Companies Scale Back Pride Month Celebrations
It’s June, which means it’s Pride Month. For several years, that’s meant a big marketing push for national brands who adorn their merchandise and logos with the Pride rainbow flag to signal their support for LGBTQ+ Americans.
This year, it’s looking like those displays will not be as prominent. Some 39% of companies say they plan to scale back public Pride Month engagement this year, according to a survey of more than 200 corporate executives by Gravity Research.
The change: Consumer brands are worried about provoking right-wing customers and activists, or facing repercussions from the Trump administration, which has threatened to investigate private companies’ diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.
BEEN HERE BEFORE?
In recent years, conservative activists organized boycotts of brands that promoted and sold Pride Month-related products. Target moved its Pride displays from the entrances to the back of stores after conservative activists confronted employees and vandalized displays.
The backlash against Target was largely driven by allegations that it was marketing swimwear designed for transgender people to children. As of last year, Target scaled back its Pride collection to “select stores.”
Bud Light is still struggling after conservative blowback over a social media campaign with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Criticism from the left: Some in the LGBTQ+ community also turned away from Target and Bud Light, after the companies changed course amid conservative pressure. Companies have faced criticism for “rainbow-washing” – using Pride promotions to signal support for the gay community without making meaningful commitments.
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY
Half of Americans say they are comfortable with Pride merchandise in stores, according to a recent GLAAD-Ipsos poll.
Despite the LGBTQ+ community representing a massive customer base — with an estimated $1.4 trillion in purchasing power in the U.S. and $3.9 trillion globally — business leaders this year appear eager to steer clear of the nation’s culture wars.
In Washington, D.C., which is hosting WorldPride — the world’s largest LGBTQ+ gathering — business owners worry that Trump administration policies have deterred sponsors and visitors.
This comes as LGBTQ+ identification in the U.S. continues to grow, with more than 9% of adults now identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or another non-heterosexual orientation — up from 3.5% in 2012, when Gallup first began tracking this data.
