Firefish’s Emmelia Wells put the question “to what extent do you feel brands are allies?” to some members of the LGBTQ+ community, and here’s what they had to say. Feel like your brand could do more to be a genuine year-round LGBTQ+ ally? Get in touch with Firefish and let us know if you’d like to listen to what this audience has to say.

1. ARE BRANDS ENGAGING
THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY
EFFECTIVELY?

2. WE REACHED OUT TO MEMBERS OF THE
LGBTQ+ COMMUNIT Y TO ASK …
TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU FEEL BRANDS ARE ALLIES?
DO YOU FEEL REPRESENTED BY BRANDS?
DO YOU SEE YOURSELF REFLECTED IN ADVERTISING?
ARE THERE ANY BRANDS YOU FEEL GET IT RIGHT / WRONG?

3. WHAT WE FOUND OUT…
PRIDE IS MORE THAN A MONTH OF SELECTIVE ALLYSHIP
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Brands need to demonstrate commitment year-round and stand with the LGBTQ+
community at more polemic times
WHILE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE, IT FEELS SLOW & NARROW
Brands need to represent the full diversity of the community
NO BRANDS ARE FELT TO TRULY REPRESENT LGBTQ+ VALUES
Few able to readily list brands who feel like genuine allies
CSR SHOULD BE PART OF A BRAND’S ETHOS, NOT IT’S AD STRATEGY
Brands demonstrating social responsibility in other areas can ladder-up to a halo of trust
that should not be abused
BRANDS ARE IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO MAKE A SAFER SPACE FOR ALL
A global responsibility that hasn’t been fully realized yet

4. P R I D E I S M O R E T H A N A M O N T H O F
S E L E C T I V E A L LY S H I P
Pride month has been commodified in the way that Christmas has long
been a commercial enterprise for retailers. The only difference is that,
during Pride month, the imagery of Santa and his elves are replaced
by the rainbow flag in ad campaigns to signal a company's allyship
with the LGBTQ community.
While our community certainly appreciates this visibility and
corporate support, it remains disappointing that the rainbows
plastered across ad campaigns during Pride month always seem
to disappear during "non-LGBTQ season," which can feel
exploitative at times.
I think visibility of the rainbow during Pride is a great sign of their
support, but I think corporate support is most valuable during the
times of crisis: where were their LGBT-oriented ads when North
Carolina proposed the bathroom ban? Or When Trump
announced he was banning trans people from serving in the
military? Or when Oklahoma decided to prevent LGBTQ couples
from adopting children? Where was the rainbow then?
MERVIN SANTA MARIA
AIR FORCE VETERAN
“

5. W H I L E S O M E P R O G R E S S H A S B E E N M A D E
I T F E E L S S LO W A N D N A R R O W
I see occasional advertisements that feature queer and LGBT
people, but it's still few and far between. 16-year-old-me is happy to
see more queer faces in adverts and on commercials but, as a
masculine presenting cis lesbian woman, I sadly don't see myself
in advertising.
As for brands as allies, I had to really think hard about this. During
Pride month, a lot of companies ‘join in’ and do way more
advertising about the LGBTQ community.
I do find it really welcoming to see a big box store like TARGET selling
Pride shirts and making it known they are Allies, but I’m often unsure if
a company or brand is just jumping on the bandwagon to create more
revenue, or if they are really trying to help the cause of LGBTQ
awareness.
I really, really, really would like to see more trans and non-binary
people in adverts, also more lesbian couples, as I feel a lot of the
focus is still on gay cis men in advertising.
LAURA KANAPLUE
SOCIAL WORKER
“

6. P R O G R E S S F E E L S M I N I M A L , S 0 N O M A I N S T R E A M
B R A N D S C O M E T O M I N D
For the longest time I didn't see myself reflected in commercials and,
at times, never even thought it would be an option. Then certain
advertisers started to use it as a gimmick, which offered visibility
but not for the right purpose, and more often than not to serve and
satisfy a straight male gaze. Since then there's definitely been
progress.
Brands are recognizing that they have to create meaningful
messages by aligning with and promoting causes that reflect the
world they wish to create. A lot of what is driving that also stems from
the diversity promoted and recognized internally at creative agencies
and shops. I feel very comfortable voicing my own opinion as an out
lesbian in the workplace and offering my insights to others without that
experience.
Seeing LGBTQ narratives in advertising has now become more
natural, especially when brands look towards LGBTQ content and
media partners year round and not just a Pride month rollout.
This said, I feel like both a bad advertiser and lesbian when I say I
can't recognize any campaigns off the top of my head…
ADRIENNE KATZ
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, BBDO
“

7. C S R S H O U L D B E A PA R T O F A B R A N D ’ S E T H O S
N O T I T S A D V E R T I S I N G S T R AT E G Y
I suppose, no, I don't feel represented by brands, though there are
plenty of brands that appeal to me for other reasons.
I want to support brands that are practicing corporate responsibility in
such a way that reads as part of their ethos, not part of their
advertising strategy. I'll pay more to buy one brand over another to not
feel guilty that someone is getting negatively impacted somehow. I
guess I think that, if a brand seems to sincerely care about the
environment, diversity, or social causes in general, it is probably
also supportive of the LGBTQ community.
I can't think of a company where I would be like, “I love their product
and they are so good to their employees and thoughtful about their
carbon footprint but they hate gay people! What do I do?” I hope it's
not naïve to assume that I'm part of the package for otherwise
conscientious companies and that those companies represent me
without actively representing me. So maybe I do feel represented by
brands as a lesbian after all, just not explicitly, but by aligning with my
other values.
LAUREN BROFFMANN
RESEARCH SCIENTIST AND PHD
STUDENT AT NYU
“

8. B R A N D S A R E I N A U N I Q U E P O S I T I O N T O M A K E
T H E W O R L D A S A F E R P L A C E F O R A L L
For a brand to feel like an ally, I need to feel that their support of
the LGTBQ+ community is at the core of their ethos. If a brand
chooses to push their product through a falsely supportive queer
narrative only to capitalize on a market, their intent is harmful and
disrespectful to the community.
Each time a genuine narrative of the LGBTQ+ community is
represented, it is also normalized. In today’s day, when being part of
the LGBTQ+ community is still ostracized and criminalized in many
parts of the world, every step we can make towards embracing the
community is a step towards a safer future. Brands have the unique
ability to portray the life we should be living and, through their funding,
show the ideals of life they support.
It is so important for someone who has been experiencing
difficulties and hatred for who they are and who they love to see
themselves being represented and supported in the public eye.
DAISY HOOK
SENIOR ARCHITECTURAL
DESIGNER, ALDA LY
“

9. THANK YOU
HAVE YOUR SAY:
EMMELIA@FIREFISH.US.COM
F I R E F I S H
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