Every June, brands don their rainbow logos, launch Pride-themed products, and flood our feeds with celebratory posts. It’s a colorful display of allyship — or so it seems. Because while the visibility is loud, the action is often painfully quiet.
Pride Month is not a marketing opportunity — it’s a moment rooted in protest, resistance, and the ongoing fight for safety, dignity, and freedom for the LGBTQIAP+ community. And yet, time and time again, we see corporations center themselves in Pride campaigns, only to abandon those values once July hits.
It’s performative allyship: a surface-level nod to inclusion that fails to address the deeper, structural issues that LGBTQIAP+ people face every day.
Real support means funding grassroots queer organizations, not just sponsoring floats. It means hiring queer creatives — especially those of color — not just featuring them in a campaign. It means taking a stand against the rising global violence against LGBTQIAP+ people, not staying neutral when rights are under attack.
The numbers speak volumes. In the Netherlands alone, incidents of anti-LGBT violence rose by nearly 30% in the last two years [source: COC Nederland]. Around the world, laws criminalizing queerness are being reinstated or reinforced. This is the context in which Pride campaigns roll out — which makes hollow gestures all the more infuriating.
Representation without investment is exploitation. Visibility without accountability is a branding exercise. If you’re not actively contributing to the safety, joy, and future of the queer community, then a rainbow logo is just noise.
Pride is not a marketing trend. It’s a commitment. And if you're going to show up for us, show up all the way — not just when it’s profitable.
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