Accept, Don’t Neglect
written by hope samudio
As decades flew by, we saw the rainbow flag that represents the LGBTQ+ community get sewn together. Through protests, sit-ins, and proposals, the U.S. got to where people can proudly present pride flags. These pride flags symbolize honor and diversity that the LGBTQ+ community waited so long for. The idea of waiting sounds awfully boring, but for this community, it was anything but. Discrimination has made the life of an LGBTQ+ member a completely different story than the one of a heterosexual. It is harder to get a job, healthcare, housing, and even to simply live life without being harassed. Despite those struggles, this strong headed community never stopped.
Many question why this progress and gesture of acceptance of selling and promoting the LGBTQ+ community isn't good enough. That is because these pride collections are presented to us by countless companies that don’t know what they’re doing. Slapping rainbows on anything you can doesn’t make the years of discrimination go away, nor does it erase the other eleven months of the year where homophobic individuals make the lives of many people who identify as LGBTQ+ hell. It all wraps back around to the people higher up in power who keep pulling strings to control lives that aren’t theirs in order to benefit themselves. Before 2022 has even ended, there have been nearly 240 anti-lgbtq+ proposed bills. Implementing laws that take away the right to love who you want is not enough. In addition to that, companies have been making profits off of a community that they don’t support.
This issue is most commonly known as rainbow capitalism, but can also be called pink capitalism, and homocapitalism. This type of marketing can be seen in companies that don’t actually support LGBTQ+ communities. They will create, promote, and sell anything they can put a rainbow on during pride month, but do nothing else in support of this community the rest of the year. Those rainbow plastered items are made with the intention to show their support, but what it’s really doing is putting up a wall to shield people from the truth. Yes, you will sometimes see companies that make pride sections and then give the proceeds back to the LGBTQ+ community, but that isn’t always the case. Oftentimes, the companies are just capitalizing on pride — hence the name. This is just a backhanded way to profit off of a community and get praised for supporting them, even though the companies are basically working against them.
Rainbow capitalism is created by many companies that are now household names. Walmart, in one year, donated $400,000 to political candidates that were voting against the equality act. Mcdonald's, Amazon, Toyota, State Farm, and AT&T are just a few other companies that promote their support for LGBTQ+ communities, yet directly work against them behind the scenes. Looking into studies, you can find that over a 2-year time span, 25 companies that have marketed pride collections have donated ten million dollars to anti-gay politicians. This is not only harming the community through laws which threaten their basic human rights, but it is also taking aim at mental health — especially in LGBTQ+ youth.
While the LGBTQ+ community is already more likely to have mental health issues due to the mistreatment the world gives them, the added stress of false realities is becoming severe. With rainbows plastered everywhere, one may believe it is in support of their life. Something meant to spread joy in the community. This attitude may be felt in kids who aren’t yet aware of the inner workings of corporate America. The so-called support is advertised in ways that are meant to strike your emotions. They make you feel loved, accepted, and appreciated. For many, this makes them want to buy the advertised pride collections. They think the company is supporting them, but in reality, they are funding companies who are using their money to undermine the consumer's very own fundamental rights. The realities behind it all are harsh, and can break people's hearts as they learn more about what the pride collections they see really mean. Now, with all of the terrible companies who put profit over pride, there are still some honest companies working with foundations such as The Trevor Project and the It Gets Better Project. Converse has had many pride collections and will likely come out with many more. But the difference between Converse and these other companies mentioned above is what they do with their profits. Converse has donated over $1.5 million to various programs in support of the LGBTQ+ community. Another company doing the same is Bath and Body Works, who in the year 2022 are donating $150,000 to the It Gets Better Program mentioned above. Those are only two of the many companies that are standing strong and truly working towards equality for the LGBTQ+ community.
Some of the simplest ways to learn if what you are purchasing is or isn’t funding actions against someone's rights take just a few seconds. A simple google search can lead you to many articles just like this one that can let you know what companies are really up to and what they stand for despite their advertisements. Even something like turning your head and listening in to the customers in front of you to see if the cashier is asking if they’d like to donate to programs which support LGBTQ+. If you follow companies more closely, ask yourself if you've ever heard them supporting pride outside the month of June. If you haven’t, it is likely they aren’t actually supporting the community.
Oftentimes, it is hard to spot rainbow capitalism. This is because companies who implement rainbow capitalism don’t want consumers to know that they are just making pride products for a profit. Sometimes you will find an item from a pride collection that is screaming your name, but it is important to stop and think. We must consider what we are supporting when purchasing from big brands. Once you take a step back and give yourself a minute before running to the register, you can avoid supporting the ruse that many companies' pride collections are. Through many, many years, the LGBTQ+ community has proven itself strong and relentless. Fighting for equality is far from over. Moving forward there will still be times that the community is pushed back. During this time it is important to remember the power of the individual. You yourself have a voice that can change the world. Being sure your actions are in support of something great is an important thing to keep track of. Don’t neglect the backstory of pride, because without you changes can’t be made and issues like Rainbow Capitalism will only grow bigger. Never forget that you are a vital piece to reaching what the community needs, acceptance.
