He International LGBTIQ+ Pride Day is celebrated worldwide on June 28. This date commemorates the riots at Stone Wall in 1969 (in this note by Flor Cabral we tell you in more detail what happened and its importance). As the years went by, the celebration gained more and more visibility and the brands, as with any event, joined in remembering it.
However, they do not always apply internal and external policies that reflect real support for the LGBTIQ+ community, which they intend to support only by adding a rainbow flag to their profiles: this behavior is called rainbow washing
What is rainbow washing?
Just like him pink washing (term referring to the use of slogans and demands of the feminist movement for commercial purposes) or the green washing o ecolaundering (refers to the promotion of an image of ecological awareness manufactured to confuse the consumer), the rainbow washing consists of making use of symbols of support for the LGBTIQ+ community to gain credibility with consumers without actually taking actions that benefit them.
How can you identify him as a consumer?
1-Only post or share messages of support for the LGBTIQ+ community during the month of June.
2-Just change your logo to incorporate the colors of the pride flag.
3-It does not implement internal LGBTIQ+ inclusion programs.
4-Does not implement programs to guarantee a safe workplace.
5-Not associated with partners that show inclusion queer.
6-Does not make donations or support organizations that make visible problems faced by people in the LGBTIQ+ community.
“Corporations use the symbols of the LGBTIQ+ community to give the impression that they are aligning with them when in reality they can give money to anti-LGBTIQ+ organizations and political campaigns. They do not hire or support LGBTIQ employees+, and they don’t give money to the queer community”says Lindz Amer, queer author of Rainbow Parenting a Good House Keeping.
It is necessary to make visible what the rainbow washing to identify it and demand that the different organizations take seriously a date that commemorates the struggle of these historically invisible communities Today is also the ideal day to celebrate pride and not allow them to use the motto to seek positioning without making a real commitment to the cause.