Pride month is a month-long celebration of, and for, LGBTQ people to be proud of their identity and have a safe space despite the many prejudices against them.
It has now been just over a month since Pride ended, meaning almost every major brand that changed their profile picture to incorporate a rainbow has been changed back.
The LGBTQ community and its members are prideful every day, but are given a bigger voice to be out and proud about their identities during June. However, a lot of major brands advertise their support for Pride during June only when it becomes a trend for them to appeal to the LGBTQ demographic and appear "woke" to allies.
Brands who show support to the community in ways that are not always seen or promoted is SO important.
They are consistently contributing to the normalization of LGBTQ bodies in the media, the public and showing that their platform is always an ally; awareness can even be more crucial than donations!
Here are some brands that have Pride all year long.
1. MAC
MAC has been supporting the LGBTQ community since its start in 1984 and has donated millions in philanthropy through their AIDS Fund. They also feature rainbow-inspired products during June!
2. Apple
With Apple's CEO Tim Cook being an openly LGBTQ member himself, Apple has dedicated itself to inclusivity, philanthropic donations and designing products specifically for Pride month. He's also breaking barriers as an openly gay, male CEO and being a role model for LGBTQ youth to show that they can be themselves and a CEO.
3. Adidas
Remember the controversial Valentine's Day ad the company put out in 2016? This ad, although four years ago, helped to normalize LGBTQ relationships on the most love-focused day of the year. Despite all of the horrible homophobic comments on the post, it's still up on the Adidas Instagram today.
4. Disney
Disney not only donates and create LGBTQ products, but they also have featured a potentially same-sex relationship and an openly gay character in their films! This year they've also announced their first openly gay main character in Pixar's "Out." Finally! For now, it's just the beginning, but showing children and their parents that LGBTQ identities exist even in fictional worlds is one of the greatest forms of representation.
5. Teva
Teva is a popular shoe brand that is selling rainbow-themed shoes all year, every year, NOT just in June. Their first product for LGBTQ Pride was in 2019, and they had teamed up with the Tegan & Sara Foundation to donate $15 for each shoe sold to LGBTQ youth. This year, they put out another line and continued donations!
6. TomBoyX
This brand makes typically male-owned briefs for people who identify as female and features all forms of LGBTQ models and representation. Inclusivity? MAJOR check. Their Instagram bio is literally, "You belong here."
7. Levi's
Paul And Williams
Levi's was one of the FIRST brands to donate to the AIDS foundation in the 80s, as well as support the fight for same-sex marriage and provided benefits to employee's partners before it was legalized. They are one of the longest-standing brands that have supported the community, even before being LGBTQ became so welcomed in the media.
8. Gap
Not only are they very active during Pride Month, Gap also organized an in-company group called GEAR to assist LGBTQ employees. With a platform of three million followers just on Instagram and hundreds of stores, Gap has set an example.
9. Non Gender Specific
This skincare brand was tailored to be androgynous; the brand focuses on skincare, not being advertised to appeal to one specific gender or be gender-stereotypical in its packaging and advertisement. It stands for being gender non-conforming, just like the non-binary members of the LGBTQ community.
10. Hi Wildflower
This brand focuses on fragrances, but its founder, Tanaïs (née Tanwi Nandini Islam) is the author of a queer best-selling novel, Bright Lines. They are also a queer POC public figure and focuses on fostering LGBTQ conversation and representation.
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- 7 Simple Ways To Celebrate Pride Month Without Going To Pride ›
- Do You Know The True Meaning Of Pride Month ›
- Celebrating Pride ›
- Celebrating Pride Month with History | NCOA ›
- 10 ways to celebrate Pride Month | Thomson Reuters ›
- How to Celebrate Pride from Home ›
- Celebrating Pride on Film - The New York Times ›
- Celebrating Pride as Resistance | Human Rights Watch ›
- Pride Month: LGBTQ rights intersect with black civil rights movement ›
- Celebrating Pride Month ›
