Brands and Pride Month—four ways to make rainbow-washing a thing of the past

We all know when Pride Month is here. It seems as if every storefront has a fresh-out-of-the-pack rainbow flag; clothing brands offer rainbow shirts, hats and questionably trendy fanny packs; and brands forgo guidelines to showcase rainbow-colored logos on social platforms.

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For many brands, Pride has become a meaningless checklist of things they do to speak to a specific portion of their consumer base. Rainbow? Check. Nonbinary influencer in an ad campaign? Check. Float in a parade? Check. But once Pride month is over, so many brands go back into the proverbial closet until dusting off their rainbows next year.

Rainbow-washing is “the act of using or adding rainbow colors and/or imagery to advertising, apparel, accessories, landmarks, et cetera, in order to indicate progressive support for LGBTQ equality (and earn consumer credibility)—but with a minimum of effort or pragmatic result,” according to Urban Dictionary.

In short, it’s the idea that if you slap a rainbow on it during Pride month, then gays will buy it. To be fair, this isn’t completely inaccurate; I bought a rainbow crown (yes, a crown) for absolutely no reason other than it has rainbow colors—but I digress.

LGBTQ+ consumers can tell the difference between empty gestures and genuine brand commitment. So, why do so many brands fall short of being authentic? Some brands just don’t know better. For others, it’s easy money. They can be gay today and business as usual tomorrow. Such blatant rainbow-washing usually indicates that they lack a sustainable culture of authenticity.

Rainbow-washing is a problem because it’s inauthentic and—dare I say—a blatant lie. Brands needn’t fly a rainbow flag year-round—even I put my rainbow tank tops away after June—but I’m still gay when the rainbows go away. For many brands, it’s not a part of their culture once July begins.

During Pride, brands will have their latest campaign front and center, but once you dig deeper, you can see where their support lies. Take a look at their LinkedIn page. See who the people behind the brand are. Pay attention to what they’re saying and doing throughout the year. It’s great when a brand makes a donation to an LGBTQ+ organization during Pride month but where else is it spending its time and money?

Does this mean you need to research every single brand you buy? Yes. You’ve got to perform your due diligence to become an informed consumer. And you’d be surprised how much a little consumer research can reveal. If a brand is doing bad things, you won’t have to look far before someone in the LGBTQ+ community spills the tea.

Brands must commit to a sustainable way of life and way of doing business. This isn’t rocket science. If you want LGBTQ+ consumers to think that you’re authentic, then embrace authenticity. Support shouldn’t happen only when the rainbow spotlight is on. Words with meaning need to stand behind those colors. Support has to be part of a brand's culture and sustained throughout the organization, throughout the year.

Here’s how to do it:

Know where you are to know where you’re going

Brands need to acknowledge the level of support they are providing and decide how they want to proceed. Ask if you are doing absolutely nothing for the LGBTQ+ community while still producing Pride merchandise and marketing campaigns? Are you making donations to LGBTQ+ organizations only during Pride month? Does your company have internal policies that support a sustained culture of support for LGBTQ+ employees?

Evaluate your internal culture

A brand isn’t just the campaign it puts on a billboard or in a social post. It’s also the people who work in the company. Ask how diverse your company is? Do LGBTQ+ employees have a seat at the table where decisions are made? Does the company have a sustainable culture of support that encourages LGBTQ+ people to apply? Are employees encouraged to be their authentic selves?

Show continuous outward support

Support for LGBTQ+ customers comes in many forms. This includes donations to charities, creating safe spaces and promoting campaigns that show the LGBTQ+ community that it’s OK for them to be their authentic selves. But this support needs to extend beyond just Pride month. Ask what your brand is doing beyond Pride month? How is your brand continuing to show support throughout the year? Are your marketing campaigns diverse with LGBTQ+ characters? Is your brand participating in relevant LGBTQ+ conversations?

Know that the answers are just the beginning

Brands must be humble enough to recognize that they don’t know everything about LGBTQ+ issues. They must also be open enough to have hard conversations and listen to those who can help them be better, including their own customers. When the community calls you out on rainbow-washing (if you’re guilty, it will happen), don’t get defensive. Brands need to listen, learn, reflect and make changes in order to stay relevant and authentic to their customers. Only then can we start down the path of making rainbow-washing a thing of the past.

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