What ‘Corporate Pride’ Got Wrong All Along

Bring in the right partners to add credibility 

LGBTQ+ community organizations have become status quo for branded Pride efforts that want to avoid the perception of rainbow washing. Consumers and media alike now expect to see charitable donations to such nonprofit organizations when examining Pride products or campaigns. 

I know firsthand, that there are many ways to involve or embed charitable partners—both at the local and national level—but for them to be truly impactful, bring them into the work as early as possible and compensate accordingly. Partners should also be granted the opportunity to inform and guide the work with community insights that can be applied to the campaign strategy and execution.

Let purpose lead the work 

Lastly, going forward, let’s make sure community impact is a clear and established goal of our work. Start with the goal of addressing the real issues facing LGBTQ+ people today, identify creative ways to help, and apply that to your organization’s unique positioning and ability to drive impact. By centering purpose as a guiding principle, it will help you build credibility with LGBTQ+ people that will earn value long after Pride merch, press impressions and product sales are forgotten. 

And to my LGBTQ+ peers also in positions to influence this work: I hope you push for work that includes allyship at the intersections of race, gender, class, age, immigration status, religion, ethnicity and ability. If your privilege grants you access to a room that other LGBTQ+ folks aren’t invited into (as mine has countless times), I hope you stop and think about how you can be a proxy for them. Or even better, find a way to welcome them in. It will only make the work more authentic and impactful. 

This is certainly not an exhaustive list, nor would I recommend you rely solely on the recommendation of one cis white gay man to guide your ongoing efforts on inclusive campaigns. That’s just a bad strategy. But it is my best advice for any business leader whose company has publicly claimed allyship but now may be questioning how to proceed.

I’m not saying the journey to authentic Corporate Allyship will be easy. It will take time to get it right. But trust me, it’s worth it. That same Gallup poll that found the trans community represents 1% of the U.S. population also found that younger generations are significantly more likely to identify as LGBTQ+. And they want to see real allyship more than they want branded rainbow swag in June.