Gay Men News

Bringing the Best in LGBTQ to you

Companies Need to Swap Tokenism For Authenticity If They Want to Celebrate Pride with Us

Companies Need to Swap Tokenism For Authenticity If They Want to Celebrate Pride with Us image
LGBTQ News
Posted by Joseph on May 27, 2021
348 views

Pride is upon us once again, but as with many things this year, its observance will inevitably look different. The LGBTQ community has carried a disproportionate burden of the pandemic’s effects—and with a long history of racial injustice against queer people of color, recent acts of police brutality have hit close to home.

Pride month is certainly a time for celebrating the diverse accomplishments, identities, and members within the LGBTQ community, but companies hoping to make a buck from slapping a rainbow on their products and calling it a day should think carefully about engaging in pink capitalism this year.

While the business community has made strides in observing Pride with more substantial commitments to queer people, 2020 emphasized the need for companies to go even further. With a renewed focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion across all industries, tokenistic marketing won’t fly anymore.

2021 Pride campaigns must acknowledge the lived experience of queer people over the past year if they hope to find any success and avoid backlash. Here are a few key elements that every company should include in their Pride outreach.

Make your Pride campaign intersectional

The commonplace phrase “Pride was a Riot” is a nod to the observance’s origins in the 1969 Stonewall uprising that was a direct response to police brutality and specifically included trans women of color. Yet today, many companies embrace a homonormative approach to Pride celebrations, pandering to cisgender, gay, white men in their marketing.

Following the recent wave of police killings and racial injustice, any Pride PR campaign that is not intersectional will be at risk of public backlash. Include Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), women, and trans and nonbinary people in your outreach—including visual representation and community-specific messaging.

Acknowledge and support queer people’s health

The pandemic’s disproportionate impact on LGBTQ people has shone a light on the importance of physical and mental health in the queer community. Overall, queer people are twice as likely to have a mental health condition compared to the heterosexual population, and COVID-19 has put LGBTQ+ youth especially at risk of suicide.

PR campaigns that don’t consider the excessive loss and hardship this pandemic has dealt queer people won’t go very far. Ensure your campaign’s messaging acknowledges the resilience of the LGBTQ+ community, and if your company wants to contribute to a charity, consider organizations that support queer health like The Trevor Project or GLMA.

Follow words with action

The events of the past year have driven businesses to revamp their DE&I efforts. This presents an opportunity to affect real change for LGBTQ+ employees and their families. This year, companies that launch Pride campaigns should expect questions about how their own policies support queer people.

Gone are the days of engaging in Pride festivities without having your own house in order. Whenever possible, include LGBTQ+ voices in your campaign planning. Amplify your diversity efforts and lead your messaging with commitments to real change rather than mere celebration or solidarity.

Whether celebrating Pride in person or virtually, the queer community will certainly hold companies accountable for their campaigns and actions. The best thing businesses can do this Pride is to be authentic and purposeful in their outreach. Embrace the diversity of the queer community and use your communications to amplify LGBTQ+ needs, voices, struggles, and resilience.

.

Check out the original story here: LGBTQ Nation.

