Creating unity and diversity!

E v o l u t i o n

/ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n,ˈɛvəluːʃ(ə)n/

noun

 change in the characteristics of a species over several generations;

“We are looking at each other, just looking, and I swear there are whole lifetimes lived in those small shared seconds.”

It's the thought of an idealist to believe that despite all the evil and hatred in the world, there was a minority that deserved everything.

‘Pride’ represents the LGBTQIA+ Community. The people, The lives, the emotions, and the fight. The fight that they have been fighting for a very long time. The fight that is still going on.

THE ORIGIN

The Stonewall Riots- An Agony

It started in 1969 in the USA. The Stonewall Riots, smeared with the blood and screams of the people who fought then and continue to fight today. With Stonewall, the spirit of the 60’s rebellion spread to LGBT people in New York and beyond, who for the first time found themselves part of a community. They found a feeling of belonging with people they had never known before and they were ready to stand up for themselves.

"It wasn't an easy battle and it most definitely was not an easy start…The 1980s proved to be a hard time for the Queer community to rise in the market… "

Enter (CORPORATES!)

Somewhere along the line, to help the society change their thinking about the stigma attached to the Queer Community, a few powerful bodies, who had, the money, the power, and the voice to help bring a change.

COORS BREWING COMPANY!

Interestingly enough, in 1973, The first time that the Queer community had an impact on the marketing universe was to boycott a company called Coors Brewing Company, they did so because the hiring process there included the use of a polygraph test in which the prospective employees were asked about their sexual orientation. Coors ignored this boycott for a couple of years until in 1978 they began giving some concessions to people from the LGBTQIA+ community, and gradually became an active part of advocating for them in pride parades.

Change of mind much?

Yeah, thought so…

IN COMES THE ‘ABSOLUT’-ELY GENUINE ALLY

When the company first entered the States and tried to import goods there in 1979, the Queer spectrum was quick to adopt the brand.

Absolut ran its first ad– “Absolut Perfection”– in gay publications like After Dark, The Advocate, and the New York Native in the 1980s, a time when no other company was marketing to the community or even remotely talking about them.

It gradually became one of the biggest public allies of the community, not just for hear-say but in its practices too!

Absolut has established several long-term relationships with major LGBTQ organizations: 25 years with GLAAD, multi-year with Human Rights Campaign (HRC), as well as with Trevor Campaign and Equality California.

 

THE 80S – A ROUGH START

Welcome the United Colours of Benetton

Unlike Companies like Target and Absolut, The United Colors of Benetton, did not get the warmest of an environment when they launched their pro-LGBTQAI+ Campaigns. It was known, for a very long time, for its provocative advertisements. One of the most infamous photos was that of a White and a black woman holding their Asian baby. This advertisement not only resulted in a shocked public but was accompanied by threats of boycotting the company. 

Such was the reaction of people who believed themselves to be ‘progressive Literates’.

THE HIGH TIDE IN THE 1990s

“The 1990’s proved to be a better decade for the acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ Community in Mainstream Media and Market”

A very interesting shift of ideas came forward in this decade. As the couples in the Queer community began to get more and better jobs and earn much better than they did before, it was noticed that on an overall rate, the Queer Community was earning way more than the Straight Community.

Now the reason that was devised behind this was that because the Queer couples did not have to spend as much on child-rearing, they could save more than the straight couples could. This was also a reason for the especially hard and bureaucratic adoption policies for Queer Couples at the time.

This rise in income for the Queer Community proved to be a major benefactor for leading corporations. They suddenly looked at them with stars in their eyes, as their biggest buyers, and that is how corporations began to become inclusive of the LGBTQIA+ Audience.

Interesting, no?

How when it came to their own benefits, they all stood up to stand beside them.  

IKEA ALWAYS COMES FIRST

In 1994, history was made when IKEA decided to run the first commercial featuring a gay couple, called “Dining Room”.

The ad was aired in only 3 cities – New York, Washington DC and Philadelphia, since they were 3 of IKEA’s largest markets, and the time was limited to after 10 PM was so that the commercial did not interfere with the ‘Family Programmes’.

