Others take issue with “pinkwashing” - the use of LGBTQ+ symbolism to obfuscate or distract from human rights abuses and other injustices. Many members of the LGBTQ+ community are tired of “rainbow capitalism,” a term coined to describe how LGBTQ+ symbolism is being wielded by companies to heighten consumerism without leading to meaningful improvement for LGBTQ+ communities. But this messaging, which might have felt revolutionary several years ago, seems to be losing people - even members of the LGBTQ+ community, the very people with whom these branding efforts are intending to show solidarity with. The word is used by everyone from diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioners to conscious consumers describing socially minded efforts undertaken by corporations that feel hypocritical, insincere, or otherwise miss the mark.Īs we continue through June, Pride month in the U.S., many of our social media feeds are filling up with rainbow logos (particularly, the “ Philly Pride” variant, with black and brown stripes) and “Love Is Love” messaging.
If I were to predict a word of the year for 2021, it’d be “performative.”