Tags: #BigBankChallenge #BohemianKissChallenge #EqualityActJapan #StopAsianHate 12 Dates of Christmas 2020 Olympics Aaron Schock Adam Castillejo Adam Rippon addiction ageism Aging AhTave AIDS Aime Wichtendal Alaska Alex Morse Almost Love America's Next Top Model American Medical Association Amy Coney Barrett Annise Parker Antes Que El Mundo Se Acabe Anti-Asian Violence Anti-LGBTQ ANTM anxiety Aptima HIV-1 Arizona Armie Hammer astrology At-home date Atlanta Atlanta Black Pride Atlanta GA Atlanta Nightlife Atlanta Pride Atlanta Pride Run Atlanta’s Queer History Bicycle Tour Austin Swink Austin Texas Austin TX Backpacks for the Street Basel Abou Hamrah BFI Flare Bisexual BLACK GAY MEN Black LGBTQ Atlanta Black Lives Matter Black Love Bohemian Rhapsody Boston Boston MA Boston Nightlife Brian Sims Broadway bully Bullying California Call Me By Your Name Canada Capital Pride Capitalism Cason Crane Celebrity News censorship Chemistry Chemsex Chicago Chicago IL Chris Evans Christian proselytizing Christianity Christmas Christmas commercial Christmas movie Christmas Movies Chucky Circus of Books civil unions Cody McCook Colorado Comedy coming out commentary compatibility Confidence Congress conspiracy theory Conversion therapy CoronaVirus Court Vox COVID COVID-19 Covid-19 vaccine Cubbyhole NYC daddy Dallas Dallas Gay Bars Dallas Gayborhood Dallas Texas Danica Roem Daniel Harding Daniel Howell Date night dating dating advice Dating Apps Dating Red Flags dating rut dating tips DC Pride Dead to Me Denver Depression discrimination Disney Documentary Dolf Pasker Dolly Parton Domestic Violence Donald Trump Donna Price Drag Race drag racing Dustin Lance Black election Election 2020 Election Day Elite Employment Entertainment Entertainment news epidemic Fabio Fasoli Family family gatherings Film Finding True Love First Date First Date Etiquette first date ideas first date tips Flirting Tips Flirty Dancing Florida Fort Lauderdale Franklin Graham Freddie Mercury Garrett Clayton gay gay asian gay asian men Gay Atlanta Gay Austin Gay Bars NYC Gay beaches Gay Boston Gay Boston Nightlife Gay Chicago Gay Christmas Gay Couple Gay Couples Gay Culture Gay Dallas Gay Dallas Nightlife gay dating gay dating advice gay dating app gay dating apps Gay Dating Red Flags Gay Dating Solutions Gay Dating Tips Gay DC gay discrimination gay film Gay Florida Gay Fort Lauderdale Gay Health Gay Holiday Movie Gay Houston gay kiss Gay Love Advice gay marriage gay marriage proposal gay men Gay Miami gay midlife Gay Mountaineer Gay Movies Gay New York Gay nightlife Gay Nurse Gay NYC Gay Panic Gay Pride gay relationship advice gay relationship tips gay relationships Gay Santa Gay Scene gay seniors gay sex gay singles Gay Soldier Gay Travel Gay Twitter Gay Washington DC Gay Wedding gay weddings Gay Widower Gays Over COVID gaysian Gen Z Generation Z Georgia Gert Kasteel Ghosting GLAAD GOP Gorsuch Greater Houston LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce grindr Guy Vandenberg Gym Gays Haaz Sleiman Hallmark Halloween Hate Crime HBO Max Health HGVT HIV HIV prevention HIV stigma HIV treatment HIV vaccine HIV/AIDS hobbies Holi-date Holiday Film Holiday Movies Holidays Hollywood Holyoke Homophobia hooking up hookup hookup culture Hot Vax Summer House Hunters Houston Houston Texas Houston TX Hulu Ian Jordan Indya Moore Instagay Instagram intersex Intimacy Intimacy coach Iowa Iowa caucus isolation It's A Sin Jake Gyllenhaal James Bushe Japan Jaymes Vaughan Jayson Conner Jeffrey Newman Jennifer Tilly Jewish Jewish persecution Joe Biden Jonathan Bennett Josef Salvat Jussi-Pekka Kajaala Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg JVN Jwan Yosef Karamo Brown Kristine Stolakis Lady Gaga Lesbian lesbian couple Let It Snow LGBT LGBT Austin LGBT Travel Guide LGBT-Free Zones LGBTQ LGBTQ Asians LGBTQ Atlanta LGBTQ Austin LGBTQ Boston LGBTQ Chicago LGBTQ Dallas LGBTQ DC LGBTQ discrimination LGBTQ employees LGBTQ Family LGBTQ Film LGBTQ Film Festival LGBTQ Films LGBTQ flag LGBTQ Fort Lauderdale LGBTQ Health LGBTQ History LGBTQ Houston LGBTQ Miami LGBTQ movies LGBTQ New York LGBTQ nightlife LGBTQ NYC LGBTQ Pride LGBTQ retirees LGBTQ retirement LGBTQ Rights LGBTQ Seniors LGBTQ Victory Institute LGBTQ Youth Life Lifetime Lifetime TV Network Linda Warren lockdown London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival loneliness Love Victor Love Wins Luke Evans Male Nurse Malik Brown marriage equality marriage proposal Marsha P Johnson Marvel Marvin Cortes Massachusetts mature gay dating mental health Mexico Miami Miami Beach Miami Beach Pride Miami Florida Miami nightlife Michael Cashman Michael Henry Middle-aged gay men midlife Modern Family mormon Mr. Right Muscle gays music video My Gay Match NASCAR National Coming Out Day Nationwide Conversion Therapy Ban Neil Gorsuch Netflix Netflix Special Nevada New Year's Resolution New York New York City Nonbinary North Dakota Northern Ute tribe Norway Nurse Appreciation Week NYC NYC Events NYC Pride NYC Pride 2021 Oak Lawn Obergefell v. Hodges older gay man Omander Omar Ayuso One True Pairing online dating online dating apps online dating tips online gay dating Online trolls Open Relationship Operation Hyacinth OTP Outfest Outfest LA 2021 Outfest Los Angeles Pan-African Pride pandemic Paper Moons Pat Robertson Pennsylvania Perez Hilton personality Personality Matching personality type Pete Buttigieg Pink Capitalism Poland Politics polyamorous polyamorous relationship polyamorous relationships Pope Francis Pose power bottom Pray Away PrEP pride Pride 2021 Pride Afrique Pride Flag Pride Month Prince Harry profile pic Puerto Vallarta quarantine Queer eye Queer Film Queer Films Queer Holiday Movies Queer Lawmakers Queer Love Story Queer Santa Queer Youth racism Rafa Olarra Rainbow Wave red flags Reddit Relationship relationship advice Relationship Tips relationships religion Rep. Andy Biggs Republican retirement Ricky Martin rom-com Romantic Comedy Ryan Murphy Ryan O’Connell Samaritan’s Purse same sex marriage Same Sex Relationships Same Sex Wedding Same-Sex Couples Same-Sex Kiss same-sex marriage same-sex marriage ban Santa Claus Schitt’s Creek Score Miami Score Nightclub Scott Evans Scott Wiener Section 28 self isolation self-care Senior Gay Dating Senior Gay Men senior gays Senior Prom Seven Summits sex Sex and Intimacy Sex Education sex life sexual identity sexual preference sexual racism sexuality short film Shy Gay Guys Single All the Way single gay man Single Gay Men Single Gays Single Young Gays social distancing social isolation social media Social Security Somerville South Florida sports Stonewall Stonewall Riots straight men Super Bowl ads Super Bowl commercials Super Bowl LIV Supreme Court Switzerland Syfy Syria Tan France Television Tennessee The Boys in the Band The Center on Colfax The Christmas Setup The Eternals The First The Thing About Harry Threesome throuple TikTok Tom Daley toxic gay relationship toxic masculinity toxic relationships Transgender Travel Travis Shumake true love Trump administration Turner Free TV series Tweets Twitter Unconditional Love United Methodist Church US economy US Supreme Court Valentine's day viral news viral video Virginia Washington DC Web Series Wedding When Harry met Santa Workplace workplace discrimination World AIDS Day World Pride Young Gay Guys young gay men Youth YouTube

