4 Brands Whose Pride Collection Proceeds Actually go to LGBTQ+ Advocacy Groups
Although it is nice to see brands transform their logos to incorporate the ten color rainbow of the Pride flag, do these companies actually stand with the LGBTQ+ community?
It’s pride month. One of my favorite national months of the year because it's all about love, acceptance, and pride! Clearly. One of my favorite parts of this month is the way brands include the rainbow colors of the Pride into their clothing and logos in order to show support to members of the LGBTQ+ community. And although this gesture is nice to see, it got me thinking about how these bands are truly giving back to this community. It also made me question if these displays are actually sincere. Why should I spend my coin on a pride tee shirt if the brand has no affiliations with LGBTQ+ charities? So I went on a search to find brands that are actually giving the proceeds of its pride collections to LGBTQ+ advocacy groups.
ASOS pledged to give 100% of the proceeds from the pride collection to The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). This is the fourth year that the clothing brand has worked with them. This non-profit's goal is to accelerate the acceptance and equality of the LGBTQ+ community.
UGG Australia released the Pride edition of everyone’s favorite fluffy sandals. The Pride FluffYeah sandal will be sold year-round. Ugg has also pledged to donate $125,000 to GLAAD.
Nike’s BeTrue Collections is all about “The Power of The Team”. The collection includes the classic Air Force Ones with a 10 color Pride flag heel patch. They pledged to donate $500,000 to 20 organizations whose mission is to advocate for and advance the LGBTQ+ community. The grants will be $25,000 administered by Charities of America.
Aside from clothing, Morphe Cosmetics launched a “Free To Be” collection. All of the net proceeds from this collection will go to the GLSEN, which is an educational organization whose mission is to end discrimination and bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. The goal to raise awareness and tolerance of LGBTQ culture in K-12 education.
Photo Credit: Nike, ASOS, UGG Australia, and Morphe Cosmetics
Report: Lauren Tucker
"For once, just don't do it."
For once, Nike is telling you not to do it.
Nike's iconic slogan has always been "Just Do It." It encourages athletes to go for it and to not hold back. Shia LaBeouf infamously said it best. However, they recently released a video with a major adjustment to their slogan.
The video ends with "For once, just don't do it." The video was released as a support for the Black Lives Matter movement, which speaks out against police brutality and racial profiling of black Americans. This movement has resurfaced after a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd, after Floyd was accused of using counterfeit bills.
Nike is one of several brands to have spoken out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and against racism, however; this is not the first time they've taken a political stance. In 2018, they did a campaign with Colin Kaepernick, who controversially was released from the NFL after he kneeled during the National Anthem, as a way of protesting racism. Nike CEO, John Donahoe, released a statement to Yahoo Finance, saying, "Team, As we’ve watched racial tragedies expose prejudice and injustice in our cities over these past few weeks, I can’t stop thinking about the individuals impacted: Ahmaud Arbery. Christian Cooper. Breonna Taylor. George Floyd.
The horrible killings and racist actions serve as a sickening reminder of what too many people live through every day in America. It is absolutely wrong what’s happening in our communities, to our friends and family members. These tragedies are not unique to the U.S. Far from it –- we see violent incidents in countries all over the world, fueled by hatred and ignorance. Let me be as clear as I can: Nike is opposed to bigotry. We are opposed to hatred and inequality in all its forms, indirect and overt. While Nike cannot solve injustice, I believe we have a responsibility to work toward addressing it to the best of our ability."
Report: Anna Bechtel
At the rise of Covid-19 many of us first questioned the timeline of fashion week and would we see the regular calendar continue - the question weighed over many of us for months! It was refreshing to see design houses and designers across the globe take advantage of the uncertainty and plow into production mode - thus my interest in Jerri Reid New York - The Black Designer based in Brooklyn New York wow’d instagram with his latest collection paying homage to the Black Is King film which debuted earlier this year in July. I was taken aback at quick of a turn round the young designer produced and released his well crafted designs reflecting some of the films most memorable moments.