We’re in pride season officially - the next few months should be a huge celebration of the queer community, as well as education for allies to highlight the struggles we still face as a community.
As we prep for this stretch of increased activity for the LGBTQIA+ community, it is important to talk about some boundaries. Terms of engagement - if you will - for Pride.
Less Buy/For
Every pride we see a slew of brands that put out a pride product that the community is attracted to, for us to support a charity or two. This is what I call a buy/for model. This is asking us to pay twice - once as labour to earn, and second spending our money to support the community.
I am well aware that (some) campaigns will have been solidified in the months leading up to Pride, yet there is still time to make tweaks where possible. If you need help or advice, I’d be only too happy to help where time allows.
Time is money
I was approached to deliver a talk during Pride, where the for-profit company said that they didn’t have a big budget, as this was more of a labour of love. They offered a 1/5 of my fee and then asked me to donate up to half of that reduced fee to a charity of their choosing. If you saw my LinkedIn post you know how I feel about this.
Queer people should be remunerated for their time - if you don’t have the budget then you don’t have us. No ifs, no buts. Pride is not a passion project, an afterthought, or an internal staff party. Pride is business - and that costs money.
Don’t have a vacuum approach
Many brands miss the mark when it comes to diversity and inclusion. When it comes to pride this is also an issue. Brands that miss the mark often do this because of a lack of diversity in their business. This is creating in a vacuum, it leads to the perpetuation of stereotypes, misinformation, and flawed thinking.
When creating campaigns, brands need to speak to community members to make sure they are getting it right. Otherwise, you’ll need to employ a queer crisis coms expert - feel free to reach out!
Afterthoughts
I am always surprised every year as brands reach out later and later with their pride strategy. You’re not fooling anyone, we can always tell when things have been rushed or are an afterthought.
Pride is not something to sort out in a singular meeting - it needs to be approached with care, balance, and concern for the community you’re targeting. So please put some work into this process.
Silence is not a choice
Many brands choose not to honour pride - as they celebrate it 365 days a year, or more honestly they don’t think it’s commercial. Your brand is supported by queer people, they will also be working in your business. Pride should be a priority, not something to sweep under the carpet.
If you want to honour your staff and the people who buy into your brand, silence is not an option in 2024.
These are a few of many terms I have for pride and how it operates. I know every year that chaos will resume - but I hope that with each year we push back on the mistakes brands and businesses are making and we can change the landscape in which we find ourselves.
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