Each June, store shelves light up in rainbows. Greeting cards with glittery pronoun affirmations, “Love is love” tees, and Mickey Mouse backpacks in pastel Pride hues have become as expected as fireworks on the Fourth. But this year, the glitter is noticeably dimmer. The rainbow logos are fewer. And the merchandising? Tucked in the back.
For decades, corporate America has embraced Pride Month—not just as a public relations exercise, but as a business strategy targeting a powerful consumer base. Yet in 2024, the tone is cautious, calculated, and in some cases, nearly silent.
WOKE IS OFFICIALLY DEAD! 😵 🏳️🌈
pic.twitter.com/jX6j6OerQf— DramaAlert (@DramaAlert) June 1, 2025
Last year, boycotts against Target and Bud Light over LGBTQ+ merchandise and messaging—particularly transgender inclusion—sent tremors through boardrooms across the country. Bud Light, after a short video collaboration with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, saw a historic sales drop. Target, faced with store protests and vandalism, quietly moved Pride items from high-traffic areas to the back.
The “go woke, go broke” campaign, championed by conservative commentators like Matt Walsh, was clear: make Pride toxic for brands.
And for some? It worked.
According to Matt Skallerud, president of Pink Media, 2024 marks a sharp contrast:
“I have not been busy with Pride projects this year—and I think that’s across the board.”
Some brands, like Levi’s and Wells Fargo, are doubling down—maintaining their Pride initiatives and public visibility. Levi’s even marked ten years of Pride collections with a $100,000 donation to Outright International.
Others, including Walmart, Google, and Hyatt, declined to comment on whether they’ve scaled back. That silence speaks volumes.
Despite last year’s backlash, research suggests the risk of alienating progressive consumers may be greater than the threat posed by online boycotts:
- A GLAAD/Ipsos poll found 2 in 3 Americans are neutral or positive toward Pride merchandise.
- Nearly 75% said they feel positively or neutral toward companies offering LGBTQ+ products.
- LGBTQ+ adults represent an estimated $1.4 trillion in U.S. purchasing power, and $3.9 trillion globally.
Yet that hasn’t stopped the calculated retrenchment. Some industries—particularly consumer staples like grocery and retail—have quietly shifted course. A survey by Gravity Research found:
- 18% of companies said they adjusted Pride plans in response to conservative backlash.
- Just 9% said the same of pressure from progressive consumers.
In essence, brands are choosing the quieter road, hoping not to stoke the ire of either side—offering subtle nods to Pride without the full-throated celebrations of years past.
Beyond the marketplace, transgender issues have become a cultural flashpoint, with hundreds of bills targeting LGBTQ+ rights introduced across state legislatures. That’s made the risk calculus for brands even more complex.
The result? A growing number of companies are opting to celebrate Pride “in moderation.” As Neil Saunders of GlobalData put it:
“They are doing some promotion, but they are restricting it to things that they think are palatable and acceptable for most people.”
While some see the quieter Pride campaigns as a defeat, others like Skallerud argue that acknowledging the pullback is the first step toward regrouping:
“If we admit it, we can dust ourselves off and try to figure out a game plan or a strategy to be able to move forward and prevail.”
Brands that stay the course—and those that don’t—will face growing scrutiny from both sides of the aisle. But for LGBTQ+ consumers and allies, the focus is increasingly shifting away from rainbow logos and toward authenticity, consistency, and action.
