Rainbow Capialism

As always, this Pride Month we will see major companies putting out Pride-themed advertising, changing their social media profiles and putting out anodyne statements about inclusivity. On one level, this is a fairly simple attempt to cash in on Pride, a tradition whose real roots are in the struggle of the LGBTQ+ community for equality. At the same time, it also reflects a deeper trend – sometimes called ‘rainbow capitalism’ – whereby LGBTQ+ rights are used to try to launder the reputation of an increasingly discredited system.