The Stonewall riot of 1969 in New York City was a big turning point for the LGBTQ+ community, which formed the modern gay rights activism today. Organizers claim, that more than one million marched with hundreds of thousands of people in protest against the police. The ultimate nail on the coffin for the activists came a few years later, when individual companies, which noticed the influence the Pride Month Movement had, started to use Rainbow Logos.

This act, which seemed revolutionary and empowering back then, isn’t actually as impactful as we become aware now. Today, it is no news that corporations use queer flags or images resembling the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month for marketing purposes. For instance, Pfizer, which has a history of being an ally for the community by signing on the Equality Act or publicly supporting same-sex marriage, has allegedly been donating approximately 950 thousand dollars to 52 anti-gay politicians at the same time. As shocking as that incident may seem, it is by far not the only example.

People have, especially these previous years, noticed the ongoing hypocritical acts of some companies and recently started protesting against the so-called “rainbow capitalism”, the selling of products resembling the movement such as flags, solely for the purpose of heightening consumerism without any improvement for the LGBTQ+ rights or even acknowledging their existence. As soon as Pride month is over, the products and supporting gestures leave the shops and rainbow logos and flags leave the websites or market. Consequently, a significant group of people in the community even stopped attending to the parades because of it.

While debating on the subject, I’ve got multiple questions on how this situation can possibly be such a big problem and why it isn’t profiting the community instead.

Just because a corporation decides to change its logo on their Instagram account for nearly one month or creates ads, doesn’t mean it will change the social and political oppression of the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, as already mentioned, the doings of each company has its own consequences on the viewers themselves. A multitude of queer people felt deeply offended and even harassed or betrayed by the fact that industries are making money from the oppression of their sexuality and gender. All the progress and effort to make the world a safe place for queer people over the years simply seems to vanish when we see the disrespectful actions of the companies.

But what should they do instead?

Of course, the ideal solution would be that each industry starts to truly support the oppressed, not only the LGBT but also other minorities, and stands along the sides of the queer community fighting for their rights even after Pride Month.

While researching, I also stumbled upon a statement of a company which explained, that they in fact do not change their logos for June. Their goal is to let people associate their company with inclusivity and acceptance and therefore feel no need for a yearly change of logos.

We shouldn’t support the movement once a year, but the whole year.

Katarzyna Lubas