Everything We Value, We’ve Been Taught to Value. Don't Be Pink-Washed by Corporations Vying for Your LGBTQ+ Money this Pride.

Flying the Pride flag during Pride month and then taking it down is a sure sign a business doesn’t value human dignity and queer lives — they only value capitalizing on Pride to increase profits.

You have the power to demand inclusion, dignity, and respect 365 days a year because you can take your purchasing power elsewhere.

But don't sit in silence with your decision to support LGBTQ+ businesses or allies.

Tell people you know about those businesses, service providers, and the companies you support who support you every single day. These businesses should be supporting you so much so that they don't need to fly the pride flag in their window or on their website, but they do it anyway. And they do it every single day of the year, proudly.

Buck the corporate trend and support local businesses.

Consider supporting your independent bookseller, hairstylist, craft shop, restaurant, small-batch brewery, furniture shop, or the fruit and vegetable shop that exists in your neighbourhood.

Take a stroll around where you live. What shops and businesses have you never gone into? Which ones have a Pride or some form of inclusive flag decal in their window? If you live in the suburbs, go to the nearest town and become acquainted with your local options.

Screw the chains! Chains keep you bound to someone else’s control!

Small businesses might charge a little more because they can't sell by volume. They also stock items the big box stores don’t carry. Often a small store might stock another local supplier or artist who wouldn’t get paid if it wasn’t for the store’s existence.

The existential queer question is, who do you want living and working in your neighbourhood who supports you as a human being?

Your money has the power to change lives and influence the market.

Invest it wisely in individuals and businesses that respect who you are — without you having to demand it.

In other words, allow those small businesses to earn your business as a reward for their respect, understanding, and inclusion.

The only way we can collectively impact big corporations that manipulate LGBTQ+ consumers by pink-washing during Pride month — only to turn around and fund evangelical right-wing politicians who are anti-LGBTQ+ — is to dissolve their influence where it hurts most: their profit margins.

Queer Liberation Is Not Rainbow Capitalism.

We have been taught the social value of capitalism. The best ways for us to queer capitalism include,

1. Shop locally.
2. Minimize or completely stop shopping at businesses that have funded any anti-LGBTQ+ initiative or politician in the last two years. Do your research to find out who these businesses are and share that list on social media.
3. Shop and invest in businesses that proudly serve LGBTQ+ people every day of the year.
   

The only way to reduce obscene profit margins that lead to obscene power and control over society is to change your values about where you spend your money.

If you give your money to corporations that disapprove of your humanity, you are part of the problem. If you want to be part of the solution, one of your values needs to be:

Supporting businesses that actively support LGBTQ+ dignity, inclusion, and rights.

What are the local businesses you support because they support you?

Let me know in the comments.