TIME TO QUESTION THE TRUE MOTIVES OF OUR DEAR COMPANIES

“There were two ends of this spectrum of advocating for the Queer Community, the companies who stood up for them and advocated and companies that created a front. Created a front, and did nothing to really join the fight, it was a shame how quickly even this became propaganda for earning more money.”

FACT: “Pinkwashing is the phenomenon when a  variety of marketing and political strategies aim at promoting products, countries, people or entities through an appeal to gay-friendliness, in order to be perceived as progressive, modern and tolerant.”

Let’s see what the two Spectra looked like…

FIRST WE HAVE…

‘TARGET’ THEM? NAH… SUPPORT THEM!

Another one of the strong supporters of the Pride Fight who were successful in walking their talk, was Target.

Target launched a new kids' home line with more gender-neutral items — a move, the company said, that helps parents shop for their kids while also helping squash gender norms.

When it came to bathroom access in its stores, Target stood in favour of transgender rights. Their stance on the matter sparked threats by consumers of a national boycott.

Despite this, Target did not budge and continued to stand with the community and act in an inclusive and equal manner.  Target is embracing inclusion, love, and equality with a range of outfits and adults from its #takepride capsule.

ON THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM WE HAVE…

Someone knows their Photoshop well!

In November 2011, to aid their Unhate Campaign, the company released some pictures of famous world leaders, lip-locked, to promote the acceptance of the queer community. Several of these photos received a lot of backlash, one of which included the Pope in a lip-lock with a male imam received legal action to stop the distribution of the photos.

I think we can say that this time, all roads DID lead to Rome.

Some Clarifications from their end…

On its Facebook page, Benetton gave its official response: “We reiterate that the meaning of this campaign is exclusively to combat the culture of hatred in all its forms. We are therefore sorry that the use of the image of the Pope and the Imam has so offended the sentiments of the faithful. In corroboration of our intentions, we have decided, with immediate effect, to withdraw this image from every publication.” Post saying this, Benetton continued to show its support to the Queer Community.

 NOT ALL MEN COMPANIES ARE LIKE THAT!

“It is true, that not all companies came in advocating for the Gay Community with an ulterior vindictive motive in mind. Some of them were genuine, and actually worked to bring a change. But at the same time, there were many companies, who were still a part of it for the money…”

TOO THOSE COMPANIES, WHO ARE ‘IN IT’ TO ‘WIN IT’

WE HAVE A LESSON FOR YOU!

IT IS CALLED

‘INCLUSIVITY for DUMMIES’

1.   Choose your employees… equally.

Companies looking to hire can reach out by posting jobs to LGBTQ employee networks.

A company can take action and support the LGBTQ community in various ways, including participating in a Pride event, or even by acknowledging its own local pride week over social media.

Come on guys! It’s not that hard!

2.   PROTECT YOUR PEOPLE

Make sure you have policies in place that showcase your stance on LGBT rights. It's some of the rare paperwork that’s actually effective! Chop Chop! 

Your employees should treat LGBT employees equally. Make sure that the wording of benefits such as health insurance or life insurance never excludes same-sex partners and provides support for the medical needs of transgender people.

3.     ADVERTISE FOR EVERYONE!

When you are putting out advertisements for your companies, make sure that they do not align with any pre-existing gender norms that are toxic. Make sure that it breaks social norms and talks about every gender out there and that it advocates what you believe.  

4.     And, lastly, (This one is very simple) COMMUNICATE!

“Communication is at the heart of having an LGBT-friendly workplace.”

 You need to find effective ways of communicating the firm's commitment to inclusiveness, and you also need to foster respectful communication among employees.

Learning together, Growing Together

When companies and organisations do not use the power and reach that they hold to be inclusive and equal and bring justice to whom they can bring justice to, then it is a simple case of accumulation of power in the wrong hands.

This is how you set each other free, you fight for what is yours.

You stand with the people when you can, every single time, you stand with them. You do that for as long as until the whole world kisses their fingers and holds them up, towards you, that is how you become responsible.

That is true pride.

- Jeevtesh Singh and Maahi Gupta