine support for LGBTQ issues and inclusion:
- Coca-Cola – According to Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, they have scored 100% in their commitment to LGBTQ employees since 2006. This score includes having sexual orientation and gender identity nondiscrimination policies that protect their workers, as well as their donations to LGBTQ resources.
- Levi’s – This company makes an annual donation to LGBTQ rights organizations such as Outright International, alongside their Pride Collection. Levi Strauss & Co. is also listed in Human Rights Campaign’s “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality 2022”
- Vaseline – Along with Unilever, Vaseline has partnered with Switchboard, an LGBTQ helpline that offers referral services to queer individuals that need assistance as they experience physical, emotional or various issues regarding their sexuality.
- Colgate-Palmolive Co. – Also in Human Rights Campaign’s “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality 2022” list, this company is also committed to providing a safe workplace for queer employees and supports the organization Live Out Loud as they provided scholarships for queer youth.
We must support products, brands or companies that genuinely amplify queer voices, have official non-discrimination policies that protect LGBTQ employees, spread awareness when LGBTQ issues arise globally and directly contribute to these efforts to halt discrimination all year long.