I Don't know how to write a PRIDE post......
Some brands, it seems, are ditching Pride like it’s a charity fun run on a hangover.
Adelle Barker
Award Winning - Inspirational Role Model 2025 - Rainbow Honours#IDontKnowHowToBeTrans Podcaster and Writer
June 5, 2025 - Originally Posted to Linkedin Newsletter
Every June, the rainbow flags go up and the brands logo change!... or at least, they used to. Lately? It's giving eerie silence and whispers of “We’re not doing Pride this year”, and “We support everyone all year round” (translation: “please don’t email us”).
Some brands, it seems, are ditching Pride like it’s a charity fun run on a hangover. And let’s be honest, part of it is fear. Fear of backlash, fear of boycotts, fear of headlines, and fear of even appearing too political. (Newsflash: Existing as LGBTQ+ isn't a political statement. It's a human one.) But this retreat doesn’t happen in a vacuum. We’re in a cultural moment where LGBTQ+ rights - especially trans rights - are being used as a weapon. The noise is loud. And unfortunately, it appears that some companies are turning down the volume, instead of turning up the support.
Now here’s a twist: June isn’t just Pride Month. It’s also Men’s Health Week, and more!
Father’s Day? Yup, June.
World Refugee Day? Yep.
Neurodiversity Celebration Weeks in some orgs? That too.
Juneteenth? You betcha!
National Donut Day? You had me at Hello Boston Creme!!
There’s room for all of this. Inclusion isn’t a pie. Supporting one group doesn’t mean snatching crumbs from another. We can uplift men’s health and trans rights. We can honour dads on Fathers Day and celebrate drag queens during Pride. Honestly, it’s the rainbow buffet, not a budget set menu of beige food!. Pull up a chair, let's embrace it all......and share a donut or two 😉🍩
So......Why the Silence? Why the Pullback?
Let’s be real. I’ve seen it. You’ve seen it. People stepping away from the rainbow because it feels too hot to touch. Conversations that should be happening are now done behind closed doors. I mean, there be many reasons but here are some reasons:
Fear of “saying it wrong”
Uncertainty about what’s performative vs. what’s real
Backlash fatigue (even allies are tired!! They are! and that’s okay, but we can’t stop)
Worried about tokenism accusations
And yet – if we’re all scared to say anything, we end up saying nothing.
I feel like I need to address the glittery elephant in the room: Pinkwashing. The performative rainbow logos. The “love is love” posts that go up on June 1st and vanish before the glitter has even dried. But here’s where I get it in the feelings......because it’s not all fake.
"THE NETWORKS!"
Many LGBTQ+ networks in all companies BIG and SMALL, well they’re run by volunteers. People like me, like us, squeezing in passion work between Teams meetings, Excel spreadsheets, One to One Meetings in a Costa Coffee and school runs. We’re fighting for education, inclusion, understanding, and suddenly, our work is being written off because someone in a random area of the business didn’t wear a rainbow lanyard on telly or like the recent "Pride" post on Linkedin?
Yes, call out the performative. But don’t let "perfection" be the enemy of the real.
This year? Well, I’m keeping my pride march moments to London Pride and hopefully Trans Pride. And I’ll be honest........I’m nervous.
I’m nervous because the backlash feels louder. From the outside, from inside the community, from people who think I’m “too much” or “not enough” or “doing it wrong”.
I am nervous, BUT I know showing up is my job! It’s not just about wearing a badge and posting a rainbow selfie (Although don't expect me NOT to post Selfie's!!). It’s pushing through uncomfortable convos, speaking at events, writing open-hearted articles, and doing the work. And yet, sometimes it feels like the anger and in-fighting is drowning out the purpose.
It’s Hard. It’s Exhausting. But We Can’t Stop Now
So what can we actually do? Let me list some stuff like the Monica Gellar that I truly am!....
1. Start Small, Speak Loud
You don’t have to change the world, but you can challenge the casual homophobia or transphobia in the group chat/In the Pub/Bar/Family BBQ. You can ask your company and Friends what real action they’re taking. You can raise your voice when it feels safe, and signal support when it’s not.
2. Support the Volunteers
Don’t underestimate the impact of a “Hey, you’re doing a great job” to someone running an LGBTQ+ network. They’re often doing it for free. Fighting burnout with badges and no lunch break! You don't realise how small interactions can spur us on!
3. Focus on Intent and Impact
Yes, call out performative actions for sure! - but also uplift genuine ones. Not every Pride post is pinkwashing or half hearted. Some are stepping stones and beginnings to get out there. Let’s help people walk further, not knock them off course right away.
4. Show Up, Even If It’s Messy
Get to a March, donate, educate, post, speak. However you show up - show up. Imperfect action > silent perfection.
And If You're Feeling Burnt Out Like Me...Here’s what I remind myself when I’m spiralling mid-sip of red wine......
“Pride didn’t start as a marketing campaign. It started as a riot. It started as survival. And now, it’s joy, resistance, resilience, protest, glitter and rage all at once.”
If you’ve ever worried you’re not “doing Pride right” – guess what? You are Pride. Your existence, your voice, your quiet moments and your loud ones. You are what they’re scared of and what they need.
So, What have we learnt? This isn’t the tidy rainbow-wrapped blog post I wanted. But maybe that’s the point. Pride is messy. It’s hard. It’s beautiful. It’s broken. It’s loud and soft and angry and loving...........And sometimes.....Pride is writing an article while sobbing into a mug of tea where I have just lost half of my digestive biscuit, wondering if you’re helping or just adding more noise.
But you keep going. Because somewhere, someone reads this and feels less alone.
And that, my lovely readers, is always worth it.
