Geeking-Out June 6, 2023

The End of Rainbow Washing?

Curated by Meg Birmingham

Rainbow washing allows organizations to use the rainbow Pride colors to suggest to consumers that they support the LGBTQIA+ community, without having to put in actual effort or produce a tangible outcome for queer folk. This year stakes appear higher for corporations and there has been an obvious lack of rainbow washing leading into June as anti-LGBTQIA+ legislature and sentiments rise. While in the last few years an awareness of how little corporations do for the LGBTQIA+ community makes rainbow washing less successful, for some there is still value in seeing diversity reflected in brands and advertisements. If rainbow washing is abandoned, ideally it will be replaced with authentic efforts to include and promote diverse communities where LGBTQIA+ people, Communities of Color, people with Disabilities, and those living at or below the poverty line are valued and seen as resources for the betterment of all of us.