What Happens to Pride When DE&I Shrinks?

Pride Month has arrived. Rainbow logos are up, glitter is back in the group chat, and your feed is gently heaving with limited-edition collections and heartfelt hashtags. But behind the colour and comms, something sinister is happening in the background.

DE&I is shrinking.

And we all know why, right? *looks down the lens*

Across industries, the diversity leads, ERGs, and inclusion strategies born in the wake of 2020 are quietly disappearing off the org charts, out of the boardroom, and into the budget bin to the incredible detriment to those companies.

Which makes what happened at the top tables of Netflix and Walmart last month all the more interesting: shareholder proposals to reduce or roll back DE&I programmes were formally rejected. Not diluted. Not politely sidestepped. Rejected.

In this climate, that’s not just progress. It’s an act of brand bravery. It’s also the right thing to do.

And it matters. Because when DE&I budgets shrink, so does the quality (and credibility) of how brands show up during Pride and the rest of the year. If you’ve ever seen a rainbow-wrapped campaign that made you wince, chances are it was created without the voices of LGBTQ+ people in the room or under the pressure of a “we need to say something” timeline and a painfully shallow brief.

As an LGBTQ+ founded and led creative agency, we’re not new to this. We quite literally live it. We’re at the intersection of LGBQT+ identity, audience, and storytelling. We’ve seen what works (and what flops) when brands try to celebrate Pride without real support behind the scenes.

And here's the thing: representation isn’t a trend. It’s a trust signal.

Audiences, especially Gen Z, can smell performative allyship from a mile off. A rainbow logo isn’t inclusive if it disappears by July and isn't accompanied by anything meaningful. It’s just a logo! A Pride campaign isn’t empowering if your crew is 90% straight white men. And a diversity commitment isn’t worth the social post it’s written on if it doesn’t survive a budget review.

So yes, this is about Pride. But it’s also about what happens after Pride. When the floats are packed up, the hashtags fade, and the real work is either funded, or forgotten.

Walmart and Netflix made a choice. Not because it’s good PR (although frankly, it is), but because inclusive storytelling is just smart business. Better ideas. Bigger audiences. Deeper loyalty. You know, all the stuff brands say they want.

So if your company is rolling out a Pride campaign, here’s a gentle suggestion: check your DE&I policy before you post. Make sure the people behind the camera, behind the pitch, and behind the purpose are part of the community you’re speaking to. And if you're not sure how to start, ask for help from people who live this, not just those who market it.

Pride starts with presence. Don’t just show up. Stay in the room.

Contact us to find out how we can create meaningful brand content with staying power.

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