Lesbian and LGBTQ+ Companies vs Rainbow Capitalism

Queer Companies vs Rainbow Capitalism

By: Sam (she/they) | SHRIMPTEETH

If you're openly queer, you've probably bought something with a rainbow on it at some point in your life. It can be exciting and validating to see stores carry goods meant for the LGBTQIA2S+ community. But who is behind the rainbow?

There's a huge difference between lesbian-run businesses, like Wet For Her, making products for the LGBTQIA2S+ community and large corporations slapping a rainbow on shit in June to exploit queer consumers. Rainbow capitalism is the practice of brands run by cisgender heterosexual people appropriating queer culture to promote a vision of inclusivity that doesn't actually exist within the company. You can spot rainbow capitalism when brands incorporate rainbows into their logo in June, make ads featuring "normal-looking" gay people (yes, this is an actual quote from a senior marketing manager at a company I used to work for), produce limited edition pride merchandise, or sponsor branded floats at mainstream pride events. On the surface it can seem like an act of solidarity; however, these tactics promote a homonormative consumerist ideal that erases real queer experiences. The primary goal is making money off of queer consumers by commodifying our culture, rather than supporting our existing businesses. If you look past the rainbow products, you quickly find out that none of these large corporations are allies towards the community. Many (AT&T, Walmart, Salvation Amy, Chik-Fil-A) have donated to organizations that suppress queer rights while still displaying a rainbow logo in June. Regardless of the tactic specific brands use, the goal is always the same: profit at all costs.

Pink Money, the buying power of the queer community, accounts for a whopping $3.7 trillion dollars according to LGBT Capital. It’s no surprise that corporations want to tap into that consumer market. Unfortunately, that’s about as far as solidarity goes. Earlier this year LinkedIn reported that, "There are only 4 openly LGBTQ+ CEOs in the Fortune 500, and among 5,670 board of director seats, only 25 are held by self-identified LGBTQ+ executives." And among non-executive employees, 46% report being closeted at work. Those who are out often experience tokenization, which is rampant within corporate cultures trying to promote a facade of inclusion. As a result, the majority of products and ads targeted at the queer community are created by straight folks with little to no input from queers. We end up with hilariously gauche campaigns which are ridiculed by many queer news outlets in June. However, it's important to recognize that despite the augmented push back against rainbow capitalism, the ridiculously ugly Target pride collection isn't going away anytime soon. And by purchasing products from these corporations, we prevent actual queer-run companies from flourishing.

So we're faced with one of the only instances where gatekeeping is actually appropriate. When it comes to buying goods, queers have the ability to keep money within the community and help queer businesses grow in sectors that are dominated by cishet white men, but that requires making informed purchasing decisions.  Recognizing brands that are for queers by queers might not be immediately obvious. But it’s worth doing some investigating to support companies that put money back into our community rather than covertly funding anti-lgbtqia2s+ legislation.

Here are some telltale signs that brands are queer:

1. They aren't Fortune 500 companies
   Let's start here. As detailed above, we need to stop buying pride merch from corporations. While Wet For Her might not be a leader in the adult industry when it comes to company size, they are when it comes to understanding queer consumers. Not having a board of cishet investors means they are committed to doing what's best for their queer consumers, rather than making shady decisions to increase shareholder value.
2. They are proud beyond June
   Companies that are queer for queers are usually not shy about it. Simply navigate to Wet For Her's 'about' page and you'll clearly see a mission statement that radiates pride through and through. Wet For Her doesn't see queerness as an aesthetic that can be appropriated in June and discarded in July. They understand that queerness goes far beyond sporting a rainbow when it's convenient. For them, queerness is integral year-round.
3. They offer functionally queer products rather than just aesthetically queer
   My biggest pet peeve is lazy branding. Slapping a rainbow on a toothpaste does not make it queer. You can easily tell when only straight people were involved in designing pride products because it reflects a rudimentary and often inaccurate understanding of queerness. Wet For Her understands their consumers through shared lived experiences. They create toys and pleasure-enhancement tools to meet real needs. Their finger extenders, for example, reflect an understanding of how many lesbians share intimacy while also providing attractive alternatives for those who want non-anatomical toys.
4. They employ queer people
   I wrote this blog for Wet For Her; I'm queer. And as you can guess from the name, Wet For Her was founded by queers and obviously has other queers on staff. Most of us understand how hard it can be to find employment that allows us to be out in the workplace safely without being tokenized. Queer companies offer jobs in environments where diversity is more than just a buzzword.
5. They reinvest in the community
   Queer companies often reinvest in non-profits that support our community. Wet For Her understands the incredible importance of funding organizations, like the Trevor Project, that support our wellness. Now, it's important to note that just because a corporation donates to a queer NGO doesn't necessarily make them allies. Pretty insidiously, corporations have recently started donating a menial percentage of their Pride merchandise sales to queer non-profits as a PR stunt to deflect accusations of appropriation. That's not the same thing as providing support to the community. Brands run by queers know the difference, and so do consumers.
6. BONUS: they offer healthcare
   This isn't backed up by any data and should only be taken as my opinion... but queer companies place humans over profits, and that means offering absolutely necessary benefits to their employees rather than hoarding profits at the executive level. Bonus bonus points for those who participate in profit-sharing; if sharing wealth and joy is not the definition of queerness, I don't know what is.

About the Author

Sam (she/they) is a proud queer vulva-owner (a clam parent, if you will). They are polyamorous; she loves many people and allows each relationship to develop in mutually supportive structures. Sam has a Master in Arts from New York University in social psychology with a focus on consumer behavior. They are a sex educator, writer, researcher, avid reader, designer (with a Bachelor in Fine Arts in packaging design from Fashion Institute of Technology), and artist who does social media content creation. 

Sam created Shrimp Teeth in 2018 to talk about how we communicate / approach / talk and think about sexxx. Check out their Patreon http://Patreon.com/shrimpteeth, website www.shrimpteeth.com, or email [email protected] for questions and/or collaboration opportunities!