Stop rainbow-washing.

Nicole Cardoza
Written By Nicole Cardoza

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Now, for today's topic: we're analyzing how corporations try to capitalize off of Pride Month, which stands for something far greater than rainbow-washing. Happy Pride, ya'll!

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By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

It’s Pride Month, which means many brands are unrolling a colorful new look – changing their logos and websites, launching rainbow-colored gear, even flaunting colorful marketing campaigns on social media and in-store. Some use this opportunity to raise funds for LGBTQIA+ causes or feature LGBTQIA+ talent in advertising campaigns. This is referred to as rainbow-washing, or “the practice of adding rainbow colors and/or imagery to advertising, apparel, accessories, landmarks, etc. to indicate progressive support for LGBTQ equality (and earn consumer credibility) — but with a minimum of effort or pragmatic result” (Medium).

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This tactic certainly isn’t new. Green-washing is a similar practice that acts as a shallow commitment to sustainability, for example. But it’s difficult to watch in a time where the LGBTQIA+ community is experiencing unprecedented levels of violence and discrimination and one year after a racial reckoning where brands feigned support for equity and inclusion.

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From a marketing perspective, it makes no sense that the global LGBTQIA+ community, with a combined $3.7 trillion in purchasing power, is only thought of for one month of the year (Entrepreneur). Although historically overlooked in consumer data and analytics, the LGBTQIA+ community was recently included in Nielsen rating statistics (NYTimes). Although there’s still much to be done to have the community fully represented in data (looking at you, U.S. Census), there’s no excuse for brands to ignore the LGBTQIA+ community the rest of the year while only providing rainbows as acknowledgment in June. It seems like some corporations think yearly superficial appeals to the LGBTQIA+ community will allow them to tap into this market, while making real commitments to the community would prove too costly.

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What’s more sinister is that many of the same brands fail to support the LGBTQIA+ community. In many cases, they are actively harming them through capitalistic business practices and discriminatory company policies. Many of these same brands have stayed silent as the LGBTQIA+ community experiences a series of attacks, most recently, the rise of anti-trans legislation passing in states across the country. The Human Rights Campaign created a comprehensive way for corporate America to take note (HRC), and activists and advocates demand more leaders take accountability (Advocate). Marketplace brands like Amazon have been found to be supporting anti-LGBT organizations on their platforms (The Hill). Google announces its support for Pride but allows homophobic harassment to be monetized on YouTube, which it owns (New Now Next). Employees can be constantly misgendered at companies outwardly touting their status as “inclusive workplaces” (Archer).
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Rainbow-washing allows people, governments, and corporations that don’t do tangible work to support LGBTQ+ communities at any other time during the year to slap a rainbow on top of something in the month of June and call it allyship.

Justice Namaste, Social Media Coordinator, via Wired​
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Researchers at The Trevor Project found that 35% of LGBTQIA+ youth experience discrimination at work. Transgender and nonbinary youth reported nearly twice as much discrimination, and LGBTQIA+ youth of color were also more likely to experience discrimination (Trevor Project).

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And it goes beyond just supporting causes that seem directly related to the LGBTQIA+ community. Remember that all of the greatest social issues of our time, from police brutality to the economy and the environmental crisis, all disproportionately impact LGBTQIA+ people, especially those of color. When corporations fail to hold themselves accountable for addressing these issues, they choose to ignore the needs of those most vulnerable. And that falls far from allyship.

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Pride wasn’t an event created to wear colorful clothing. It began as a riot in response to police brutality, commemorated by continued protests and demonstrations (them). This liberatory movement, led by the Black and brown LGBTQIA+ community, has fought and will continue to fight for justice. It deserves to be reflected in how organizations operate and not just what they sell. As YK Hong said on Instagram, "pride is not simply a celebration. It is also a call to action".

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Over the past week, we’ve analyzed how corporations are often quick to feign support without actually practicing solidarity. Rainbow-washing during Pride Month is another example of how corporations can enforce an inequitable system even while making equitable statements.

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Key Takeaways

  • Rainbow-washing is the practice of adding rainbow colors and/or imagery to advertising, apparel, accessories, landmarks, etc. to indicate progressive support for LGBTQ equality (and earn consumer credibility) — but with a minimum of effort or pragmatic result” (Medium)

  • Many corporations practice rainbow-washing while actively causing harm to the LGBTQIA+ community

  • To truly celebrate Pride, corporations must commit to addressing the disparities that disproportionately impact the LGBTQIA+ community, and demonstrate a willingness to dismantle the norms

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Nicole Cardoza
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