Rainbow washing / June 2021

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Perhaps many of you've heard, that this month is so called "Pride" month. Have your company considered rainbow washing? Do you support this idea overall? What is your take on tech giants using it?
 
I am more concerned with the perception that if I don't "rainbow wash" any part of my business, I am somehow against certain rights, choices or freedoms. This doesn't, and shouldn't, mean anything at all. Further, I don't think I should be listening to the opinion of someone only on the basis that that person is gay or straight. Having a certain sexual preference doesn't add your opinion more value or credibility. I make decisions based on knowledge and experience. I could care less what your preferences are in your private life.
 
Having a certain sexual preference doesn't add your opinion more value or credibility. I make decisions based on knowledge and experience.
I don't think anybody in modern world cares about sexual orientation at all. Talking about this rainbows campaign - it looks like cheap populism at least, but for me it's rather complete branding/marketing failure. If brands look the same, what's the point in them? Just keep that rainbow and don't even bother paint anything on top of it.
 
I don't think anybody in modern world cares about sexual orientation at all.
I tend to disagree. You bring up an example of rainbow washing and call it a populist campaign. But the reality is that this is the result of years of campaigning by movements like LGBT. The establishment of new perception that is the influence on business thinking is exactly what I am trying to convey in my message above. My attitude towards a movement like LGBT is that it is not the organization that I should listen to in respect to any element of my life or business. Why should I take any advice or opinion from someone solely based on their sexual orientation?

If someone wants to actively participate in pride month, please, be my guest. Maybe one day I will also participate. Or maybe I won't. It's the kind of decision that I will be making myself, without the influence of any person or movement. But me choosing not to participate does not and should not mean that I am against someone's rights.
 
I tend to disagree.
With what? That nobody cares about it in a good sense? I mean without making marketing, trying getting popularity from it or pushing laws that is hard to justify for sane mind?

But me choosing not to participate does not and should not mean that I am against someone's rights.
God.. Now people must have proper excuses for not participating in this bullshit?
 
With what?
I meant that I think there are still a lot of people out there that care about sexual orientation in making decisions.
God.. Now people must have proper excuses for not participating in this bullshit?
Let's keep the language clean, but in my view, it may very well go the route when a business that chooses not to participate in pride month would be brought to attention by movements, activists or even customers themselves.
 
Let's keep the language clean, but in my view, it may very well go the route when a business that chooses not to participate in pride month would be brought to attention by movements, activists or even customers themselves.
Struggle for equality requires victims, no big deal. Communism taught us that. It also taught us that equality is not achievable. I'm not talking about human rights, I'm talking about creating and following artificial ideals, which make only certain groups of people to benefit from this process. And other groups, including those considered serious businesses, look laughable.
 
It does not bother me what orientation anyone is, just like it does not bother what colour asking people are as at the end of the day we are all ' Human Beings' and their money is just the same, so as long as they pay on time i could not care less as I will treat them all the same.
 
I don't think anybody in modern world cares about sexual orientation at all.

I know it's not the original point of the conversation, but this is clearly a million miles away from being true.

Look at the rights of people of different sexualities to get married, adopt children, or actually the legality of homosexual sexual activity in different countries of the world. Then add to that the huge amount of homophobic violence, etc. occurring in even the most 'tolerant' countries.

There are massive levels of discrimination against people of all sexualities from people of all sexualities, mostly against homosexual people, but also at times against heterosexual people.
 
Perhaps many of you've heard, that this month is so called "Pride" month. Have your company considered rainbow washing? Do you support this idea overall? What is your take on tech giants using it?

Getting back to the original topic...

I think the term rainbow washing, much like the term green washing, can only be applied if a person or company is doing it solely as a means of looking like a more ethical corporate citizen and maximising profits, while actually not really caring about the issue at all.

In some cases of course that is reality, but I would like to believe that there are also a large number of companies who support pride month (or whatever else) because they actually believe in the cause.
 
Perhaps many of you've heard, that this month is so called "Pride" month. Have your company considered rainbow washing? Do you support this idea overall? What is your take on tech giants using it?
My company will not contemplate rainbow washing. We're not promoting our brand along ideological venues, rather whether our products and services solve issues and provide solutions in win-win scenarios. We could care less about a person's sexual orientation.
 
I know it's not the original point of the conversation, but this is clearly a million miles away from being true.
Yes, your answer is out of scope, but I don't think I was far from being true. Some people don't care about these matters, let's say, in a good way, while some people (usually governments) in a bad way, leaving some historical legal limits in place. Usually such countries have much more critical issues to solve. While in many cases these new rights are just directly conflicting with dominant religion and/or traditions.

maximising profits
No company management could ever resist these words.

