Can’t Hide The Rainbow (Capitalism)
Tips for Authentic Marketing During Pride Month...and year round!
I’ve mentioned a few times on my social channels that Pride has felt less-than-joyful this year. As a queer business owner, it’s harder than ever to feel open & proud when the LGBTQ+ community is quite literally under attack at a rate we’ve not seen before. My heart particularly breaks for my trans siblings, who are paradoxically experiencing the brunt of the backlash to victories in the 2010s, even though those victories largely applied to sexuality, not gender identity.
“We have officially declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the United States for the first time following an unprecedented and dangerous spike in anti-LGBTQ+ legislative assaults sweeping state houses this year.”
The stats are clear, and plenty of smarter people have written about this alarming trend and what it means for the future of democracy. I don’t need to do that, because this is a marketing blog.
So what does this mean for us as marketers?
For years, there has been ambivalence in the LGBTQIA+ community about the widespread celebration and/or co-opting of Pride Month by brands. Frequently called Rainbow Capitalism, the ham-fisted way that corporations try to incorporate LGBTQ phrases and imagery into their money-making endeavors can be cringe at best, offensive at worst.
On the other hand, as someone who grew up in a time when homophobia was mainstream and the idea of being able to live openly seemed a lifetime away, I personally find it validating to be represented so publicly. I particularly love that my friends’ kids will (hopefully!) grow up knowing there’s a broad spectrum of gender and sexuality available to them. If love truly wins, it will be a very different world for them.
This is a difficult needle to thread for those of us who create content or manage brands. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but based on 5 years as a marketer and 34 years as a queer person, here are my
Tips for Authentic Pride Marketing
Do Make a Pride Statement
Don’t let “not wanting to get it wrong” keep you from making any statement at all. And for the love of everything, do not back off when you get hate-filled pushback (I’m looking at you, Target).
Do Acknowledge the Emergency
The community is under attack. It’s necessary to say more than “love is love” or “be kind.” And while we’re at it, please make sure you mention that Pride is LGBTQIA+ specific. We love our allies, but “Pride is for Everyone” can feel evasive.
Remember: Pride was born out of a need to fight back against oppression at Stonewall. We’re still fighting, and we need your help.
Do Publicly and Financially Fight against the Onslaught of State-level Anti-trans and Anti-gay Legislation
We’ve all seen corporations that make their logo rainbow in June but support politicians or lobby for laws that actively harm these communities. Evaluate your own practices and make sure you’re putting your money where your graphic design is.
Do Employ Queer & Trans People
This should be an obvious one, but if you don’t have anyone from the community in “the room” where branding decisions are being made, your room is missing important voices! And don’t bring them in just to discuss Pride Month.
And, if you’re creating a new product for the season, Do Uplift Queer & Trans Creators
Do Make Sure Your Pride Merchandise Makes Sense
To help me with this blog, I turned to my community on Lex, an app for queer connection. I just had to share this example of a product that was created with no one from the affected cultures in the room, from user “Kat:”
Target literally has a shirt that says Bien Proud. That’s not how you say “I’m Proud” [or “Happy Pride”] in either language. “Good Proud” makes no sense. They didn't even try!
Another insight, from user “Lauren:”
“Rainbows can be done tastefully, but it’s rarely tasteful.”
Don’t just slap a rainbow on something and call it a day. Related to the previous rule: make sure there are folks from the culture(s) in the room!
Do Celebrate Queer Joy and Trans Joy!
It’s a scary time, but Pride is ultimately a celebration. Acknowledge the hardships we face, but make sure you take some time to uplift joy!
Do Use Your Platforms to Uplift and Support LGBTQ+ People Year-round
The people who hate us don’t stop July 1. Make sure your support of us doesn’t end then either.
And finally…
Do Listen to Us about How We Want to Be Supported
Lists like these can be overwhelming, but that’s not an excuse not to try! When it comes to issues of sexuality and gender, nobody is born an expert, and with the state of sex education in this country, most of us have had to teach ourselves. As a result, we tend to be understanding that everyone is learning. We recognize good faith efforts when we see it, and we also know when the effort definitely isn’t.
So: consult the many resources available. Not every queer or trans person in your life or at your company has the capacity to educate you, but for those who give you permission, ask them what they would like to see.
And then…follow through!
