According to a Gallup poll released earlier this year, the trans community represents less than 1% of the U.S. population. It’s important to note that demographic snapshots like this—polling respondents on their identities—are likely to underrepresent LGBTQ+ community members statistically. But regardless, the trans community is still a small percentage of our population, making them particularly vulnerable to disinformation.
So what about Corporate Pride?
Aside from my annual dose of nostalgia, Pride Month has also represented my “busy season” at work. For over a decade, I’ve been responsible for working with brands and organizations on how best to represent, support, market to or communicate with the LGBTQ+ community while employed at LGBTQ+ media organizations.
Throughout the years, I’ve logged countless hours advising professionals on how their company can simultaneously act as a responsible employer to their LGBTQ+ workforce and market to consumers who are increasingly seeking more “personal emotional value” from brands. I’ve observed firsthand the bandwagon effect known as “rainbow capitalism” that followed the 2015 Supreme Court Marriage Equality ruling. And year over year I’ve witnessed the rising tension between corporate-sponsored Pride events and more grassroots and advocacy-oriented community marches focused on raising awareness of important issues.
Sadly, a great deal of my work over the past few years has also included necessary support to help brands avoid becoming the next target of the same far-right playbook that is now attempting to make Pride campaigns “toxic for brands“—as part of a larger effort to erase the hard-fought visibility the trans community has rightfully earned.
Don’t get me wrong—I love what I do, especially because it means I’m typically working with other LGBTQ+ community members as partners, colleagues and friends. But reflecting on all this work, especially now, when we’re seeing numerous headlines calling out brands for backpedaling or downplaying their Pride efforts, I’m calling it: Corporate Pride needs a rebrand.
So let’s talk about Corporate Allyship.
