Pride Month 2022: Here's the Name Brands that Actually Support LGBTQIA+ Groups
Image: Nike
It’s no secret that rainbows make money. Every June, clothing brands unveil their Pride Month collections to loyal consumers. Decorated in rainbows and inspirational phrases, these limited-edition apparel releases are used to broadcast the company’s support and celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and intersex individuals.
The commercialization of Pride has become a topic of debate within the past decade, as more and more brands have picked up on the profit opportunities that the month of June holds. What was once a celebration honoring the 1969 Stonewall Uprising has now become a full-blown capitalistic holiday. It’s difficult to digest: millions of dollars are made from Pride merchandise sales every year while trans, queer, and nonbinary people continue to face unusually high rates of violence and discrimination.
While this year’s rainbow-clad releases are exciting to see, we gotta ask- where’s our money actually going?
Check out our list of big brands that are funding LGBTQIA+ groups with their Pride Month collections down below.
The Who: Nike
The Receipts: Since 2017, Nike has gifted $2.2 million to LGBTQIA+ organizations. For Pride Month 2022, Nike is contributing $625,000 in grants to 18 different LGBTQIA+ organizations across the United States. Organizations like the TransLatin@ Coalition and the You Can Play Project will directly receive funding from the swoosh this month. Nike will also be funding PRISM Health Clinic, a Portland-area clinic that serves LGBTQIA+ individuals, as well as Outside In, an organization that focuses on aiding homeless LGBTQIA+ youth.
The Who: Calvin Klein
The Receipts: For Pride 2022, Calvin Klein unveiled their ‘This Is Love’ campaign. Featuring photographs of friends, lovers, and kin, this campaign shows us that we have the power to choose our family. This year, Calvin Klein has donated $400,000 to LGBTQIA+ organizations that push for advocacy and equality. They’ve become a sponsor of The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization that focuses on suicide prevention efforts for LGBTQIA+ youth, as well as PFLAG, the first and largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQIA+ people and their families.
The Who: Converse
The Receipts: Converse is celebrating Pride with their ‘Found Family’ collection, a line that recognizes the chosen families of LGBTQIA+ folks. Pals who accept you, celebrate your individuality, and embrace your authenticity are the ones you want to keep around forever. Converse has donated over $1.65 million in funds to support LGBTQIA+ organizations since 2015. Partners who receive these annual Pride Month grants include the It Gets Better Project, the Boston Alliance of Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Youth, and the Ali Forney Center.
Staff from the Levi Strauss Lesbian and Gay Employee Association carry a Levi’s banner at the San Francisco Pride Parade, June 30, 1991.
The Who: Levi’s
The Receipts: When it comes to being a proud supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community, Levi’s is an OG. Their support of LGBTQIA+ organizations doesn’t stop after June ends, and began way before the mass commercialization of Pride Month. Decades ago, Levi’s became one of the first companies to create a resource group for gay and lesbian workers; they even would attend Pride events as a team (see photo above). In 2018, Levi’s was one of 56 companies to sign a letter condemning proposed changes by the Department of Health to limit the definition of gender, which would harm trans and nonbinary folks. Their ‘Open to All’ corporate policy has earned them a 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. Since the 1980s, Levi’s has donated tens of millions of dollars to HIV/AIDS research groups and LGBTQIA+ support organizations. This year, they will be making a $100,000 donation to OutRight Action International.
The Who: Chaco
The Receipts: For years now, Chaco has been sponsoring Camp Brave Trails, a nonprofit summer camp specifically created for LGBTQIA+ youth. This organization offers mental health programs for youth camp goers as well as family camps, which enable families to build a community of strength and support for their children. A portion of proceeds from their Pride 2022 collection will directly benefit the organization.
The Who: Puma
The Receipts: The Puma #REFORM program, founded in October 2018, has donated over $3 million to organizations that push for criminal justice reform and social justice issues regarding LGBTQIA+ folks. In the past, Puma has donated sales from their annual Pride collections to the Trevor Project, Mind Out, and GLAAD. Puma’s ‘Together Forever’ campaign, headed by Cara Delevingne, focuses on the ties that bind us to our fellow members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Puma has pledged to donate 20% of the proceeds from their Pride 2022 collection, starting at a minimum of $250,000, to GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD).
The Who: adidas
The Receipts: Adidas enlisted the help of queer Australian artist Kris Andrew Small for their 2022 Pride collection. A vibrant line of apparel and footwear, the release draws inspiration from Pride celebrations of past and present. Adidas continues to support Athlete Ally, an organization that pushes for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in sports, especially for trans women that endure discrimination from the leagues they participate in. Adidas is also a large contributor to the Trevor Project, making annual donations to combat suicide amongst LGBTQIA+ youth.
The Who: Ugg
The Receipts: UGG’s Pride collections are nothing short of extraordinary. You can catch their fuzzy slides in a multitude of rainbow designs in the ‘Pride for All’ collection, including versions that rep the pink and blue transgender flag. In past years, UGG has made sizable donations to groups like GLAAD during their Pride releases. For Pride Month 2022, UGG pledges to donate $125,000 to the Trevor Project, an organization that the brand has supported in the past.
What collections are you sporting this month? Tag us on our socials!
Happy Pride. 🌈