1 Comments
Companies Need to Swap Tokenism For Authenticity If They Want to Celebrate Pride with Us – Real Gay dating

[…] post Companies Need to Swap Tokenism For Authenticity If They Want to Celebrate Pride with Us appeared first on Gay Men […]

Leave a reply

Related articles
image for My Gay Match: Dating Guide for Young Gay Guys
My Gay Match: Dating Guide for Young Gay Guys

Gay relationships and socialization are already complicated by nature, more so if you want to be intimate with someone who you think is special. But don’t fret. This quick guide gives out gay dating advice for young gay guys out there who want to be more prepared.

More
image for Queer Things To Do in NYC This Weekend December 17-19
Queer Things To Do in NYC This Weekend December 17-19

The home stretch of the holiday season is bringing a selection of options for queer New Yorkers, including LGBTQ storytelling, networking, and benefit concerts.

More
image for This Adorable Same-Sex Marriage Proposal Will Melt Your Heart
This Adorable Same-Sex Marriage Proposal Will Melt Your Heart

A beautiful same-sex wedding proposal has gone viral on TikTok and Twitter for all the right reasons.

More
image for Best LGBTQ-Friendly Weekend in Washington, DC
Best LGBTQ-Friendly Weekend in Washington, DC

Make friends at a DC bar, take a tour of the city and delve into the neighborhoods with this weekend guide to LGBTQ+ DC.

More
image for Better Than Grindr? 5 Gay Dating Apps That Can Help Find Your Perfect Match
Better Than Grindr? 5 Gay Dating Apps That Can Help Find Your Perfect Match

Most online gay dating apps are a bit superficial in how you match with someone. If you want a different experience, try these gay dating apps.

More