 |
| Eric Yaverbaum |
A decade ago, it was impossible to go shopping anywhere in June and not see rainbow branded merchandise everywhere; now it’s almost surprising to see an acknowledgment of Pride Month at all.
The origins of Pride Month go all the way back to the 1969 Stonewall Riots, with the first Pride march held in four cities across America one year later. But it wasn't until 1999 that June officially became Pride Month. And after the 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage, Pride went mainstream.
In the business world, it marked a new era of rainbow capitalism, or the often surface-level incorporation of LGBTQ imagery and messaging into corporate advertising and branding. Just a few years ago, companies in every industry—from big box retailers and beauty conglomerates to beer brands and sports teams—leapt at the chance to sell rainbow merch and capitalize on the LGBTQ community.
While brands publicly supported the LGBTQ community, skeptics questioned whether they were really invested or simply happy to profit off of Pride. Now, it would seem those skeptics were right. Ten years and three administration changes later, public perception and corporate allyship have notably shifted, with many brands scaling back their Pride marketing due to a fear of consumer backlash as well as reputational and financial risk.
This shift isn’t surprising at all, it’s precisely what was expected from rainbow capitalism, and it’s not exclusive to Pride; companies have similarly capitalized on trending movements, like climate activism and veganism for instance, only to abandon them as they became less visibly popular.
According to recent Gallup polls, moral acceptance of LGBTQ groups has been on a slight decline over the past few years since peak numbers in 2023. This sudden shift was the result of a brewing culture war against DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) that came to a head during the 2024 presidential election. The current administration campaigned directly against DEI and has fulfilled that promise since taking office, scrutinizing and pressuring organizations to abandon DEI initiatives.
Concurrent boycotts of brands, like Anheuser-Busch for its social media partnership with transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney and Target for its annual Pride celebration, signaled to brands that showing solidarity with the LGBTQ community wasn’t without risk and may hurt their bottom line.
This June, many brands are focusing their marketing budgets on safer bets like celebrating the United States co-hosting the 2026 men’s FIFA World Cup, which to be fair, is a massive marketing opportunity and celebration of diversity that has not happened since 1994 (though there is some irony there, considering that some of our best players are only on the U.S. team because of policies that are currently under attack, like birthright citizenship). And others are getting a head start on celebrating the country’s semiquincentennial, which arguably should be yet another celebration of our nation’s diversity and fight against tyranny.
All of that said, this is far from the end of brands celebrating Pride, and those that continue to do so are showing their true colors. It’s not even the end of corporate allyship and rainbow capitalism because businesses won’t leave money on the table and administrations and mainstream sentiment will undoubtedly change again, which is why the current backtracking is incredibly short-sighted.
Regardless, as communicators, we need to get one thing clear: Pride is not and never will be about brand integration. It's not about rainbow merch, performative allyship, or an aesthetic without substance. It’s the commemoration of a protest and the ongoing struggle for acceptance of all sexual orientations and gender expressions. It’s about honoring those we’ve lost, celebrating our infinite diversity, and creating a more colorful, inclusive, and welcoming world.
While brand partnerships have played a small role in the mainstreamification of the LGBTQ community, the community isn’t asking for rainbow-colored brand activations or corporate parade floats. They just want to be able to live freely and truly like all other Americans, whether brands are on board or not.
The fact of the matter is, despite all the hatred and violence, LGBTQ people have always and will always be here. While the backlash seems to have grown louder, that tends to be the case when big shifts are on the horizon (take the explosion of violence at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, for instance). The reality is that more and more Americans say that they have a gay or trans friend, neighbor, coworker, or family member. Furthermore, a broad majority of U.S. citizens across the political divide believe that LGBTQ people deserve “to live with dignity and equality.”
Over a year of the current administration’s efforts to “dewoke” the country have not yielded the economic benefits promised. Since February 2025, hiring has declined, unemployment has grown, wages went down, job creation has almost disappeared, and inflation is rampant. Republican or Democrat, left or right, radical or apolitical, gay or straight, cis or transgender, the majority of Americans care about kitchen table issues. They care about things like the cost of groceries and gas, where their next rent or mortgage payment will come from, how and when they’ll be able to retire, and whether their children will be able to find a job and afford a house. If these issues are not meaningfully addressed, the backlash will fade and brands will once again be openly celebrating Pride in June before the next presidential election.
Oftentimes, political and cultural trends act like a pendulum; while popular opinion may swing one way for a while, it will inevitably come around and settle the zeitgeist back to the mean. And there is no doubt that those brands that were solely in it for their own profit will as well.
***
Eric Yaverbaum, CEO of Ericho Communications, is a communications, media and public relations expert with over 45 years in the industry, having co-founded Jericho Communications and served as President from 1985 until its successful sale in 2006. He has worked with such brands as Sony, IKEA, Progressive Insurance, Domino’s, Beachbody, H&M and fitness guru Jack LaLanne. Eric is also a bestselling author who literally wrote the book on public relations—the industry-standard Public Relations for Dummies.
As communicators, we must be both cognizant of the challenges of educating the public about LGBTQ lives and focused on the reality of what Pride really is, what it means and why it’s more important than ever in times of increasing difficulty and discord.
The current assaults on LGBTQ rights make it essential that communicators ensure they are fluent in the fight against those assaults. LGBTQ people—including the people you work with and your friends—need to step up the fight for our rights. And your clients—companies, organizations, nonprofits, advocates, and others—are going to be thrust into the middle of this fight whether they want to be or not.
Now more than ever, companies must recognize that allyship can’t be seasonal. Backing away from LGBTQ+ inclusion during Pride Month can cause more long-term damage than any short-term political blowback.
Media coverage is always a good way to shine a light on how our nation's resources are being used to persecute people abroad.
After the rainbow-colored logos and Pride flag-bedecked websites disappear at the end of this month, we must remember that Pride is year-round. Now is no time to disengage. In fact, the opposite is true: 2024 should be the Year of the LGBTQ Ally.
