The Best Products to Buy Now in Support of Pride

Pride month this year arrived amid a righteous wave of civil unrest in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder and mounting uncertainty surrounding the global coronavirus pandemic. The month was also marked by a long-overdue Supreme Court decision stipulating that, in accordance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, firing employees on the grounds of their sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited, a landmark victory for the LGBTQ+ community and a stark repudiation of the perspective endorsed (tacitly and not) by the Trump administration.

In the midst of all that, the month also saw a near-unprecedented show of corporate support, often in the form of donations tied to the LGBTQ+ community on behalf of businesses spanning a wide range of industries. As brands continue to wake up to the expediency of publicly embracing the causes their customers support, it's difficult not to feel cynical—initiatives explicitly tied to specific occasions can come across as pandering, or worse yet, purely performative forms of allyship.

And yes, if it seems odd to call on bottom line-oriented businesses to be lodestars of social change, it's because, well, it is. But given the reality of a government increasingly comfortable with brazenly disregarding the wellbeing of its most vulnerable constituents, customers today might not have much of a choice. Though the current political moment has certainly forced brands both big and small take stock of where they stand and reassess how they can do better going forward, more than a few have been genuinely stepping up to meet the challenge. And in fashion, an industry long reliant on the perspectives of LGBTQ+ talent, there's no shortage of brands doing their best to put on for the community to which they owe so much.

So if you're looking to support the cause—and cop some summer heat in the process—here's where to start. (And if you're able, donating directly to the LGBTQ+-affiliated organization of your choice, and not just in June, is always a wise move.)