Supporting Pride Month the Right Way: Strategies To Prevent ‘Rainbow Washing’

This year marks the 52nd anniversary of Pride Month. On June 28, 1969, the police raided a New York gay bar named Stonewall Inn, prompting the LGBTQIA+ community and allies to fight back in a series of events that kicked off a fight for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ population. A year later, they organised a protest to celebrate “Gay Pride”, which is now celebrated by various communities worldwide and is more popularly known as Pride month.

Over recent years, companies, brands and businesses have also taken to celebrating Pride month. Every year, during this time, social media is flooded with brand logos that have been changed to rainbow colours, and companies start posting rainbow images and stickers on their social media pages, in their advertisements, products, and communication activities. When this is done with genuine intent, the brand is applauded for bringing up pertinent issues and understanding its role in a social context beyond just that of a profit-making entity.

The issue arises when companies use Pride month as a mere marketing gimmick, with the intent of appearing “woke” and progressive, but do not back up these claims and appearances with any tangible action. Mere lip service to the community without taking concrete steps towards supporting the cause is a deceptive practice. “Changing logos or making public announcements like ‘I stand in solidarity with the group’ are some of the superficial moves by companies,” said a psychologist who did not want to be named. He further asserted that companies need to take action within their organisation to support the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community.

This process of superficially participating in Pride month without taking any appropriate actions to support the LGBTQIA+ population is a misleading practice referred to as ‘Rainbow washing’. Merely using issues related to a community that has historically been discriminated against to portray a certain image to win favour amongst consumers can accrue more backlash than support. Rather than leading to more consumer engagement, such activities can potentially harm the business as many can see through the facade and tell that the brand is not authentic.

Also read: Everything’s Coming Up Rainbows, But Brands Can Do More for LGBTQIA+ Rights

We spoke to a few members of the queer community, and the overall sentiment was that merely making use of the rainbow logo comes across as “contrived” and gives the impression of the company “cashing in on a trend”. Jatin (name changed), a lifestyle blogger, observed that many clothing brands change their logos to include the rainbow symbol during Pride month. However, in reality there are no visible LGBTQIA+ products of the brand, very few inclusive HR policies are found for the LGBTQIA+ population, and no CSR activities are done for the community or for the NGOs who are working with them.

There is clearly a mismatch of expectations from companies looking to be perceived a certain way and consumers wanting authentic brands who stand for the cause behind Pride month. So how can companies and brands who genuinely want to make a difference safeguard themselves from merely becoming yet another Rainbow washing entity? We offer five strategies that companies can adopt to prevent this malpractice.

1. Inclusion policy and attitudinal shift

An essential first step would be implementing a diversity and inclusion policy with a specific focus on the queer community. Any business showcasing alleged support to the Pride cause must first start with itself – is the organisation an inclusive one? Companies should make sure to include the voice and concerns of community members across the spectrum, and have a holistic inclusion policy that is practically implementable. Real change has to come via greater awareness and sensitisation within the company, starting with initiatives such as educating employees against homophobic attitudes.

2. Internal customers and representation within the organisation

Second, and a related point, is to take care of internal customers – the employees. Making sure that hiring policies reflect an inclusive outlook and encourage diversity on the company’s board, amongst employees and stakeholders, is a vital step. It is unethical to be preaching one thing and behaving quite differently behind closed doors. Celebrating differences, and ensuring representation and inclusion at the workplace are vital. To this end, companies can establish internal support groups and clubs for the LGBTQIA+ community and allies, initiate mental health awareness and counselling services, and ensure greater representation and diversity in hiring practices.

3. LGBTQIA+ voices in brand communications

Businesses need to highlight and address the issues and discrimination faced by the queer community – it is important to voice the struggle as the first step towards reaching solutions. Some brands use their social media pages to spread this awareness and highlight stories that need to be heard and shared. Companies can make thoughtful use of communication channels and platforms accessible to them by sharing LGBTQIA+ voices and stories of courage, offering historical perspectives, normalising the portrayal of gay couples and people across the spectrum in their advertisement campaigns, destigmatising and busting myths, and being vocal about pertinent issues.

4. CSR Activities

A fourth approach is for companies to abide by the adage “put your money where your mouth is”. Companies can do their bit by sharing their resources – both monetary and otherwise – with organisations working for the LGBTQIA+ community. Brands can get associated with NGOs, charities, support groups, and individuals working for the cause. Businesses can sponsor Pride parades in various cities where their business is located. It is vital for companies to do their bit towards mental health support, whether through sponsoring helplines, or funding events with psychologists, reaching out to the marginalised, and starting specific projects to support the cause.

5. Transparency and brand authenticity

Finally, it is crucial to remember that these strategies should ultimately be embedded into the company’s values and not just be followed during the limited period of Pride month. Being vocal for the LGBTQIA+ community should not be viewed as a mere business strategy, rather an attitude shift should accompany it. Brands that are transparent, authentic, back their claims with appropriate action, and steer clear of empty promises are perceived as responsible social entities. More often than not, it is these businesses with an alignment in their core underlying values and their actions that perform well.

These five steps would be good starting points to prevent Rainbow washing. With this five-pronged approach, businesses can fill the gap between expectations from the LGBTQIA+ community and their endeavour to build a favourable brand image.

All organisations should have a holistic inclusion policy, celebrate differences amongst their internal customers, ensure proper communication, contribute resources to the cause, and work towards brand authenticity in supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.

As a member of the queer community put it, the need of the hour is to “destigmatise, acknowledge, celebrate!”

Karan Babbar and Sukriti Sekhri are PhD Scholars at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad.

Featured image credit: Blauth B./Pixabay