• by Aaron Paquette , Columnist, 7 hours ago

Brands typically celebrate Pride Month with rainbow-colored logos on social media, inspiring jokes about how brands suddenly “go gay” on June 1 before magically turning straight again on July 1. However, this year Pride is no laughing matter, as several leading brands have diminished their equity through ill-considered Pride gestures followed by awkward backtracking. These brands’ shameful performance teaches how NOT to celebrate Pride.

The Hall of Shame begins with Target. In early May, the retailer unveiled its Pride collection, but quickly received backlash for several items, including “tuck-friendly” swimsuits for transgender women, and designs by Abprallen, a British fashion label which sells “occult- and satanic-themed LGBTQ+ clothing and accessories.” As rumors spread, customers knocked down Pride displays, confronted workers and posted threatening videos on social media. Target canceled its Abprallen order, and in some Southern states, moved the Pride collection from the front of the store to the back. This managed to offend progressives and conservatives alike, sending the stock into a nine-day, 17% downward tailspin.

Next came Kohl’s. On Memorial Day morning (May 29), the hashtag #BoycottKohls began trending on Twitter after critics learned the retailer had also unveiled a Pride collection with “merchandise targeted for infants, including a onesie that showed people of color holding up a pride flag.” The Kohl’s campaign also featured an image with two dads and their three small children, all in rainbow shirts with the words “Be Proud.” The next day, the stock fell more than 5%, and kept falling the next two days before staging a rebound. To its credit, Kohl’s didn’t appear to backtrack on its Pride campaign, but neither did it publicly reaffirm it.

And finally, the Dodgers. On May 4, the Los Angeles Dodgers and LA Pride announced the 10^th annual LGBTQ+ Pride Night on June 16 at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers planned to give a Community Hero award to the LA Chapter of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, “a leading order of queer and trans nuns” who “employ humor and religious imagery to call attention to sexual intolerance.” However, on May 17, following an outcry from conservatives and Catholics, the Dodgers revoked the group’s invitation. But five days later, after receiving fierce backlash from LGBTQ+ activists, the Dodgers reinstated the invitation.

What can brands learn from these not-so-proud moments?

*Vet partners carefully. If brands don’t carefully review everything a partner does; every product they make; and every comment they’ve made on social media, someone else will. Target apparently didn’t vet Abprallen’s full product line, and the Dodgers probably didn’t know much about the Sisters. Before amplifying a designer or honoring a group or individual, investigate them first.

*Be cautious with kids. Society has formed a fragile consensus supporting the rights of LGBTQ+ adults, but today, the flash point is around kids, what to teach them about LGBTQ+ matters (if anything), and how much to support their decisions regarding gender and sexual identity and expression. For many, pride onesies are a bridge too far, and any representations of children in a Pride campaign, or kids’ Pride merchandise, must be handled with great care.

*Celebrate Pride proudly. If a brand is going to celebrate Pride, it should be a logical, organic expression of its core values, and ideally part of a year-long effort to support the LGBTQ+ community. Given all the pitfalls and polarization, if a brand is going to stick out its neck and celebrate Pride, it should do so without hesitation, apology or backtracking, which will only offend the gay community without placating conservative critics.

By following this playbook, brands can turn in a more Prideful performance next June.