Ella Gilbert
This Pride, LGBTQIA+ activists have drawn attention to the widescale Pinkwashing and exploitative rainbow capitalism that seems to now be a regular feature in June. Consequently, there have been questions raised about how companies treat Pride and whether it helps or hinders the LGBTQIA+ community.
I have divided opinions on “pride merch”. As a freshly out-the-closet individual, I find it all quite exciting and even before I realised I was queer, I was always keen to show my allyship. Pride is first and foremost a protest and is about pushing for equality. Although there has been progress in recent years, there is still a long way to go. That being said, fortunately, nowadays we are also able to use Pride as a celebration of who we are and who we love. Part of these celebrations often involve flags, t-shirts, pins, or anything really, the possibilities are endless. I appreciate companies joining in on these celebrations, both showing how far we’ve come and also making “pride merch” more accessible for those who want it.
What’s wrong with Rainbow products?
My problem lies with companies who exploit Pride month and the LGBTQIA+ community and have purely profit-led ambitions. Sometimes it feels like Pride month is just becoming the new Christmas, yet another marketing tactic to boost profits. Outside of June, most of these brands are not concerned with helping or even celebrating queer people. For example, the founder of Urban Outfitters has been linked to prominent anti-gay figures and yet come June, Urban Outfitters are happy to list “The Little Book of Pride: Love is Love by Joanna Gray”. Pinkwashing makes its appearance every Pride month and then it seems that, according to companies, all queer rights can be swept back under the carpet until they’re needed for the next June.
I have little issue with the products themselves. It’s great to see options expanding: seeing items such as pronoun pins or greater choices of flags available is a real testament to how society is progressing. Sometimes they can seem a little tacky or tasteless, as if the brand has suddenly remembered it’s priceless and has decided to slap a rainbow on something, but I guess it’s all down to personal taste. Marks and Spencer launched a controversial “LGBT sandwich” (Lettuce, Guacamole, Bacon and Tomato), which I thought was an unusual choice. M&S have said that alongside the promotion of this sandwich, they are donating £10,000 to AKT (an LGBTQ+ homelessness charity). It certainly took me by surprise and definitely entertained me.
Awareness and celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community is great. However, queer identity is a sensitive topic for so many so I find it somewhat uncomfortable for it to be used as a tactic for profit. “Pride merch” needs to have queer people at the centre and sometimes it just feels like they’ve been forgotten entirely. When homophobes complain about rainbows being everywhere, it is queer people who will have to suffer the consequences, which is even more unfair when the reason their community is being paraded is purely for profit. Issues like these shouldn’t stop individuals or brands from celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community, the issues just need to be properly recognised and addressed.
What can brands do instead?
While I criticise some of their ethics, I’m not saying I think brands should stop producing pride products entirely. I think the way forward would be for companies to show their support in more ways than just making rainbow socks. Recognise the struggles that queer people face, show how you are trying to support them, provide links to support service, and yes, make the rainbow socks.
“They have access to a huge platform and a whole host of resources that could be used to make a real difference.”
It seems appropriate that companies profiting off pride month products, should at least donate part of these profits to LGBTQIA+ charities. They have access to a huge platform and a whole host of resources that could be used to make a real difference. Simply sharing and supporting mental health resources could make a huge difference to a struggling queer person.
There are other easy ways for brands to improve their “pride merch”. There is an abundance of queer talent in the world. By involving and employing LGBTQIA+ designers/creators, they are making products that are more appropriate as they come from queer individuals themselves.
Companies could recognise and tackle issues within their own systems as part of their pride month initiatives. It takes a lot to accept that you are part of the problem but I have far more respect for companies who recognise that there is always work that needs to be done within their environments. They should ensure appropriate support is available for LGBTQIA+ staff and clients and ensure that zero-tolerance discrimination policies are properly implemented. There’s no point presenting an outward image of inclusivity and love when your staff face regular discrimination. There is a sad irony in stocking shelves of pride products, when the workers themselves may be unsafe.
There is no single solution. Pride month is about both fighting for further change and celebrating who we are. “Pride merch” can be fun, as long as done appropriately and with the right intentions. At the end of the day, I don’t need a rainbow bucket hat to celebrate who I am. I am who I am without all of these rainbow gimmicks but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy them or wouldn’t buy them.
Featured image courtesy of Margaux Bellott via Unsplash. Image license can be found here. No changes were made to this image.
Ella Gilbert
Ella is History and Spanish student at the University of Sheffield. She is the social media manager for Empoword and a keen writer for various publications. When not writing or studying (which is far more often than she'd like to admit), you can find her exploring the outdoors, going out for drinks with friends, or in bed with Netflix and TikTok.