To wonder how Pride became such a commercial thing?

[AngeloMysterioso]

Disclaimer- this is in absolutely no way a homophobic thread.

I’ve always been aware of Pride- I don’t know when it became a whole month but I have gone on parades with LGBetc friends and family, and any excuse to get colourful is fine by me!

But this year I’ve noticed there seems to be a massive commercial side to it. Converse have brought out a big range of Pride trainers, Primark had a whole section dedicated to it, the Starbucks near me was offering a Pride Frappuccino, even Ralph Lauren has jumped on the rainbow bandwagon. I don’t know whether or not the proceeds of all these things are going to relevant charities or anything (in the case of Primark I certainly doubt it!). Almost every shop I’ve gone in in the last few weeks has had some sort of rainbow something going on.

I think it’s fantastic that it’s getting so much support but the cynical side of me is just curious as to how’s it’s happened- even last year I don’t remember it being this much of a “thing”- is it just corporate virtue signalling?

In Manchester they've almost turned it into a concert and are charging an entry fee so high many gay people can't even afford to attend.

It is "wokewashing".

And it is no longer a welcoming place for lesbians, I hear....

Hopefully some of the sponsors like Starbucks will pay for a litter pick.

Ha. I clicked on this thread ready to say it’s cynical pinkwashing and I hate it, but wokewashing is an even better term.

It’s been gradually creeping year on year. I remember the Tesco, Starbucks etc along the London Pride route have been turning their logos rainbow for years. It’s quite an evolution and as others have said, reflects a transition from a time when businesses would find it commercially risky to associate with LGB folk to now when they’re all falling over each other to be allies.

Pride is necessarily a broad church incorporating party and protest, but it’s fucking sickening seeing that Barclays bus in pride [sic] of place at the front of the parade and all the actual LGBT charities shoved miles back behind...

Many big companies have been actively supporting LGBT staff for years, you straights didnt notice until someone added some stripes to an app here and there for Pride month.

“You straights”...?

I’ve been doing Pride for 15 years now and have always seen the guys (mostly) in leather and collars etc. I like them. My eldest is 7 and he’s intrigued when we pass them but I don’t feel that they are damaging his innocence in the slightest. Again, broad church - I don’t expect it to be sanitised to be family-friendly but I also don’t expect anyone to suggest my kids and I are not welcome. And so far it has always been fine.

Ha, I'm a Social Media Manager and someone just asked me to change our logo to Pride colours. I've deleted the email. I've no desire to so blatantly jump on a bandwagon. It's so obvious and disingenuous.

Many big companies have been actively supporting LGBT staff for years, you straights didnt notice until someone added some stripes to an app here and there for Pride month.

Sorry this is rubbish. I am old enough to remember when no company would have went near Pride. And the furore when a few companies did feature gay or lesbian couples in adverts. The press coverage over two men in an IKEA advert looking for a sofa together!
You might have got the local independent left wing bookstore attending a local Pride, but I can assure you if Starbucks and the like had existed then, they would have went nowhere near Pride.

And those companies that do support LGB staff do so after a lot of campaigning from staff in the past. So don't forget those who paved the way for you.

Honestly don’t see why people are getting so worked up about seeing some rainbows. Heard a bloke the other day complains to his wife that it was being ‘forced’ down their throats and making it - he meant gay I assume - seem ‘normal’. Don’t like it, then don’t buy the shoes with the rainbows on them. It’s not hard.

Don’t like it, then don’t buy the shoes with the rainbows on them. It’s not hard.

This is so far from the point. It’s not about there being an abundance of rainbows. Visibility is great.

What’s not great is when that visibility is exploitative, or when it’s a veneer companies are using to appear supportive when in practice they are anything but. Under these circumstances it’s not enough just to say you aren’t going to buy a t-shirt. We owe it to the people being harmed by the commercialisation of pride to stand up against companies who see it as a money-making venture instead of what it actually is - a celebration of the LGBT community, and a protest against the ongoing bias and discrimination faced by LGBT people in this country.

So which ones are the good guys and which are the bad? Are we going to TM the rainbow and not allow some people to be visible? Or should we accept that while not everyone’s motives are pure, visibility IS important?

It's happening with everything I think. The internet and social media means everyone is more aware of things that don't personally affect them and it's harder to ignore things. It's also partly commercial and partly a competition to show off how supportive they are to minority groups. It's like children in need, you used to pay a pound for non school uniform and watch the programme on the tv but now it's bigger than that.

Saw these on Imgur last night, made me chuckle

So which ones are the good guys and which are the bad?

Good guys: companies which actively promote acceptance and tolerance within the company structure, deal with accusations of homophobic bullying swiftly and seriously, have staff undertake unconscious bias training, source goods, services etc from countries which protect their LGBT population, donate money to LGBT causes and, particularly, to pride events themselves.

Bad guys: disseminate rainbow coloured branded merchandise but donate money to anti-LGBT politicians and parties, purchase goods from countries with a poor record on LGBT rights, do little to challenge bullying and discrimination within their workplace, donate token amounts while profiting enormously from pride themed produce.

Are we going to TM the rainbow and not allow some people to be visible?

Who says people won’t be allowed to be visible? Pride doesn’t require primark to be selling t-shirts with rainbows on to be visible. And I have no objection to companies allying themselves with Pride as long as they are actually exhibiting their support for the LGBT community in real life, and not just profiting from an opportunity.

Or should we accept that while not everyone’s motives are pure, visibility IS important?

Visibility isn’t interchangeable with corporate sponsorship, and while it is important, it’s not more important than challenging the anti-LGBT behaviours lots of corporations engage in.

Some rainbow flags has nothing really to do with visibility.

BDSM pride has been a thing for years and years :) Their flag has flown in parades here at least for a very long time.

I'm alright with the rainbowing of everything. It creates visibility and generates conversation which are great things for equality.

I love rainbows and find it really irritating that you can't wear anything rainbow, without people thinking it's for pride.

I love rainbows and find it really irritating that you can't wear anything rainbow, without people thinking it's for pride

I expect you’re also furious that ‘gay’ doesn’t just mean ‘jolly’ any more.

Seriously though, in the grand scheme of things (and specifically the rights gay people are still fighting for) this is such an inconsequential complaint I’m surprised you’re not too embarrassed to even utter it.

I love rainbows and find it really irritating that you can't wear anything rainbow, without people thinking it's for pride

You poor darling. You just want to wear nice rainbow outfits like these because they remind you of pretty happy lufferly rainbows from nature but nasty-minded people WILL misconstrue them as being something to do with gay pride.

images.app.goo.gl/45aJbCK7orqZrAgKA

I love rainbows and find it really irritating that you can't wear anything rainbow, without people thinking it's for pride.

I love rainbow stuff too- if people think it’s for Pride that’s fine by me!

I suppose I’m just very suspicious about even random corporate companies like those that HundredMilesAnHour mentioned are just slapping on a rainbow flag and thinking that’s it, job done, and now we can congratulate ourselves on being right-on. I can’t be arsed to investigate the social policies of each one of these companies but I doubt that every rainbowed-up entity is out there fighting to promote the cause.