Doing Pride Right: How Brands Can Push for Authentic Allyship
This article is written by Renzo Grijaldo.
It’s that time of the year when everywhere suddenly becomes colorful and filled with rainbows, music blasting off the speakers, playing the most iconic diva bops, and the famous #PRIDEstrian lane at Araneta City, Cubao gets more Instagram or TikTok-worthy.
Pride Month is here once again.
It’s a celebration of the freedom of expression for the LGBTQIA+ community, which was long fought for, and we’re fighting for it still. Despite being known as one of the countries with the highest number of people in Southeast Asia, Filipino gay people still strive and wait for the passage of the SOGIE bill.
In hindsight, we’ve come a long way, and we see how our legislators and local government units tried to show their support for pride. Recently, LGUs like Quezon City and Iloilo City have passed ordinances and launched the “Right to Care” or “Health Care Proxy”programs that allow individuals – particularly those in LGBTQ+ relationships, solo parents, or non-traditional households — to officially designate a trusted partner or companion as their legal healthcare proxy during medical emergencies.
Knowing the queers, the girls, and the allies, this year’s Pride will surely be filled with life and hope for a brighter future for the community. Given the interesting demographics, hype, and reach of the LGBTQ+ community, it is clear that many brands worldwide have shown their support by raising the rainbow flag. There are a million examples of how brands demonstrate their support. To mention a few, here are the common things brands do to participate in Pride Month:
Rainbow-themed profile picture
A static post that says “Happy Pride Month.”
Having special packaging on products with the rainbow flag
Selling rainbow-themed merchandise
Special promos and sales
While these initiatives might be undertaken with pure intentions and respect for the community, we should still remember that Pride is an ongoing protest, and there are many ways to show support year-round without making it ephemeral.
In the Philippines, there's a notable irony: despite being LGBTQ+-friendly, no law exists to protect the queer community against discrimination. This year’s Pride serves as a reminder that SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression) and SOGIE equality still face so many roadblocks ahead.
What does this mean for brands?
It's time to cut to the chase. Fancy campaigns are no longer enough — start investing in what actually matters.
We at TALI Ph have proud members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies who think it's time for brands to redirect and recalibrate their Pride Campaigns into something more meaningful and action-driven.
In this blog, we will guide you on how your brand can do it right this Pride Month and embrace authentic allyship without “Rainbow-washing”.
But before we get into the details, let’s dive in first on the history of Pride and where it all started, including our very own local history.
Pride as a Protest: The Origin of Pride Month
It took a single brick to start pride. “Why don’t you do something? Why are you just standing there?” Says the black trans woman, Martha P. Johnson, who infamously threw the first “brick” at Stonewall. Though many accounts said that the “Stonewall” we know is a myth, it is still recognized as an iconic landmark that started it all.
Check out the film: “The Stonewall You Know Is a Myth. And That’s O.K.” This short film is a collective, studied, if not contradictory, set of memories of that night. (Source: https://www.american.edu/cas/news/the-first-pride-was-a-riot.cfm)
This film cites how the Stonewall riots “Led to the creation of the gay liberation movement” (David Carter, Historian). The Stonewall history is a push-and-pull between iconic LGBTQ+ people who fought for gay rights and triggered the riots, but at the end of the day, the pride we all know now is a celebration of the rights that were fought for, which go way back.
June is now Pride Month, honoring the Stonewall uprising, which began on June 28, 1969. However, the first Gay Pride Liberation March took place in Manhattan in 1970 to commemorate the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots.
Pride History in the Philippines
The first Pride March in the Philippines was conducted on June 26, 1994, by PROGAY Philippines and the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) Manila.
In the Philippines, Pride is rooted in the indigenous, pre-colonial acceptance of gender fluidity, which transformed into a modern civil rights movement.
We also had our own Stonewall. This happened in Manila on June 26, 1994, organized by the Progressive Organization of Gays in the Philippines (PROGAY Philippines) and the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) Manila. This was considered the very first Pride march in both the Philippines and all of Asia. It was mainly a protest against the government’s silence and inaction on the HIV/AIDS crisis and systemic homophobia.
Read more about the Philippine Pride history here.
History says it all. It hasn’t been an easy journey from there, but little by little, we continuously improve as a society and have made the LGBTQ+ community a part of the normal society and not seen as lesser individuals. It’s much easier to express and be creative when you feel most seen and understood. Right?
This is why “Rainbow-washing” is increasingly starting to get noticed. Many members of the LGBTQIA+ who are well-versed in Pride history and are actively advocating queer rights call out brands that seem to view Pride as a seasonal thing or a trend, rather than an important part of history.
What is “Rainbow-washing”?
According to builtin.com, Rainbow-washing is when companies signal support for the LGBTQ+ community, like adding rainbow colors to their marketing materials during Pride Month, without actually doing substantive work that helps members in the community. It can also be viewed as “performative allyship” from the perspective of the desired target audience, as it appears shallow and just goes for what is “trendy” at the time.
