The confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Judge Kavanaugh, an appointee that ultimately stacks the court with conservative Justices, and Trump’s proposed narrowing of the definition of gender as a biological condition determined at birth, have gotten the LGBTQ community somewhat up in arms. We’re back to pondering all sorts of issues that I, personally, thought were on their way to being in our rearview mirror.
But amid these political assaults, I’ve also been watching trends in what is called “rainbow capitalism”: the inclusion of LGBTQ people into a capitalist system or society. Is it necessarily a good thing that huge corporations are promoting the LGBTQ community as a whole, or is it simply a marketing ploy for them to exploit and gain from our struggles? I believe that the answer to this question is hugely dependent on what each company is doing for our community, aside from acts that will garner them attention.
Sponsorships, advertising and product placements are examples of some of these public acts. Companies such as State Farm, Target and T-Mobile sponsor pride-related events in order to promote their goods and services. This may seem like a positive thing: mainstream acceptance and endorsements from huge corporations with major influence. But are they always working for us or just using us to tap into a lucrative market? Is this benefitting our community or are we just being taken advantage of?
Huffington Post reported that Target donated $150,000 to an anti-gay politician in Minnesota, Rep. Tom Emmer, back in 2010. This money went to a group called MN Forward, which was running television ads in favor of Emmer.
In response to the news of the donation, several Facebook groups formed, encouraging a boycott of Target stores. Angry videos surfaced, like one of a disgruntled shopper, Randi Reitan, who cut up her Target card.
“The Target I know was a Target that embraced its gay employees,” Reitan states in the video, shared by CBS News.
Target has claimed to be a steadfast supporter of the LGBTQ community for years. According to the company, they not only signed on in support of the Equality Act back in 2015, but also had a year long Pride Manifesto that was meant to create an inclusive environment for all of their employees and encourage them to take pride in who they are.
In an email obtained by Huffington Post, Steinhafel sent staff a somewhat generic response to outrage. He wrote, “As you know, Target has a history of supporting organizations and candidates, on both sides of the aisle, who seek to advance policies aligned with our business objectives, such as job creation and economic growth…Let me be very clear, Target’s support of the LGBT community is unwavering, and inclusiveness remains a core value of our company.”
Another example of such hypocrisy is billionaire Philip Anschutz whose company, Anschutz Entertainment Group, is the parent company and organizer of Coachella. The spirit of Coachella and many festivals like it has always been of inclusivity and freedom — values that don’t necessarily match up with its organizer’s personal views. According to a 2016 Freedom for All Americans report called “Enemies of Equality,” Anschutz’s charitable organization, the Anschutz Foundation, was linked to nearly $200,000 in donations to anti-gay, conservative activist groups such as the Family Research Council and Alliance Defending Freedom.
Anschutz denied these allegations in a statement sent to Rolling Stone in January of 2017. He wrote, “I unequivocally support the rights of all people without regard to sexual orientation. Neither I nor the Foundation fund any organization with the purpose or expectation that it would finance anti-LGBTQ initiatives.” He also added that they had ceased all contributions to groups that support anti-gay activities.
However, Anschutz is a major contributor to conservative candidates and organizations, and so are many top employees of his company. According to Billboard’s reporting of an OpenSecrets.org study, Anschutz has donated over a million dollars towards Republican causes such as the Senate Leadership Fund, a Super PAC whose sole purpose is to expand Republican control of the Senate. He has attended events and strategy meetings hosted by the conservative Koch brothers, including one in Aspen in June 2010, which was also attended by some of the biggest conservative donors working directly against the interests of the LGBTQ community.
Urban Outfitters, another company that attempts to align themselves with progressive values whether by including transgender models in their campaigns or promoting pride-related products, is guilty of “pink washing,” a process defined by attaching symbols to products in order to make them appear gay-friendly. Their insensitivity to issues facing our community came out, however, when they sold a transphobic greeting card playing off of the classic nursery rhyme “Jack and Jill,” mocking Jill for secretly being a tranny, as reported by Queerty.
These are important examples to think about when considering rainbow capitalism because they highlight that, although big companies are coming around to vocalizing support for our community, they are not always sincere or well-informed, and sometimes have high level executives and owners working directly against us behind the scenes.
Although I gave examples of forces working against us, there are many companies that, I believe, are being sincere in their support while also doing what any other successful business wants to do: make a profit.
I think American Express, Google, and Anheuser-Busch are all corporations that will not only attach their name to the cause for recognition, but actively bring awareness and provide services that will help the LGBTQ community with challenges we face right now. The #ExpressLove campaign by American Express supports local non-profit groups like the Stonewall Community Foundation and helps to bolster local LGBT business owners through partnerships with publications such as Paper Magazine.
Google is another company that is actually working for our community. In 2016, they launched their #prideforeveryone campaign, an immersive 360-degree experience, to provide the pride festival experience to people who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to attend.
Attending one of the most liberal schools in the country, The New School, in New York City, which, mind you, is smack in the middle of NYC’s Pride Parade route, has given me and others a unique perspective on this dilemma. On one hand, I personally advocate for any support our community can get during these times. We need big names behind us and fighting alongside us, when the rights and privileges we have worked so hard for seem to be slipping right between our fingertips in a very tumultuous and divided political climate.
With this being said, it is important to be aware of companies that are simply looking to take advantage of us. I think we can accept the support from companies not necessarily working directly for our interests as long as we are aware of this fact. In terms of actually purchasing from these companies, that is a different story. Let’s not be complacent in letting them take advantage of us. Instead, do your research and choose to support companies that are actually doing beneficial acts that support our community.
Illustration by Rowen Griffith