Brands needn’t fly a rainbow flag year-round-even I put my rainbow tank tops away after June-but I’m still gay when the rainbows go away. Rainbow-washing is a problem because it’s inauthentic and-dare I say-a blatant lie. Such blatant rainbow-washing usually indicates that they lack a sustainable culture of authenticity. They can be gay today and business as usual tomorrow. So, why do so many brands fall short of being authentic? Some brands just don’t know better. LGBTQ+ consumers can tell the difference between empty gestures and genuine brand commitment. To be fair, this isn’t completely inaccurate I bought a rainbow crown (yes, a crown) for absolutely no reason other than it has rainbow colors-but I digress.
In short, it’s the idea that if you slap a rainbow on it during Pride month, then gays will buy it.
