Pride 101: Pinkwashing

Until this year’s brutal backlash, every June companies across America and around the world have added rainbow stripes to their logos and their advertising; sold rainbow-themed clothing, food and other merchandise; and even sponsored Pride events. It was optically done in support of LGBTQ+ people and in celebration of Pride, and most of these companies were—I should note that some of them still are—acting in a genuine spirit of support and celebration.

But now many are vehemently (cowardly?) not.

Pinkwashing—a practice where companies ride the wave of Pride in order to garner public favor and persuade the LGBTQ+ and ally populations to support them as consumers year-round—first appeared in the national dialogue in the 2010s as a parallel concept to whitewashing (emphasizing the histories of European caucasians over the histories of other populations) and greenwashing (promoting—sometimes dubious—claims of environmental consciousness and stewardship by companies and organizations).

Arguably more of a hop-on-the-bandwagon public-relations tool than a genuine show of support and allyship when bigger corporations are involved, pinkwashing annually draws ire and mockery from the LGBTQ+ population, our allies, and the smaller companies and organizations that truly support and celebrate us. With good justification.

And while I agree in spirit, I have a slightly different take: Even if stores selling rainbow clothing and decorations and knickknacks are truly just using us for profit, they’re still helping normalize our existence by getting rainbow clothing and decorations and knickknacks—not to mention in-store merchandise displays—in front of the greater population.

And while it’s true that they seem to start selling this stuff on June 1 and abruptly stop on June 30, they do the same thing for Valentine’s Day and back-to-school and other holidays and events that are typically celebrated in a very specific block of time. Stores don’t waste floor space on things that customers aren’t currently buying, which is why you’re not finding Santa hats and parkas clogging up the retail racks in the middle of June.

Yes, my take can be seen as grasping at crumbs in a larger zeitgeist of oppression and discrimination. But in our MAGA-driven culture—I use that term very loosely—of open hatred, brutal backlash, and often death threats and violence, it’s still rather honorable for companies to stick their necks out for us.

So I say stock up on rainbow flags and hats and T-shirts and decorations now, and then display and wear them year-round when Pride month is officially over. Retail may follow a calendar, but we certainly don’t have to.

THIS IS WHY WE CALL IT PRIDE.