In some cases of course that is reality, but I would like to believe that there are also a large number of companies who support pride month (or whatever else) because they actually believe in the cause.
Nice nice.. Many people in the world are suffering and dying because of political repressions, or because of lack of inhalers in COVID times, or are being washed out from their native areas because of rising sea level.
While really influential entities just sit and paint rainbows trying to get more naive buyers.. That is grotesque.
 
Nice nice.. Many people in the world are suffering and dying because of political repressions, or because of lack of inhalers in COVID times, or are being washed out from their native areas because of rising sea level.
While really influential entities just sit and paint rainbows trying to get more naive buyers.. That is grotesque.
Hence the "or whatever else" part of my comment.

I am not saying that gay and transgender rights are more important than any other issue, than rising sea levels, or lack of medication.

But it's interesting that you mentioned political repression, because that is a similar issue People being repressed because of their sexuality, religious faith and beliefs, gender, political stance, or whatever else, is not ok.

While Pride may have morphed into something else completely, and big companies who may often have no real care for the meaning behind it have hijacked it, it started out as a celebration of freedom and rights and a cry for equality.

"Really influential entities" are not wrong for celebrating that or any other cause, issue, or belief as long as they actually do give a crap about what is behind it.

Washing on the other hand, of any colour is a cheap, easy, and manipulative marketing ploy, which may be deeply questionable ethically, but also unfortunately really works.
 
Hence the "or whatever else" part of my comment.

I am not saying that gay and transgender rights are more important than any other issue, than rising sea levels, or lack of medication.

But it's interesting that you mentioned political repression, because that is a similar issue People being repressed because of their sexuality, religious faith and beliefs, gender, political stance, or whatever else, is not ok.

While Pride may have morphed into something else completely, and big companies who may often have no real care for the meaning behind it have hijacked it, it started out as a celebration of freedom and rights and a cry for equality.

"Really influential entities" are not wrong for celebrating that or any other cause, issue, or belief as long as they actually do give a crap about what is behind it.

Washing on the other hand, of any colour is a cheap, easy, and manipulative marketing ploy, which may be deeply questionable ethically, but also unfortunately really works.
Like everything else, major companies highjack for commercial gain. Over here in the UK you see several large department stores with things line ' Pride Month' or 'Celebrate Pride with us' and they all have a full range of exclusive pride designed merchandise. all use Pride for commercial gain
 
But it's interesting that you mentioned political repression, because that is a similar issue People being repressed because of their sexuality, religious faith and beliefs, gender, political stance, or whatever else, is not ok.
How they are repressed?

Two things got me back to this topic:
1. Toy for little children I saw today, painted in rainbow colors. While it doesn't mean anything special to kid, it carries its message.
2. Refusal of our president to sign petition many other EU leaders signed against new law in Hungary which bans LGBT content for kids. There may be other opinion as well, gladly.

For me it seems like this rainbow movement is not trying to get equal rights, they try to get exclusivity. Which they get. No one should be treated exclusively for their views. Not all LGBT people support this movement. Real issues and all these parades, and all propaganda are different things. Companies employing this type of advertising put themselves in a difficult position in the eyes of thinking people.
 
For me it seems like this rainbow movement is not trying to get equal rights, they try to get exclusivity. Which they get. No one should be treated exclusively for their views. Not all LGBT people support this movement. Real issues and all these parades, and all propaganda are different things. Companies employing this type of advertising put themselves in a difficult position in the eyes of thinking people.
It is large companies using the rainbow movement and LGBT for their own commercial gain. Pride marches as more commercialised, so they no longer stand for what they were set up for.
 
How they are repressed?

As of the start of 2021, 29 countries worldwide recognise same sex marriages, while all 195 countries recognise male-female marriage.

In 71 countries worldwide, homosexual sexual activity is illegal, in many it is actively punished with prison sentences and/or forms of physical punishment, in one the death penalty is still actively used for.

Then there is employment discrimination, adoption law, etc.

Just because some western states are getting closer to equal rights for people of different sexualities, that doesn't mean it is the global normal.
 
It is large companies using the rainbow movement and LGBT for their own commercial gain. Pride marches as more commercialised, so they no longer stand for what they were set up for.

Exactly!

Pride is not the problem, the problem is large (or small) companies who jump onto causes that they don't necessarily understand, support, or care about and commercialising them.
 
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