For many, June signals the end of the school year and the start of summer. For others, it’s Pride Month, an opportunity for people to come together, champion diversity and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and its many contributions. For brands big and small, Pride Month offers opportunity – the chance to amplify the support and empowerment they offer to the LGBTQ+ community. But there is a need to see more than a temporary profile picture or social post. This is a community that needs to see celebration and support both during June and the other 11 months of the year.
That support is needed now more than ever as the current administration has pulled back on DEI initiatives, putting pressure on brands and other organizations to follow suit. According to CBS News, “Pride looks a little different this year,” and CNN cites a survey by Gravity Research that says 39% of companies planned to scale back Pride Month plans this year.
This begs the question: If many of these companies are pulling back on these initiatives, what is really at stake for the LGBTQ+ community?
The concept of rainbow washing is not a new one. It generally is defined as the practice of using rainbow-themed symbolism in brand messaging of all kinds without the support of LGBTQ+ people’s identities or rights. The collective public is on alert – over the past 20 years, most people see right through this style of branding.
Even the campaigns that have been met positively are missing a quantitative impact.
Burger King’s Proud Whopper campaign in 2014 was widely considered a success and carries a heart-felt message about everyone being the same, regardless of sexual orientation. But aside from over a billion media impressions and a few award wins, it’s difficult to articulate the positive impact a campaign like that can really make to strengthen the community. (More recently, Burger King found itself apologizing over the Pride Whopper.)
Consumers can see through these superficial efforts to capitalize on Pride Month. A study from Pew Research from May 2025 showed that, while more than half of adults (68% of LGBTQ/ 54% of Non-LGBTQ) believe all or most companies promote Pride Month because it helps business, much fewer (16% LGBTQ/13% Non-LGBTQ) believe these companies have a genuine desire to celebrate the LGBTQ community. Case in point, many Americans made their voices heard earlier this year with boycotts in response to Target scaling back its DEI policies (not to mention the continued criticism it received for its annual Pride collection for the past few years).
That said, many in the public space have made it clear they are interested in a brand’s stance in this space. And this is where the opportunity lies for brands that are committed to supporting the LGBTQ+ community through genuine support and action.
Brands that continue to show conviction in their belief of celebrating the LGBTQ+ community include Levi’s, which has shown up for the community for many years running, donating time and money to important causes and releasing annual capsule collections. In the 1980s, Absolut Vodka was one of the first brands to advertise in LGBTQ+ magazines, collaborating closely with artists like Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, and began working closely with GLAAD. And IKEA has developed a long-term commitment to allyship among its customers and employees, taking action and raising funds for the LGBTQ+ community worldwide.
This is all to say, brands should push aside empty messaging and activations and focus on real action and advocacy. For the LGBTQ+ community, that means prioritizing action over celebration. Companies can do that by:
● Demanding equal rights and treatment
● Remaining consistent in their support of the LGBTQ+ community year-round
● Donating to organizations advancing LGBTQ+ rights
● Providing opportunities in the workplace
Yes, brands have a choice. They can cater to external pressures, or they can continue to encourage the progress and promise of inclusiveness. With 10% of American adults (including 22% of Americans ages 18-29) identifying as LGBTQ+ – and many, many more who love and support them –the choice should be clear.
But it’s important to remember that Pride Month is as much about protest – a chance to stand up for something you believe in and change that needs to be made – as it is about celebration. Brands that lean toward sizzle and buzz-building rather than substance and brand-building should be prepared for backlash. Brands can win by focusing on collective action in June and the rest of the year, beyond just a rainbow logo.
