Two in five brands with Pride campaigns not donating to LGBT+ causes in 2019

Two in five companies with Pride campaigns are donating no proceeds to LGBT+ causes in 2019, research shows.

Whether it’s banks, mouthwash or alcohol, many brands are using rainbows and other LGBT+ symbols to market their products this Pride Month.

But analysis of 250 companies with Pride campaigns this year, by marketing experts Reboot Online, shows that despite a 29% spike in “corporate Pride,” just 64% of brands are donating money to any relevant charities.

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This has caused a stir in the LGBT+ community. In a representative survey, 87% of queer people told Reeboot all brands should donating LGBT+ organisations.

What’s more, a quarter of LGBT+ people said brands “use” Pride month to sell products, causing one in 10 to actively avoid purchasing Pride tie-in products out of the belief that they are being exploited.

According to Reboot, this belief is perhaps justified – 12% of companies with Pride campaigns this year were rated under 80% by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) for their equality policies.

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The majority fail to provide equal domestic partner medical and soft benefits for LGBT+ people, and show a “lack of equal health coverage for transgender individuals without exclusion for medically necessary care,” the HRC said.

In particular, clothing brand H&M was given a meagre Corporate Equality Index score of 45% by the HRC. Yet they have participated in “corporate pride” this year, with a “pride collection.”

However, H&M is donating 10% of its proceeds to the United Nations' Free & Equal campaign – unlike 46% of other brands “jumping on the rainbow bandwagon without giving back,”said Reeboot.

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Despite this, the survey found 84% of the LGBT+ community feels “positively” about branded Pride campaigns.

But almost all LGBT+ people – a whopping 96% – said companies need to do more to help LGBT+ causes throughout the year, as opposed to just during Pride month.