Page 25 - ARUBA TODAY

BUSINESS Monday 24 June 2019
A25

A retail rainbow: Vendors mark LGBTQ Pride on sales racks

NEW YORK (AP) — Major re- Nations campaign against
tailers have diversified their the criminalization of LG-
inventory for Pride month, BTQ people. UGG footware
selling apparel and other is donating 25% of its pro-
goods that celebrate LG- ceeds from sales of "Yeah
BTQ culture to mark the Pride" slippers this month to
50th anniversary of the benefit Lady Gaga's Born
Stonewall uprising . This Way Foundation.
In New York City, Macy's Target, which is selling
flagship store is adorned family-themed Pride mer-
with rainbow-colored Pride chandise, including toddler
tribute windows, set in the T-shirts that read "Love my
same space as its famous Dads" and "Love my Moms,"
Christmas displays. Times is donating $100,000 to
Square's digital billboards GLSEN, an organization
are splashed with pitch- focused on ensuring safe
es for Pride-linked cloth- schools for LGBTQ students.
ing and cosmetics sold at Profits from American Ap-
Sephora, CoverGirl and parel's Stonewall-themed
Levi's stores nearby. T-shirts are going to an ini-
But this year, the truly tiative that provides cos-
game-changing Pride sales metics to low-income trans-
scene is not in cutting-edge In this Thursday, June 20, 2019, photo, a customer takes a break from shopping at the Pride and gender women of color.
New York. Joy shop in the Macy's flagship store in New York. Macy's sponsored dozens
In 25 years working for or- Associated Press of Pride parades across the
ganizations devoted to country this year, with em-
LGBTQ causes, "this is ab- "When I went home to On Saturday, it sponsored tivist. "The modern move- ployees marching in them.
solutely the first year that I Fresno, where I was bullied an inaugural "Love Run" ment for gay rights was It is encouraging shoppers
have noticed the retail cel- at the mall as an effemi- race, complete with rain- jump-started by Stonewall, to make donations at the
ebration of Pride moving nate kid, I was looking at so bow medals. and it's still a battle for the register to The Trevor Proj-
from larger coastal cities to many stores with rainbow The retail push in large lives of LGBT people — not ect, a youth suicide pre-
smaller towns and cities," flags, Pride displays and part is commemorating about selling trinkets and vention and crisis service.
said Stephen Macias, the same-sex families set up in the 50th anniversary of the clothes with rainbow col- It is also donating $4 to
Los Angeles-based head of the windows," Macias said. Stonewall uprising, days of ors. They're a distraction." The Trevor Project for every
the Diversity & Inclusion de- "I was shocked that in Mid- protests touched off by a Some companies partici- Pride-branded INC brand
partment at the MWWPR dle America, we were be- police raid on the Stone- pating in Pride campaigns shirt it sells, or $2 for every
global publicity firm. ing celebrated. It was no wall Inn in New York City's have also been criticized set of INC socks.
He was taken aback by problem, with each store Greenwich Village in the for having their apparel "The giving campaign, with
what he saw visiting his trying to outdo the others." early morning hours of June made in countries where proceeds from the pride
childhood hometown, Fres- In Oklahoma City, the lo- 28, 1969. being gay is illegal, or collection, is fundamental
no, California, in an agricul- cally owned Red Coyote It took decades, but Ameri- where persecution is com- for an organization sup-
tural part of the state politi- Running and Fitness dis- can businesses in recent monplace. porting diversity and inclu-
cally distant from liberal Los played shoes with rainbow years have introduced "Some people in these cor- sion," said Abigail James,
Angeles and San Francisco. Pride flags planted in them. more LGBTQ-themed items, porations may have good a Macy's senior vice presi-
no longer considering them intentions, but it's just a dent. "That's a core value
anathema to mass market- marketing tactic," said Terry for us, it's something that
Fed says largest banks would ing. The LGBTQ presence in Roethlein, a volunteer with is a part of who we are in
a world that has changed
the Reclaim Pride Coali-
retail has never been as vis-
survive crisis, in latest tests ibly mainstream as in 2019. tion, which opposes major and evolved."q
"A dozen years ago, the corporate sponsorship of
conventional wisdom New York's LGBTQ events.
NEW YORK (AP) — All 18 tests each year, depending among retailers was that "So many things that we
of the nation's largest and on the economic climate. reaching out to the LGBTQ sell in this country are pro-
most complex banks are In this year's most dire community means losing duced in all kinds of deplor-
strong enough to withstand scenario, known as the to the rest of consumers," able conditions abroad,"
a severe economic severely adverse scenario, Macias said. "But the re- Roethlein said. "And that's
downturn and would be the Federal Reserve tested tail landscape turned out just another problem with
able to stay in business for a hypothetical deep to be different; the fear of retailing pride products —
without collapsing, the global recession, with the backlash by supporting LG- part of the unscrupulous
Federal Reserve said Friday. U.S. unemployment rate BTQ consumers never ma- nature of these marketing
The results are from the first jumping to 10% from its terialized in any meaningful efforts. We want queer lib-
round of the central bank's current level of 4% and way." eration, not rainbow capi-
annual stress tests, which the stock market falling Not everyone praises the talism."
showed the 18 big banks 50% from its peak.Capital Pride merchandising, which Many companies with
have benefited from an One, which has a large some see as thinly disguised Pride-branded apparel
improving economy and commercial banking corporate promotion. lines are also making do-
have balance sheets strong business, was the most "Major corporations have nations to LGBTQ organi-
enough to withstand a negatively impacted by turned LGBT struggles into zations or are giving a per-
deep global downturn and the Fed's scenario but still marketing moments to centage of their sales.
the U.S. unemployment remained more than well make themselves look H&M is putting 10% of the
rate rising to double digits. capitalized under the Fed's good," said Bill Dobbs, a sales from its "Love for All"
The Fed adjusts its stress qualifications.q longtime New York gay ac- collection to the United