I hear what you are saying, but it wasn’t that long ago that companies (three in particular of those listed,) wouldn’t bother to even give lip service to this kind of thing. Yeah, it’s a money grab, but that’s what companies do. Frankly it was a huge victory when they decided the pro-queer market was more lucrative than and anti- one. The absolute least risky thing to do would be to just stay out of it completely so making any kind of pro-queer gesture, even one intended as a marketing ploy, is a net positive. This is just a reflection of our larger culture – things have changed towards acceptance and all the backlash is pointless fighting back against that; ultimately doomed to failure.
I’m more than old enough to remember when going into a department store and simply holding hands with your same gendered partner would get you followed by security, if not actually thrown out of the store. A company sending representatives to an LGBTQ+ Conference wasn’t even imaginable in the '80s and almost completely unheard of by the end of the '90s. If companies have decided I’m just another marketing demographic (hello Black history month sales, it’s actually nice to join you,) it’s still a hell of a lot better than those days.
Which isn’t to say companies can stop improving, it’s just better than what came before.
I know this conference isn’t for me. But I’m general as a trans person, I do not feel safe going to Florida. Currently there are very few states that I would be comfortably traveling to. Things have gotten absolutely worse for the LGBTQ community as it was only a few years ago where I felt ok going all over the US for work. Including Texas and Florida.
1 in 5 Gen Z identify as LGBTQ+. That is what has changed. 20% of an up-and-coming generation is not something to offend and drive away. It’s pure greed, not some great awakening or anything. It also speaks to the economic power of that group of people and their unwillingness to quietly go back into the closet. Corporations may be inherently amoral, but they will predictably follow the almighty dollar. MoRon does not seem to realize this, or does and realizes that the only way to get what he wants is to utterly demolish that population.
Oh, absolutely right. If there was more money to be made in courting bigots, that’s where companies would (mostly) be going. I also believe that while corporations aren’t actively intending to bring benefit to anyone that isn’t one of their shareholders, I know there are benefits to even performative displays.
I’m always amazed at younger friends who say things like “I knew I was queer at 13.” Despite having been sexually active (willingly, thank goodness) with people of different genders at 12, I didn’t even hear the word ‘bisexual’ until I was 18. That was something that was going to happen to me throughout my life; that moment of “Oh! So that’s what this thing that I’ve been doing is called …” Knowing something exists and is real can take away so much fear when you’re fumbling around in the dark like that. That display of pride t-shirts at Target may just be a cash grab to the company, but to some young queer kid who has been isolated from information by their bigoted parents, that may give them the hope they need to stay in this world: There are other people are like me? I’m not alone. These feelings are real
So fine, Disney, Target, even fucking Cracker Barrel … be seen Doing the Right Thing and Looking Very Concerned as you send people to these conferences. It’s so much better than just ignoring it or being a bigot, even if you make a buck while doing it.
This all too often what some left-wing critics get wrong about how capitalism can use “identity politics” as a cash grab… the assumption is that if one is consuming such things, they can’t also be political disruptive to the system… but the reality is that how products are designed to be used (as an alternative to political actions), and how we actually use mass produced consumer products in our lives are often at odds. Of course, Target having pride shirts is not enough… but as you say, it can make people being actively isolated by bigots feel a little less alone, and maybe help people to feel like they can make bolder political moves that do improve the world… I don’t think it’s an either/or, nor does it need to be. The world is messy and complicated and almost entirely colonized by capitalism, and there is no easy answers for how to get out of that mess. But certainly helping us to see each other and our struggles as important is a step in the right direction…
Being cynical, it’s a great business move. Most gay people have a LOT of disposable income. Bigots, on the other hand, are so tight fisted, they don’t even want to spend money that isn’t theirs. I’m glad Disney is stepping up against Meatball Ron. They’ll make buckets of bucks while they’re at it. More $ to have to spend on tormenting DeSatan.
Can I just say how grateful I am to have the opportunity to read your perspective here on boingboing?
I am often cynical about corporate involvement in causes and as a white cis het male it can be easy to do so - 99% of everything is for me by default. Then I get reminded that for a lot of people representation is not something that just happens as a matter of course.
It’s a very old, and wrong, commonly held belief. Mostly it was based on some surveys in the '80s which self-selected for those that felt safe to respond. This meant that most participants were white, cis, and secure in their income. It’s a nice thought that somehow the rest of us who may be excluded by many employers, legally or not, automatically get that bonus income, but it’s just not happening.