Throughout the years, we’ve seen the month of June become more known as Pride Month. People from the LGBTQIA+ community, and their allies, invest all their time and creative juices to organize events, campaigns, and community service efforts to make Pride month better and more meaningful every year. In the age of digital, spreading the real message of Pride Month has become easier, with the presence of social media platforms, and has made people more accepting, rather than just tolerating it.
As a brand, being educated about Pride sets you apart and helps you execute an authentic campaign.
Doing It Right: Case Studies of Authentic Pride Campaigns
Here are notable campaigns your brand can take inspiration from this year:
QueerCon by the PLCC & Quezon City
Photo by Inquirer.Net
This two-day expo held in Pride Month of 2025 was co-presented by the local government, exhibiting queer-owned businesses, bringing together small business owners, drag economies, and queer allies. It features 40+ stalls selling handmade crafts, apparel, accessories, and food, alongside panel discussions and stage performances. This campaign shows how to enable and empower a local economy by offering mentorship and networking opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community. It’s festive, not so simple to do, yet it has a long-lasting impact on the community.
TikTok Philippines’ “Queer Prom”
Photo by Mega Asia
Since 2024, TikTok Philippines, co-presented by Queer Safe Spaces, has started an annual, inclusive Pride Month event that creates a space for safe, judgement-free environment for the LGBTQIA+ community to express themselves and reclaim the magical, traditional prom experience that many queer individuals miss out on due to heteronormative standards.
The whole experience integrates an offline (Actual Prom Event) and an online campaign, which leads to a fundraising effort for Queen Safe Spaces’ advocacies, specifically to help build a physical “Safe Space Center” for the diverse needs of the Filipino LGBTQIA+ community.
Lazada x LoveYourself Capsule Collections
Photo by Lazada.com
In 2021, the e-commerce platform, Lazada Philippines, partnered with LoveYourself, Inc. to create a merchandise line that features a collection of streetwear products like shirts and tank tops that are Pride-themed. This campaign directly provides 100% of its profits and proceeds to LoveYourSelf, Inc., which supports HIV awareness, mental health, and free-testing projects.
4 Things Brands Can Do For Authentic Allyship
Supporting a cause is as easy as ABC, but in a capitalist society, joining a movement can be thoughtfully nuanced. As a brand, you want to build genuine affinity and lasting connections through meaningful support.
Here are things you can do to push for authentic allyship:
Be Transparent
When launching a Pride-themed collection, clearly communicate where the profits go. Remember that Pride is both a festive celebration and an ongoing movement. By openly sharing profit percentages and donating directly to credible LGBTQ+ organizations and advocacy groups, your brand can build authenticity, trustworthiness, and credibility.
Evaluate Internal Company Policies
Review your internal company policies. Do they foster inclusivity and diversity? Great companies care for their people and ensure that every team member — regardless of gender identity or sexuality — feels cared for and valued. Prioritizing a safe, supportive, and evolved workplace culture ensures the protection of all LGBTQ+ members.
Read our article on How to Support LGBTQ+ employees in the workplace here.
Embrace Year-Round Community Support
True allyship relies on consistency. Embracing LGBTQ+ support as a year-round commitment, rather than a seasonal highlight, demonstrates your genuine allyship. In fact, you can even integrate it into your company’s CSR efforts. This allows you to continue waving the flag beyond June.
Additionally, you can align and even partner with public figures, influencers, and leaders who actively champion and promote LGBTQ+ advocacies.
Push For Equal Representation
When featuring queer employees in marketing campaigns, focus on empowerment, genuine collaboration, and voluntary participation. Remember: you’re featuring real people. True representation means celebrating the full spectrum of the queer community. It means moving beyond stereotypes; it’s all about showing queer people as human beings.
How do you do this?
Amplify queer voices by approaching them with nuance and care. Invite them to share their own lived experiences with empathy and understanding.
Genuine Allyship is Power: Pride Lives On
There’s always a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. This goes to say that your brand's authenticity serves as power, and you’ll reap the rewards later when you do it right.
How TALI Pushes For Authentic Allyship
In TALI Ph, we ensure that all our employees (present & future) — whether they’re queer or not — are treated with equality and respect. This includes staying open to discourse on how we can improve as a company when it comes to diversity, equality, and inclusion.
We strive hard to encourage our clients to adapt and integrate their campaigns into relevant societal events, authentically. Our doors are open, and we are always willing to help brands that want to participate in Pride Month.
Remember that Pride is a protest. We’ve come a long way to go, and we’re still on a continuous journey. Support your local queer person today. Be educated, mindful, and filled with kindness.
Talk to Us Today
Ready to turn your values into action? Book a consultation with us and let's talk about how we can create inclusive strategies that resonate authentically with your audience.
References:
https://www.american.edu/cas/news/the-first-pride-was-a-riot.cfm
https://www.amnesty.org.ph/campaigns/sogiesc/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7jnzOMxb14
https://loveyourself.ph/the-history-of-lgbtq-visibility-in-the-philippines/
https://medium.com/publishous/brands-never-really-cared-about-pride-month-f65e5df0f4a4
