Editor’s Note: The following is part of a series on LGBTQ issues in the Lehigh Valley that coincides with Pride Month. Lehighvalleylive.com and a Lafayette College journalism class collaborated on the series, which was made possible through a Journalism for Underheard Stories grant from the University of Wisconsin and Cortico’s Local Voices Network. Read more about the series here.
By Reilly Hughes
The line between profit and pride is becoming increasingly muddled when it comes to corporate America’s involvement in what is often referred to as rainbow capitalism, during LGBTQ Pride Month in June.
And the evidence of rainbow capitalism’s proliferation in the Lehigh Valley is apparent to anyone who shops, dines or seeks services locally. But LGBTQ advocates stress that a rainbow flag isn’t always an indication that the business is a true ally of the LGBTQ community.
Pride Month began as a commemoration of the Stonewall Riots when police stormed the Stonewall Inn, a popular LGBTQ bar in Greenwich Village on June 28, 1969, and ignited a six-day protest against routine harassment and persecution by law enforcement. The uprising birthed the Gay Liberation Movement and served as the catalyst for modern-day marches for LGBTQ equality.
Today, Pride Month is commonly marked by parades, festivals, speeches, and concerts, along with displays of rainbow flags. But some people believe the month has become more about merchandising than protest with companies profiting on the sale of rainbow- and Pride-themed gear while doing little or nothing to support the LGBTQ community.
“If a corporation is making money off the backs of a minority group, then it should be that company’s responsibility to then donate that money to nonprofit organizations that help and support the community of that minority group,” said Liz Bradbury, director of the Training Institute at the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown.
Rainbow capitalism often takes the form of a company adding the rainbow colors of the Pride flag to its logo in hopes of leveraging the substantial purchasing power of the LGBTQ community.
“When the first day of Pride Month comes, everybody has their banners out, everybody wants to hire women, and everybody wants to look at the initiatives,” said Jessica O’Keefe, a transaction banking director at Standard Chartered Bank in New York City who was recently appointed “global OUTstanding LGBT+ Role Model” at Yahoo’s Finance showcase for LGBTQ business leaders. But if “it’s not authentic, if it’s not genuine, it’s not going be sustainable.” LGBTQ and ALL, a mental health resource for the queer community, said the corporate display of Pride branding can do more harm than good as it “promotes allyship with purchased goods instead of through activism” and as a result can “erase queer oppression.”
Not all companies, however, support Pride to turn a profit. Bombas’ and Fossil’s approach to supporting Pride exemplifies what Bradbury believes is the ideal model for corporate involvement.
For every pair of Pride-themed socks purchased, Bombas donates a pair to Casa Ruby, a multicultural and bilingual organization offering public assistance and LGBTQ safe spaces. To top this off, they donate any extra profits to the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico. Fossil is one of few companies that donates 100% of proceeds of sales from its Pride watch collection to the Trevor Project.
The Lehigh Valley does not run short of these types of companies. The Apollo Grill in Bethlehem is well known for its support of the LGBTQ community with extensive Pride lines – including shirts, cakes, and events. For the past several years, the restaurant has celebrated Pride Month with a fundraiser called “Rainbow and Rosé.” During June, the restaurant donates $10 to the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce’s LGBTQ Business Council’s Community Grant and Scholarship Fund for every bottle of Rosé sold during their lunch or dinner periods.
“Every year we do something for Pride Month, whether it be a special drink or a dessert special,” said Rachel Griffith, owner of Apollo Grill. “And of course, 100% of the proceeds are then donated back to the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce’s LGBTQ Business Council.”
Air Products is another local company that receives high marks for its support of the LGBTQ community, not only in June, but year-round, said Emma Smith, vice-chair of the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce’s LGBTQ Business Council. A former employee of Air Products, where she served as chair of its LGBTQ employee resource group, Spectrum, Smith said she worked with company leaders to join the Business Coalition for the Equality Act, proposed legislation that would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination.
“That’s a big deal for Air Products to be part of a group taking a decisive stance on an issue like this,” said Smith, a woman who openly identifies as transgender. “It’s very important because the company has a presence in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and other states where you see high rates of transgender people being murdered.”
In 2021, 57 transgender and gender-diverse people were murdered in the U.S., up from 40 the year before, according to the Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group for LGBTQ rights. In addition, the global industrial gases company has made several substantial donations to the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center and was the Champion Sponsor at the Center’s annual LGBTQ Gala in March.
“You’re seeing money and advocacy and people vocally supporting the community,” Smith said.
Support can come in different forms. Lehigh Valley Health Network, for example, allows patients to add their preferred name and pronouns to their medical file as well as indicate whether they are trans or nonbinary. “They even have something called the organ inventory, which is a cool way to say, ‘I’m a woman, but a woman with a prostate,’” she said. “That way you’re getting pinged for certain tests without outing yourself as transgender.”
More than 100 Lehigh Valley organizations have signed the Council’s LGBTQ+ Business Pledge agreeing to provide a safe and inclusive environment for workers and patrons. For Smith, the key word is safe.
“If you’re going to employ me or invite me into your business as a customer you need to make sure that I’m psychologically and physically safe,” she said.
That hasn’t always been the case, said Smith, citing instances of being misgendered and treated with disrespect by employees of local businesses and eateries.
“You can throw a flag up outside your place and have some rainbow swag you give out during June, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re supportive,” she said.
A June 2021 investigation by the news site Popular Information revealed that some companies such as AT&T, Wells Fargo, Walmart and others tout their commitment to Pride when June rolls around and then later donate to political candidates who support anti-LGBTQ legislation. CVS, for example, explicitly contributed to politicians in Texas, Tennessee. and North Carolina who were supporters of anti-trans legislation, according to Popular Information.
Companies in this investigation were asked to comment, and few did. However, companies such Google defended their donations to questionable and/or outright anti-LGBTQ politicians, saying “it doesn’t mean that Google agrees with that candidate on every issue. In fact, we may disagree strongly on some issues.” This position was a similar one taken by Amazon, General Motors, and Ford.
This doesn’t sit well with Bradbury. She believes that being complacent to these companies’ lack of transparency and continuing to spend money with them puts the consumer – who may deem themselves an ally or member of the LGBTQ community – in the same category as the company. Instead, she advocates for speaking up and exposing the company that hides behind a rainbow flag.
“Do not shop there,” she said. “Find what you need somewhere else. Find a place that promotes equality and inclusivity and doesn’t take your money to use it for hate.”
Lindie Gibbs and Kathleen Parrish contributed to this report.
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