How to Avoid “Rainbow Washing”: LGBTQ+ Brands to Support All Year
How to Avoid “Rainbow Washing”: LGBTQ+ Brands to Support All Year
This month is Pride Month, an opportunity to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and continue the fight for equality. For brands, June is also an opportunity to show support through campaigns, social media, and donations.
While these campaigns are effective in building visibility, some argue that this is ‘pride washing’ or ‘rainbow washing,’ a performative and money-making act that is not supported by actions or beliefs throughout the rest of the year. Brands might sell rainbow products or donate in June, but not be inclusive behind the scenes. Do they allow diverse voices in big decisions or have inclusive hiring processes? Do LGBTQ+ employees face hostility in the workplace? How can customers determine if brands are just trying to profit during Pride Month or if they genuinely believe in the cause?
One way to ensure you are making a positive impact during Pride Month and beyond is to shop from LGBTQ+ companies.
Here are 5 LGBTQ+ owned brands to support all year:
Revel & Riot
Revel & Riot is an LGBTQ+ run brand, whose art and t-shirt graphics promote visibility. Their website also features educational resources with definitions, history, and how to be an ally. For those not looking to shop this month, doing research and engaging with LGBTQ+ stories is a great place to start.
Wildfang
This Portland-based company challenges gender norms in fashion, with the focus, “Wear you, not someone else.” They have donated over $500,000 to the Q Center, an LGBTQ+ community center in the Pacific Northwest, and the Tegan and Sara Foundation, devoted to supporting queer women and girls.
Bianca Designs
Bianca is a gender-fluid, queer Latinx who creates fun and inclusive designs of pins, hats, shirts, and other accessories. Proceeds from her collections have been donated to the Audre Lorde Project, an LGBTQ+ community center for people of color, and The Trevor Project, an organization and hotline that provides support in times of crisis for LGBTQ+ youth. These donations are among many others including the Deaf Queer Resource Center and Trans Lifeline. A helpful resource on her site is a Pride flag glossary, which outlines the histories and meanings of the different flags.
A Tribe Called Queer
A Tribe Called Queer is an LGBTQ+ brand that sells gender-neutral clothing with bold and positive statements. They collect donations that are used for community events and collaborations with BIPOC artists. Additionally, they have their own podcast that features important and thought-provoking conversations with a queer person each episode.
Otherwild
Last but not least, Otherwild is a queer-owned business that sells eclectic home goods and apparel from interdisciplinary designers. Their Anotherwild fund supports independent makers who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color and who identify with the LGBTQ+ community.
How will you choose to shop this month? What other ways will you support the LGBTQ+ community throughout the rest of the year? Let us know!
Sources:
https://www.instyle.com/fashion/clothing/brands-supporting-lgbtq
https://bobbyberk.com/show-your-pride-10-lgbtq-owned-businesses-the-products-we-love/
https://otherwild.com/pages/about-otherwild
http://www.revelandriot.com/about/