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WageMage

@thuumwrestler / thuumwrestler.tumblr.com

They/Them | Writer | Avatar by @shaydh

From what I recall, the first time I saw 'rainbow capitalism' from a big brand was this image from Oreo in 2012.

It created a lot of controversy. Calls for boycotts and such. But Oreo didn't take it down. They were unapologetic and didn't try to appease the homophobes or backtrack.

And I know this sounds weird, but it was like a shift. Proof that public opinion or acceptance of queerness was widespread enough for a company to consider it profitable.

Corporations like target are also one of the few places a lot of rural LGBTQIA/queer kids have access to. Growing up, there was no local queer business. And getting stuff mailed to the house I shared with my parents was not okay. But, when we went to the slightly larger town an hour away, I got my first glimpses of pride. In rainbow flags and knick knacks and tee shirts on sale at places like target and Walmart. It helped me remember that the world was much bigger than my tiny town, and that some day I could exist in that world, instead of the one I was in at the time.

Sorry not sorry, corporate pride has its pros and cons but the benefits outweigh the negatives.

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thinking of when vincent van gogh said that “poverty stops the best minds in their tracks” and how art would see a new era if we funded struggling independent artists instead of hiring talentless nepotism babies.