PSA
Oh, yes. We need to talk about rainbow-washing. Today is the first day of Pride Month and everybody and their blind uncle will try to get some gay dollars. That is, until the bigots step in and ruin the party for everybody. Because that's what they do. Conservatives suddenly realized that corporations like the gay dollar and they swath everything in rainbows (have done it for years!) and because xtianists and the such can only thrive on outrage, they have decided that you cannot be openly gay in the public sphere anymore.
Ohh this one is another one that's a great tool: ProgressiveShopper. They for example, rate the Homo Depot as kind of iffy: only 32% of their contributions go to Dems. Food for thought. Lowe's does not fare too well, either: 27% of their contributions go to Dems and enables the gun industry. Damn. Where am I gonna buy that weed whacker?? Decisions, decisions...
Oh we have all heard the Target horror stories. With bigoted Karens and Kens all over the place doing performative bigotry in every other Target in May we know how some corporations in some parts of the country are reacting: they are sending the Pride merchandise to the back of the store. And I can see both sides here: Target is a corporation, it wants the money and it wants to keep the employees safe. Should have they caved in to the bigots? Fuck no. But they kind of did.
Oh, this is true. That's why I'm gay all year round. That's why I try to find out if the retailers and products I buy are dirty with bigoted fuckery. I don't eat Chik-fil-a (because fuck them and that chicken sandwich is disgusting). I don't buy Walmart (it enables the gun industry, it funds anti-abortion politicians and it funds climate deniers) but I buy Aldi, that is better than Walmart. I also indulge on Trader Joe's once in awhile. Take that into account the rest of the year: you are not only LGBTQ+ in June. You are who you are all year round. Use your money wisely and don't enable -unwittingly- the bigots.
Yes, we live in a capitalist society. Yes, we love our rainbow merchandise. But are those companies REALLY supportive, or is it just performative allyship?? One thing is to have real policies and be a real ally and another just slap a rainbow on during June and then be a piece of shit employer/company.
Now, I do have something to say about this: I like it when brands change their logos (instagram and google come to mind) because that's visibility and a splinter under the nails of the bigots. I like the 'capsule collections' some retailers put out (I intend on buying some very gay Converse as soon as June ends because they'll be dirt cheap, for example). And I usually buy in stores with a rainbow flag (I love the faggotry that having that flag fly implies) and I really enjoy when I see a place that I considered boring and .... straight? Go all gay in June. Just saying...
And herein lies my beef. Take fucking Fox news or disgusting Chik-fil-a going full Pride supportive or Pride adjacent during June. I call bullshit. And that, Constant Reader is performative allyship. We all know that both Fox and that fucking sandwich place are NOT our allies.
Ahhhh yes. This is where I basically go every time I have a question: The HRC Corporate Index. Because if the company is not supportive of me, why the hell am I going to support it giving it my money? No.
Take for example what they say about the Homo Depot, the house that the DIY gays and lesbians built. Surprised?? I am not.
Oh we have all heard the Target horror stories. With bigoted Karens and Kens all over the place doing performative bigotry in every other Target in May we know how some corporations in some parts of the country are reacting: they are sending the Pride merchandise to the back of the store. And I can see both sides here: Target is a corporation, it wants the money and it wants to keep the employees safe. Should have they caved in to the bigots? Fuck no. But they kind of did.
Do I blame Target? No. Will I still buy gay shit there? Most probably. Because I want Target to keep putting out Pride swag every year. So I want some gay-rainbow-faggy shit for Pride and I'm going to get it at Target. Why? To show the bigots, because my money talks. The twenty dollars I'm gonna spend in some gay apparel will go to Target's pocket and I'll look super gay. Also, I am taking into account that Target does support small businesses and LGBTQ creators and donates 52% to Dems. Win?
I just love this image so much.
Absolutely agree. This last slide is basically who we should be all year round. Because we are not only gay when we are having sex with another man (or with another woman *ahem*). I am gay when I'm getting a bukkake from you (or getting creampied) and I'm gay when I'm buying new pants or some caulk for my windows. Allyship does not end in July. You are not LGBTQ+ during one month of the year.
So there. Am I preaching to the choir? Probably. Because many of you already knew this. But some may have been unaware and now you know. Am I virtue signaling? That's for you to decide. But I stand by my post.
So if you excuse me, there is some very gay shit I need to go buy because I'm gonna be extra faggy this June.
XOXO
XOXO
P.S. I will be doing Milwaukee Pride this weekend. Wanna come? HMU in the comments and we'll have our very own mini-bloggerpalooza.
