Major Brands Silent About Pride Month After Backlash

Brands that have recently been the subject of backlash online have remained silent on social media for the first day of LGBTQ+ Pride Month—though they may yet post on their social media channels as June progresses.

The North Face, Lego and Miller Lite carried supportive messages on June 1, 2022, but did not do so this year. All three brands have been accused of going “woke” over recent marketing campaigns.

Other brands—such as Target, Bud Light and Adidas—have yet to post, despite doing so later in June last year. Of the accounts reviewed by Newsweek, only Kohl’s and PetSmart had defied critics so far in posting Pride Month content.

Companies are facing a rising tide of outrage over advertising campaigns that are viewed by some as appealing to progressive causes, and the calls for boycotts that many have faced in recent months speak to a wider culture war about the acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals in public life.

While experts have said such campaigns provide an opportunity for brands to appeal to consumers in new markets, critics have accused companies of alienating their traditional customer base.

The varying social media output suggests some brands may be shying away from their prior support for LGBTQ+ causes amid the waves of backlash. It comes after a leading brand strategist suggested to Newsweek that brands that stood their ground tended to fare better than those that bowed to pressure.

On June 1, 2022, The North Face posted to Instagram that it was “proud” to be donating $100,000 to a group that organizes nature-based activities for LGBTQ+ youth. While it has kept its Summer of Pride posts—which provoked criticism in May—it has yet to post a Pride message this year on social media.

The outdoor clothing brand faced boycott calls in late May this year after launching its Pride Month campaign featuring Pattie Gonia, a drag queen. In a statement to Newsweek, it defended the campaign, saying the company “has always believed the outdoors should be a welcoming, equitable and safe place for all.”

Similarly, Lego faced calls for a boycott after it announced its “A-Z of Awesome” campaign, which it described as a “celebration of the beautiful, powerful language of the LGBTQIA+ community” using its trademark building blocks.

Despite posting several times in June 2022, including June 1, about Pride Month, the toy maker has not posted for Pride this year.

Miller Lite celebrated “beers & queers history” in videos posted to Twitter and Instagram last year, but the beer brand has not posted LGBTQ+ content yet this month. The brand has actually not made any social media posts since May 14.

In mid-May, it was subject to accusations of “woke” advertising after a campaign from March resurfaced, which celebrated women’s historic role in beer brewing for Women’s History Month and vowed to buy back its previous “sexist” marketing material to turn into fertilizer.

The beer brand stood by the advertising campaign and those who had helped create it, telling Newsweek: “People can take issue with our ads or our brands, but we won’t stand by as people personally attack our employees.”

Newsweek reached out to The North Face, Lego, and Molson Coors, the parent company of Miller Lite, via email for comment on Friday.

PetSmart was the subject of controversy after it announced an LGBTQ+ Pride range for pets. While it did not post on June 1, 2022, the following day it wrote on Instagram that the company believes “everyone is worthy of unconditional love.”

On June 1, 2023, it posted Pride Month messages to both Facebook and Instagram, showing footage from a photoshoot of its LGBTQ+ items and noting it was “proud” to have donated $200,000 to GLSEN, a charitable organization aimed at creating safe and inclusive school environments.

Kristin Shane, senior vice president and chief merchandising officer at the retailer, said: “PetSmart is proud to elevate the voices and experiences of the LGBTQ+ community—from our associates and the pet parents we serve, to members of the community and allies.”

Retail chain Kohl’s has also faced calls for a boycott in the past month in response to the company selling LGBTQ+ clothing for children. The company has yet to respond to the criticism.

While it waited until June 6 last year to post about its involvement in a Pride march in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the company posted a “stronger together” message on its Instagram stories on June 1 this year.

Adidas, Bud Light and Target all made social media posts within the month of June 2022 supportive of Pride Month, but have yet to do so in 2023.

Adidas came under fire for working with an LGBTQ+ model for the release of its Pride swimsuit carrying the slogan “love united” on it. In a joint statement with the swimsuit’s designer, Rich Mnisi, they said it was “a symbol for self-acceptance and LGBTQ+ advocacy.”

Bud Light has faced an enduring boycott since early April, when it sent a commemorative can to Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer, to celebrate her first year of transitioning to being a woman.

It has been subject to declining sales in the two months since, with sales revenue down 24.3 percent in the four weeks to May 20, though the CEO of the brand’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch, has downplayed the extent of the impact. After a single post on April 14, it has remained silent on its social media channels.

Target, meanwhile, faced outrage over its LGBTQ+ Pride range, which included clothing for children. A company spokesperson told Newsweek on May 23 it would be removing items from the range that had been the focus of “threats” towards staff, specifically those “at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.”

Newsweek reached out to Adidas, Anheuser-Busch and Target via email for comment on Friday.