True allyship or tokenism? The double-edged sword of queer representation during Pride Month

It’s that time of the year again when companies splash rainbows on their logos and local governments paint crosswalks in color to celebrate Pride. As Pride becomes more culturally significant, companies have become more strategic with how they jump into this bandwagon of celebrating the occasion in a tokenistic act called “rainbow washing.”

Since rainbow washing has been present for a while now, brands are becoming more complacent and satisfied with how they contribute to the SOGIE discourse, failing to understand that their actions do not constitute allyship—especially when they only recognize the community every June. Despite this, rainbow washing is not going away anytime soon.

According to TIME Magazine, the combined purchasing power of the community globally amounts to $3.7 trillion. Anisha Kohli discusses how brands that feature the queer community project a progressive image that encourages people to support the brand and also spend more money on them. Queer imagery entices consumers to spend their money on merch and products catered to the community during pride, and we cannot really blame the LGBTQIA+ Community for wanting to support these brands. 

Historically, queer representation was either non-existent or perpetuated stereotypes and did more damage to the community than good. Seeing brands so enthusiastic about putting our community front and center can be heartwarming for us, even if we know it’s all for show. 

For some of us, this is the only time that we see actual representation. Take the McDonald’s advertisement that recently went viral. In a media landscape that has little to no women-loving-women representation, some consumers appreciated this heartfelt advertisement and expressed their approval–especially as there was no harmful messaging incorporated into the advertisement albeit commodifying the community. 

Moreover, as queer visibility starts to amplify in media, many queer individuals have expressed yearning for a romantic and light-hearted portrayal of their love, the same way that has been overdone in heterosexual relationships. Most of the mainstream queer films we have either had stereotypical messaging or grappled with the struggles of being in the community. Consequently, it is necessary to also highlight our light-hearted and joyous experiences with love yet still not undermining our struggles. While it is true that we also need this kind of representation, it is hard to celebrate and reconcile with this type of representation, knowing that it is all being done for profit, and not really to amplify the voices and visibility of the community. In his article, Louis Stalpes argue that this is a double-edged sword because “where mainstream LGBTQ+ representation goes, commercialization often follows.” Does this mean we should settle for what representation we have? 

The answer is evident: no, we shouldn’t. Sure, we have to celebrate that inclusivity is being considered in media production. But, we should not put the pressure on the LGBTQIA+ Community, but instead on the brands and individuals who benefit from this marketing tactic. What they must realize is that at its core, pride is a protest. Merely including and featuring our story once annually does not make you an ally. In the 11 months that we are unrecognized and unprofitable to you, we experience discrimination and fight for inclusivity. These brands and the media must acknowledge that we also exist outside of Pride month. To do better, these companies should join the cause and use their platforms so we can get the equality we deserve–starting with the SOGIE bill.

banner by: @kat_katoon

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