If you're truly an LGBTQ+ ally you're an ally in November, and August, even February .... all year long. Not just June.
ReplyDeletexoxo
That's right honey!!!!! All year! Shit or get off the pot!!!!!
DeleteAbsolutely.
DeleteIt's not just for ONE month.
XOXO
Big says,
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't give Chik, Homo Depot, or Walmart my money. Lowes get s very little. Ace gets some because they're closer than the other two. I've used the HRC Index more than once to check out a business. Aldi's??? They must not be in my area. Not a Disney fan, but I've contemplated buying "Little Mermaid" tickets and not using them just to shove it to DeSanctimonious. XOXO
Haha Same!
DeleteAnd Aldi is an international supermarket chain. It was a lifesaver during grad school and I still shop there. I'm sure there's some in CA.
And I would say you'd enjoy the movie because you love music. So go ahead! You'll also be showing Meatball Ron how wrong he is, so it's a double win.
XOXO
HuntleyBiGuy:
ReplyDeleteIt’s horrible where we are now. Threats and acts of violence towards the front line workers who are getting MAYBE $15/hour in more progressive states are taking their toll. Management has to make decisions on how to best navigate those waters. Hate is a powerful force and sometimes difficult to overcome, especially for small businesses.
Here in my neck of the woods, in a heavily red county in Illinois, a local LBGTQ+ owned bakery is closing up after acts and threats of violence scared customers away (https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2023/05/31/after-fundraising-over-30k-to-remain-open-uprising-bakery-in-lake-in-the-hills-announces-permanent-closure/). I’ve been there a few times and unfortunately it didn’t last.
And the corporate franchise business (e.g. McDonald’s, Burger King, and yes even Chik-fil-a) make it a tough call. I know that many local franchisees make an effort to embrace the LBGTQ+ community but the acts of the corporate entity loom large. Like you I’ve never step foot in one of those chicken marts. We do have to make our dollars talk and that needs to happen throughout the year.
XOXO 👨🏼❤️💋👨🏽
It is indeed horrible. I blame the bigots.
DeleteHate is their weapon. And people fall for it. I can't believe they crossed that bakery! I remember they made the news....
And you are right: our dollars, our choice.
XOXO
Retail sales are down across the board, so I wasn't surprised when Target jumped on board the panic train. In the end, their moving Pride merch to another location in the store hurt their sales more than the Christian boycott would have because they got such bad press over it. Will they learn their lesson? No, because for them the dollar is holier than anything.
ReplyDeleteI agree it was a faux pas.
DeleteTotally stupid. They should have clarified their position and make sure the bigots were to be kept away from the stores.
And they will not learn their lesson: bigots do not really shop at Target. It's too 'woke' for them.
XOXO
Well you know how I stand on this. I'm all for the visibility, but unless the company is gay owned and operated and big portions of proceeds go to gay Charities and the community I will not spend a dime with that company. I have worked for several companies who did just the gay washing thing, even Bloomingdale's often did gay capsule collections, but the proceeds from the sales were so miniscule what was even the point. Most of these companies are just trying to piggyback off something since there's not currently a holiday till Father's Day. If companies donated 100% of the proceeds then would be cooking with gas and we would know for certain where they stand.
ReplyDeleteI already have four different Pride parades and festivals I'm attending. I think if anybody is able to go to a pride event this year they should. Now is not the time to be invisible.
Oh, I know they don't donate 100% to gay causes.
DeleteBut many of them do contribute in money and in policy. And that counts, in my book.
And I'm also doing two Pride festivities. Because these motherfucking bigots are not gonna make me hide. Fuck them.
XOXO
Today is June 1st and the beginning of Pride Month. And guess what, I woke up Gay this morning just as I have done every day since I was born in 1948. Being Gay is not a shopping outing or a dining outing or any other thing. It is who I am, have always been and will always be. So Pride Month, while a wonderful event that all should celebrate, should be viewed, in the minds of every Queer Person (all the letters in LGBTQ++++++ and all those not identified yet) as something demanding honor it should also be something that calls forth in all of us a feeling of Pride Year, Pride Decade, Pride Century and Pride Eternity.
ReplyDeleteGay all day.
DeleteProud all the way.
XOXO
Enjoy Milwaukee Pride this weekend and yes, be extra EXTRA faggy!
ReplyDeleteHahaha
DeleteI will!
XOXO
love this colourful site: https://www.pridefest.com/
ReplyDeleteOMG Xersex!
DeleteI was just there!!
XOXO