Rainbow Capitalism Can Fuck Right Off

Pride month is hitting differently for me this year. It's been my favorite time of the year for a long while and the last few years have included corporations celebrating more of pride by offering us more things to buy, this year they've buckled down to practically nothing. Michael's had one little set of shelves in the aisle, and I didn't even bother to go to Target after they announced that they'd also drastically reduced their Pride coverage.

I mean, first of all, fuck corporations. The only good part about corporate pride was that it put pride in the faces of everyone. Shopping in America – fuck, shopping anywhere these days – is so... Basic Bitch. The most average of average averageness there can possibly be because average sells to the average person, whom there are more of than us precious rainbows. When corporations stuck their necks out for us, for that brief time, we were part of the Basic Bitch spectrum. Now, we’re being kicked out again, tossed aside like a bottle of Chardonnay at a basic-ass, suburban mom’s book club that just got replaced with boxed wine. We got our moment to shine, our colors displayed right next to the beige of mainstream consumerism. It wasn’t perfect, but it was visibility in the most mundane places, where even the most casual observer couldn't avoid seeing us.

But now? Now we're back to being an afterthought. It's not just about the merchandise; it's about the message. Corporations were willing to sell our flags, our pride, our existence because they saw the value in our visibility. When they back off, it sends a clear message: our pride is only marketable when it's safe and convenient for them. In a nutshell, that’s a great description for all activism in America. People only engage in a meaningful way when it is safe and convenient. Cowards.

The rainbow capitalism wave might have been flawed, but at least it forced a conversation, put our existence front and center, even if just for a season. It's disheartening to see us dropped because it reveals the performative nature of their “support.” The moment things get tough, they retreat, leaving us to fight the battles on our own again, reminding us that their solidarity was always conditional.

But you know what? Fuck that. We don't need their conditional support to validate our existence. Our pride, our visibility, our fight – it's all stronger than the fair-weather allies who only show up when it's easy. We’ll keep shining, keep being loud, keep pushing forward, because pride isn't just a month or a marketing gimmick. It's who we are, every damn day, with or without their pandering.

And maybe, just maybe, when they see that our fight doesn't need their approval, they'll realize what true allyship looks like. Until then, we'll keep doing what we've always done: thriving, resisting, and being unapologetically ourselves.

And may y’all never forget…

The first Pride was a riot. 😁 🏳️‍⚧️🧱🪟🏳️‍🌈 😘

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