why wearing a rainbow doesn’t necessarily mean pride

It's June, and you know what that means - Pride Month! If you forgot, don't worry ⁠—I'm sure Old Navy or H&M will be dropping an exciting array of rainbow items with a caption like "you are an L-G-B-T-cutie." Just to preface before I continue, I love rainbows as much as the next person and love that brands may try to make an effort to provide more inclusivity. But at the end of the day, I have to ask who is this for and who the hell is approving these designs? I do want to get real for a sec. The capitalization of Pride Month is like that of a brand increasing its prices right before Christmas, but Santa Clause leaves after December. The reality is: that queer people exist all year long. They don’t go away after Pride, never to be seen again. Rather, when June ends, so does Corporate America’s enthusiasm for the LGBTQ+ community. So, when companies use Pride as an excuse to roll out a $70 shirt to kinship, the relationship of an ally, they truly are doing the opposite of not creating an accessible means for others. 

If you're going to make it expensive, make it cute?

I don't want to sound like I'm complaining about companies wanting to participate in Pride or something. It is indeed something to be celebrated! But why must brands continue to make and create some of the worst clothing collabs I've ever seen.

Of course, this isn't to say I haven't seen some cute clothing in June. But just because you’re slapping a rainbow or something glitter on it, doesn’t mean you get to use Pride as a marketing tool. From my personal perspective: I feel like companies don't understand the difference between an article of clothing that says 'gay' and an article of clothing that literally has the word, gay. It's aggravating - there is such a need for visibility within the LGBTQ+ community, but this message is almost lost in translation. Not everything with a rainbow means pride, and when companies slap a rainbow into just about anything portable, it begs the question...is pride a priority or an investment? It's expected for there to be merch - and honestly lovely to see, but when you place a hefty price tag on a pair of tights, the novelty kinda goes away.

There are better ways to be an ally

It feels disingenuous to put a rainbow on a pin and calls it a day. And for those who don't identify as queer but still want to show allyship, there's a weird blurred line that feels like member and poser. After all, pride is meant to celebrate members of the queer community - so how do you show your support without buying into the cooperation that essentially is only exploiting the rainbow, not celebrating it. If you feel it's in your best interest to want to participate in the fashion that follows in June, make it an effort to research your merch. Yes, you may love the price point that a particular retailer may offer, but many brands donate to LGBTQ+ organizations all year round - not just in June. @dfrntpigeon is an example of a clothing brand that actively advocates for marginalized youth, especially for LGBTQ+ homeless or fostered children. Many of their t-shirt concepts are designed by queer youth through programs they've created to provide a chance to display their creativity and even offer job opportunities through the release of their designs. Even better, their proceeds are funded directly back into the programs to continue to foster their creativity. Plus, their designs are actually wearable...thank god. 

Your pin is just a pin.

Pride is so much more profound than a rainbow. Yes - the rainbow has been embedded into the heart of pride and will continue to symbolize the LGBTQ+ community forever. Unfortunately, in June, many attempts to adopt what they think the queer aesthetic to be when this has little to do with wearing a rainbow. It's okay to want to sport a rainbow to show your support, but it's essential to not be caught up in a corporation's tactic to make you think you need to be wearing something to feel a part of something bigger. Queer-coded fashion is less a shirt than a notion; It's a feeling. The queer movement was never about fitting in; it was about finding comfort in standing out. Being told the only way to fit in is to wear a fanny pack with rainbow glitter designed by a cis white man to 'look the part' at pride...you may need to revaluate where you're spending your money. When you consume yourself in the thought of wanting to be taken seriously as a member of the LQBTQ+ community by thinking you need to buy into corporations - take a step back and remember that pride was about celebrating your true self, so stick with it.

Pride has come a long way. From the first pride being June 28, 1970, starting as a protest commemorating the anniversary of the Stonewall riot, where Marsha P. Johnson threw the first brick to now, which many feel is lost by the consumer. Pride started as a movement of celebrating who you want to love and fighting for the acceptance to do so, so before you take it upon yourself to buy into the ideology, focus on why.