Somewhere Over a Rainbow – Daniel Dalman

“No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.” - Marsha P. Johnson, American Gay Liberation Activist.  

June can mean a lot of things – longer days, warmer weather, the start of summer holidays, a solstice. And to a community and those that support them, around the world June is Pride month, meaning we align ourselves with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in their celebration and fight for equality.  

But what does it mean when you lean too hard into the celebration aspect and do nothing to help the progress?  What if your alignment feels more performative? Are you jumping on the bandwagon for the right reasons? You’re in rainbow washing territory and that’s not where you want to be.  

So, before you order your pride merch or change that logo to a rainbow, you might need to learn about the dangers of rainbow washing and how to avoid it.  

Spot the signs of rainbow washing!

Even with the best of intentions you might be guilty of rainbow washing. Ask yourself some hard questions and watch for these signs:  

Surface-Level Support: A company may change its logo to a rainbow version or release Pride-themed products. But this external action is often not accompanied by internal changes that support the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.  

Profit-Driven Intent: Many brands use Pride branding to boost sales or public image, rather than out of genuine allyship. When the motivation is to make money – think again!  

Some of these same companies may donate to anti-2SLGBTQIA+ legislation or maintain discriminatory practices internally. 

Short-Term Engagement: Support is often limited to Pride Month, with little to no follow-through the rest of the year. Just 30 days for the gays? I don’t think so!  

Lack of Representation: Companies engaging in rainbow washing often lack 2SLGBTQIA+ representation in leadership or fail to support 2SLGBTQIA+ employees beside the logo or participation in the pride parade.  

What’s the big deal?  

So, what if you change your logo to a rainbow?  That’s showing support, isn’t it? Isn’t that enough?  

Well, the problem with the rainbow logo is when it is just a rainbow logo. Then you run the risk of diluting the work of real activism, by equating the simplest act of participation to a meaningful act. If everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, and there are rainbows everywhere there is nothing else to do, right? Wrong.  

Real challenges and barriers exist for the community. From discrimination to legislation, there are real risks that Pride is working against.  And yes, the protest can feel like a celebration because often Queer joy is in itself an act of protest. When it feels like your existence is being erased, dancing with your friends and being happy is a radical act. That is an individual’s participation. But for a company, business or organization there is more nuance. Pride is more of a protest than it is a parade. And participating should feel like activism not a marketing strategy.  

What can you ask yourself?  

Is your organization a safe space for the community? Move past surface-level actions and look closely at your internal culture and external reputation: Where is your DEI strategy? How are you participating with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community year-round outside of pride? Are you giving money to causes? Are you voting on important issues? Supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ candidates? Educating? Learning? Amplifying?  

How can we take action?  

You need to back up your intentions with purposeful actions to be taken in and taken seriously with Pride. One organization, Adobe, has been open about their commitment to the employees. They speak publicly about being a welcome space, appreciate creativity, promote the use of 2SLGBTQIA+ stock images and photography, and launched their own Adobe For All campaign.  

What else can you do?  

There is lots you can do to approach Pride with best of intentions. Besides a rainbow and a float you could…

• • Partner with queer-owned businesses.  
• • Examine hiring practices and set diversity and inclusion targets for your organization.  
• • Volunteer with queer organizations.  
• • Give donations to 2SLGBQTIA+ organizations.  
• • Be gay! And if you are, live it proudly. Because being yourself especially in public is the ultimate form of resistance.