3 ms·

Corporations are cashing in on the trend. I'm both equally happy and unhappy about it. It means that being LGBT has finally become mainstream enough, but it als

Corporations are cashing in on the trend. I'm both equally happy and unhappy about it. It means that being LGBT has finally become mainstream enough, but it also shows a two-faced side to the corporations who will also donate to anti-LGBT politicians. It's pandering to us, is what it is. That part, I'm not so much a fan of.

reaperducer 7y ago
Corporations are cashing in on the trend This is true. But it's also true that companies are afraid of being "corp-shamed" on the internet. No marketing or PR department wants to answer the question, "Why don't you support xyz!" on the internet. Steve Jobs didn't have a Reality Distortion Field half as powerful as Twitter.
- JMTQp8lwXL 7y ago
  I don't have any issue with companies taking no stand, so long as they don't have negative impact on the LGBT community through political contributions. Do people genuinely _expect_ Apple, et. al. to proactively support LGBT rights? I think it's asking a bit much, but also, I'm no marketing expert. I get that people want to associate with brands that they feel can 'get them'. And brands can freely choose what they identify with. But this is just marketers getting you to buy, it isn't a real political stance. So I would say to the person who exclaims, "Why doesn't <corporation X> support <cause>?", is largely ineffective. You got a bunch of social media icons to be rainbow-colored, and no actual legislative agenda for your issue, on behalf of these companies. Can we consider that progress? To me "Support LGBT rights <or else>" does not sound like progress.
  - danaris 7y ago
    I mean...Apple kinda does? Tim Cook is openly gay, and while he's generally extremely reserved about political opinions, LGBTQ+ rights seems to be the exception. (On that, he's merely very reserved, but he does say something sometimes, quietly but with conviction.)
  - frittig 7y ago
    Apparently people expect the US embassy to fly the pride flag on the official flag pole. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/06/11/mike-pence-confirms-reports-pride-flag-banned-embassies/1417031001/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/06/11/mike...

reaperducer 7y ago

Corporations are cashing in on the trend This is true. But it's also true that companies are afraid of being "corp-shamed" on the internet. No marketing or PR department wants to answer the question, "Why don't you support xyz!" on the internet. Steve Jobs didn't have a Reality Distortion Field half as powerful as Twitter.

JMTQp8lwXL 7y ago
I don't have any issue with companies taking no stand, so long as they don't have negative impact on the LGBT community through political contributions. Do people genuinely _expect_ Apple, et. al. to proactively support LGBT rights? I think it's asking a bit much, but also, I'm no marketing expert. I get that people want to associate with brands that they feel can 'get them'. And brands can freely choose what they identify with. But this is just marketers getting you to buy, it isn't a real political stance. So I would say to the person who exclaims, "Why doesn't <corporation X> support <cause>?", is largely ineffective. You got a bunch of social media icons to be rainbow-colored, and no actual legislative agenda for your issue, on behalf of these companies. Can we consider that progress? To me "Support LGBT rights <or else>" does not sound like progress.
- danaris 7y ago
  I mean...Apple kinda does? Tim Cook is openly gay, and while he's generally extremely reserved about political opinions, LGBTQ+ rights seems to be the exception. (On that, he's merely very reserved, but he does say something sometimes, quietly but with conviction.)
- frittig 7y ago
  Apparently people expect the US embassy to fly the pride flag on the official flag pole. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/06/11/mike-pence-confirms-reports-pride-flag-banned-embassies/1417031001/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/06/11/mike...