So, I will make no secret that I’m rolling my eyes at all of that marketing stuff that goes up every year. But I’ve been thinking, it doesn’t have to be so superficial and pointless. Maybe there’s some rare exception out there that took the opportunity to say or do something meaningful.
Did you come across a company or organisation lately that use the occasion to take some stance beyond feelgood buzzwords or implement a policy internally or in their area of operations that is of at least some importance?
Not so much a company, but the small town I grew up in had pride days. It was not a real big or fantastic affair, but it was fun, and lots of people were out in the pride gear that I would have never thought for a second would attend a pride event. Even the hillbilly term of “gays days” was tossed around insert the redneck with good intentions meme by older boomer guys as they waited for rainbow soft serve.
I left when I was twenty. Even before then, constantly trying to get away from the redneck small town. My childhood here was miserable as a poc and as someone who was/is as socially well adjusted as bum pickles. Racism, Phobias for each color of a skittle, and a very entitled population where being a hate filled asshole was all but encouraged.
BUT! 23 years later i find myself coming back. Only been back a couple months and it seems like a much friendlier place than i remember and the fact that this event was in the downtown, advertised and endorsed by all the local shops, left me speechless. This is not the same place I left, but replaced by a much more optimistic and caring community.
And as a jaded old dude, the town as a whole, recognizing and celebrating, well that was meaningful as hell to me, and I am sure many of the kids who had to stay deep closeted because of the town they lived in, so many years ago.
Why not just hop on twitter and search #seattlepride ? There’s probably (maybe?) tons of businesses who partook in that circus and hashtagged all about it…
Otherwise. What exactly do you want? You said it plainly already…
superficial and pointless / feelgood buzzwords
What else can you honestly expect? That is exactly what most observance months or commemorative months are all about… Besides making people feel recognized and accepted, what do you think corporations should be spending their money on that would make potential customers feel better about themselves?
Why not just hop on twitter and search #seattlepride ? There’s probably (maybe?) tons of businesses who partook in that circus and hashtagged all about it…
I didn’t have any reason to think that that city’s pride month is particularly relevant to my question to go search it in advance.
Besides making people feel recognized and accepted, what do you think corporations should be spending their money on that would make potential customers feel better about themselves?
Before I asked my question, I was thinking if two things:
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Companies, where relevant, can let us know what policies they enacted that make them stand out. E.g. maybe they are an employer that will give parental leave even to families not recognised by the law in that jurisdiction, or that they just finished an internal project that saw or their internal and external documents to stop collecting gender information where it’s not justified and where it is justified, that they do it in an inclusive way.
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They do something to mitigate anti-queer hatred in their area of operations that has an action plan backing it up. For example, where I live, there’s this Emergency Entrance programme where companies can enrol and display a sticker identifying them as refuges for people targeted by right-wing extremists. It looks like just marketing too, but it actually comes with an action plan that those participating are supposed to implement which adds a more tangible layer to the display of symbols to show support. (EDIT: The idea is, if you are being harassed or attacked, participating venues will offer you shelter, they will jump in to de-escalate, and contact emergency services and the right-wing violence registry to handle the incident)
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It’s easy to bag ‘corporate pride’ for being insincere ( because a lot of if is) but it’s also a sign of general societal acceptance that would provide some reassurance to those who feel surrounded by bigots
Yeah. It might not be some massive move, but it does mean something. It’s great to see your employer, other possible employers, your local politicians, your municipal services, and even just random businesses that you might use (or not) show that they’re accepting, especially when the status quo is to keep quiet to satisfy bigots.
Idunno, tolerating our symbology for a month doesn’t mean tolerating us ever. They’re still gonna call me “sir” if I go in there, even if they gave/sold me a shirt with a pride-ified version of their logo on it. I’m not convinced that the filthy rich co-opting our symbols for profit for a moment is really of benefit when it doesn’t actually mean anything.
It’s fully vacuous and may even devalue our symbols, I say. Seems like exploiting us and supporting us would look different.
