Waving the flag is no longer enough for companies claiming to support LGBT+ people

In reaction to the flurry of gayed-up corporate logos, the Hornby story earlier this week, and a visit to my local Sainsbury's this morning, I ponder the subject of corporate pinkwashing and how sticking a rainbow in the (real or virtual) window is no longer enough to show support. 

 This morning, as I reached the tills in my local Sainsbury’s, I noticed a string of bunting bearing (pictured) the colours of the Progress Flag and proclaiming the company’s proud support to the LGBT+ community. A cursory look around showed no other evidence of this support being displayed in the shop. My immediate, and perhaps ungrateful, reaction was that not only most customers would most likely not notice the thing, it also felt rather tokenistic and half-hearted.  

There was a time, perhaps ten to 15 years ago, when seeing a rainbow flag in a business you visited would be something meaningful, something feeling daring and perhaps slightly dangerous. It was in any case an occasion rare enough that it would make you feel seen, and yes, supported.  

Since then, however, every company and their partner goes out of its way around Pride time (and only around Pride time, mind) to signal to the public how open-minded and tolerant we should think they are. Corporate logos get a variably successful rainbow make-over, adverts are published in the press, banners uploaded to websites, posts made on social media, and corporate marching groups are formed and registered to take part in the nearest Pride Parade.  

Although even that, when the venture is not considered carefully enough, can go wrong sometimes; lacking authenticity at best or demonstrating complete tone-deafness at worst. In 2009, for example, Selfridges, rather than simply letting its, no doubt numerous, LGBT+ employees take part in the parade, hired, with Calvin Klein, a group of lightly-clad professional models to take part instead. A definite case of VTL (visible tokenistic line), here! More recently, this week in fact, fighting game Injustice 2 Mobile had to issue an apology for having asked the players of its Pride Global Challenge to effectively beat up a popular bisexual character and defeat her. 

Those halcyon days of grateful frissons of recognition are, however, well and truly gone now. Corporate support and the display of such support have come to be taken for granted and even expected; a regular and unavoidable occurence in the marketing calendar, such as Valentine’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, Halloween, or Christmas. Indeed, we seem to be reaching the point where the company omitting to take out the rainbow bunting would be the one to stand out, and not in a good way, of course. Though we are perhaps not quite there yet.  

Just like some people are complaining of the over-commercialisation of Pride events, with its emphasis on corporate sponsors, there is a growing backlash surging against what is starting to be recognised as easy and shallow pinkwashing, if not actual exploitation. “It’s all very good to stick rainbows everywhere for a few days each year, but what are you concretely doing to support the community?” and “Why should you gain financially from using our symbols, while we don’t get anything in return?”, are the questions increasingly being asked.  

And this can lead to some embarrassing moments, such as the ones experienced this week by the marketing team at model railway brand Hornby. The company tried to jump on the Pride bandwagon by launching an actual Pride bandwagon. They however omitted to promise any financial contribution to an LGBT organisation from the proceeds of the wagon’s sales.  

Hornby is unlikely to be the only business trying a similar move but, in this case, the company was quickly called out and had to publicly recognise its mistake. It has now issued a statement of contrition, admitting that “waving the flag is not enough”, and will now be donating the proceeds of the sales to an LGBT+ organisation (to be designated from suggestions being solicited from the public).  

Of course it isn’t the place of a grocery chain or toy manufacturer to become more than an ally of the community. But it Is a sign of how much more empowered the LGBT+ community has become (at least in the UK), that its members are no longer content with the condescending crumbs of corporate lip-service. Companies, therefore, have to seriously up their game and put their money where their mouth is if they want their broadcasted support to be taken seriously. 

If you are curious and driven enough, you can decide to go rooting around the Sainsbury’s website to find out about that vaunted proud support. Should you do so, you may discover that they are inviting donations to METRO and Gendered Intelligence, via Comic Relief. This is without a doubt a good thing. However, wouldn’t it have been an even more impressive thing, if, discarding the measly bunting, the company was putting up massive posters in prominent locations of its shop, featuring a QR code, or a text number, and an invitation to donate directly?  

At a time when LGBT+ rights, and particularly trans rights, are coming under renewed and vicious attack, there is no shortage of worthy organisations out there that will know how to make a real difference to the community. Something all the well-meaning bunting in the world would never achieve.