Every June, a familiar pattern unfolds. Logos turn rainbow, campaigns launch, and companies rush to show support for the LGBTQIA+ community. But real allyship doesn’t live in a month, and it doesn’t end with a banner or a hashtag.
At PAN, we believe in going deeper. That means asking uncomfortable questions, listening with intention, and holding space for growth (not just in June, but year-round). To explore what Pride really looks like at work, we sat down with Marki Conway, VP and longtime LGBTQIA+ advocate within our agency, and Lauren Hill, our VP of Marketing. What followed was a candid conversation about visibility, inclusion, and how brands can move beyond performative gestures to build lasting trust and support.
1. Why This Conversation Matters
Lauren Hill: Let’s start at the top. How does it feel when brands flip their logos to rainbows every June?
Marki Conway: For me, it’s a lot of mixed feelings. It’s comforting to know there are queer youths out there or closeted adults who can see this sprinkling of support and know they are not alone, that they are accepted for who they are. Plain and simple – visibility matters. But it’s not all that matters. Without deeper action, it can feel performative. Brands can’t just slap on a rainbow on their social pages if they can’t back it up with true allyship and support.
2. Rainbow Washing vs. Real Advocacy
Lauren Hill: What does rainbow washing look like to you, and how can brands avoid it?
Marki Conway: It’s when there’s surface-level support without substance — e.g., Pride merch without giving back to the community, or no internal policies to match the external narrative. Target is a great and well-known example here. In June 2024, when there was some customer backlash around Pride merchandise, Target actually backed down and removed Pride merchandise from many of its stores and scaled back in all of them. That’s a clear sign that their “support” for the LGBTQ+ community was performative and only skin deep.
3. Building Inclusive Culture from the Inside Out
Lauren Hill: What does authentic allyship look like inside an organization like PAN?
Marki Conway: Year-round DEI investment, leadership representation, mental health support, and creating space for LGBTQIA+ voices at the table — not just in June.
4. Aligning Brand Messaging with Accountability
Lauren Hill: From a marketing lens, what are the pressures or challenges in getting Pride messaging right?
Marki Conway: It’s easy to want to join the conversation, but the real challenge is aligning messaging with action. Consumers notice when you don’t walk the talk. If you’re going to sell Pride merchandise in retail, think about your profits and partners. If a brand is profiting off of Pride and not sharing those profits back to LGBTQ+ organizations, that’s a huge red flag. Don’t just sell Pride things to make money. It needs to be about the action that comes with it — by either partnering with LGBTQ+ vendors who create the merchandise, or donating a portion of profits back to the community. Anything less is blatant rainbow washing.
Thinking back to the earlier example, when there was conservative backlash over Pride merchandise, an organization like Target could have sent a powerful allyship message if they doubled down instead of backing down. Show their unwavering support by increasing security in stores where there have been issues or confrontations, and maybe even make a statement about doubling their contributions to LGBTQ+ nonprofits. Instead, they turned their back on a community who has supported them, and their profits and brand image have suffered accordingly.
5. The Ongoing Power of Visibility
Lauren Hill: You mentioned visibility earlier. Why is it still important, even with the risks of seeming performative?
Marki Conway: Because LGBTQIA+ folks — especially youth and marginalized subgroups — need to see themselves represented. Because somewhere in middle America right now, someone is questioning who they are and who they might love. But the scariest part about that isn’t admitting to themselves who they are, it’s them having to wonder if their friends and family will still love and accept them.
Because while only a little more than nine percent of Americans identify as LGBTQ+, mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness plague LGBTQ+ youths at a far greater rate. Thirty-nine percent of LGBTQ+ youths contemplated suicide in the past year, and as many as 40 percent of American homeless youths identify as LGBTQ+. To them, that rainbow is a symbol of hope and acceptance.
When I put my rainbow flag out, I don’t do it to flaunt my queerness (okay maybe a little). I put it out there so the kids walking down my street know it’s more than okay to be gay, or to support their friend who might be. So that when my neighbor sells their house, potential buyers know homophobia isn’t welcome in this neighborhood. This is the same approach brands should take. The Pride flag is a symbol of acceptance and taking a stand against hate and homophobia. If your company isn’t a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, don’t even think about flying that flag.
But visibility has to be the start, not the end.
6. Pride Doesn’t End in July
Lauren Hill: So how do we keep this going beyond June?
Marki Conway: Prioritize ongoing partnerships with queer orgs, amplify voices across campaigns throughout the year, invest in employee support, and build accountability into planning cycles.
7. Advice for Brands that Want to Do Better
Lauren Hill: Final thoughts: What would you tell other brands looking to get this right?
Marki Conway: Don’t wait until June. Build relationships with queer communities, hire inclusively, listen deeply — and be okay with evolving. Pride is a practice, not a promotion.
Pride Is a Practice
Pride is more than a moment or a marketing campaign. As Marki shared, it’s an ongoing effort rooted in visibility, consistency, and responsibility. It means showing up even when it feels uncomfortable. It means taking action behind the scenes, not just during high-visibility moments. And it means creating space for LGBTQIA+ employees, customers, and communities through thoughtful policies, partnerships, and representation.
At PAN, we don’t claim to have all the answers. But we are committed to growth. We are focused on listening, learning, and putting our values into practice. That includes uplifting LGBTQIA+ voices within our agency and throughout the industries we serve. It includes being accountable beyond June and continuing to evolve our approach over time.
This conversation is one step in a longer journey. We hope it encourages others to ask honest questions, reflect on their own commitments, and take action that builds lasting support. Inclusion should be built into the structure of a business. And it begins with intention.
