Rainbow Washing is when brands or corporations appropriate Pride or the rainbow Pride Flag in marketing, apparel, accessories, etc., with the goal of boosting profits by indicating alliance with the LGBTQ+ community, while taking little or no real action to champion or protect LGBTQ+ rights.

Corporations have many tools to provide meaningful, year-round support to the movement for LGBTQ+ rights and social equity, both internally and externally, which can earn the credibility needed to fly the rainbow colors of the Pride Flag.

• Making year-round investments in frontline LGBTQ+ groups with financial or in-kind donations, partnerships, or participatory impact campaigns created in collaboration with LGBTQ+ organizations (to ensure they add real value to the movement)

• Advocating vocally for LGBTQ+ rights, publicly opposing anti-LGBTQ+ policy, and working to reduce hate and bias wherever it exists

• Hiring, uplifting, and supporting the advancement of LGBTQ+ employees year-round

• Ensuring LGBTQ+ representation at all levels of the company, especially in leadership

• Spotlighting intersectional identities to boost awareness and action on behalf of the most marginalized people in our society

• Creating avenues for customers and employees to express their own identities within products, platforms, and services, like the ability to select your own pronouns

• Enacting policies and processes that are LGBTQ+-inclusive, such as health insurance to same-sex partners, as well as health services for transgender employees

• Celebrating Pride Month through events or campaigns that help to achieve tangible and transparent goals for the LGBTQ+ community with measurable outcomes, and asking consumers to take meaningful action beyond buying something

The good news: There are plenty of companies that show a consistent commitment to promoting equity and human rights for LGBTQ+ people. We can all play a role in using our purchasing power to support these businesses over others that engage in Rainbow Washing – and we can do this throughout the year, not just during Pride.

• Support companies that put skin in the game with financial donations to frontline LGBTQ+ groups – and not just during Pride Month

• Try to buy from companies that hire and promote LGBTQ+ people and treat them fairly (to start, seek out certified B Corporations, which must achieve high standards for equitable employment practices, or companies that score close to 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index)

• Educate yourself about the history of Pride (it began as a riot in response to police brutality, commemorated by continued protests and demonstrations)

• Vote with your dollars for businesses that speak out in opposition to anti-LGBTQ+ laws, advocate in favor of policies that promote LGBTQ+ rights (like the Equality Act), and refuse to donate to political candidates or organizations working to tear them down 

• Look for brands that uplift LGBTQ+ people in their campaigns all year long 

• Write to businesses explaining Rainbow Washing and how they can improve

• Take action for LGBTQ+ rights and people in your state and nationally

• Follow the money by scrutinizing impact goals behind Pride Month stunts or campaigns and decide for yourself whether the cause aligns with your values

Learn more about how leading companies match up against these criteria using the tools and resources below!