Here is my two cents on rainbow capitalism. A thread.

Sure, Target/Kohls/Levis/McDs/Microsoft/ect are making a rainbow colored buck during pride month.

But it's a privilege to be upset about it and not want it. Let me explain.

Not everyone who is LGBTQIA+ is steeped in accepting culture. There are kids currently who may be questioning, or may be out to themselves but are in a very anti-LGBTQIA+ space.

Think about them walking into a target and seeing their identity on a bandana for sale.

I grew up in a very conservative, evangelical home in rural VA. If I'd have seen even a little bit of the pride stuff for sale now back then, I would have been over the moon.

Community is not easy for everyone. Self acceptance is not easy for everyone.

And sure, they are making money off of it, but not only is it normalizing pride for those seeking comfort. It's also showing ignorant people how the world is changing. My evangelical Mom shops at target, but she doesn't know what a twitter is.

And hell, buying and wearing it can be just as scary as seeing it being sold. It's a privilege, one I am now privy to, to live somewhere that accepts me in a lesbian flag bandana.

And its a joy to see people stop with their young kids and look through the collection.

'Ring of Keys' moments are not as easy to find as you think. So let's ease off the gas and consider other people's experiences.

I think we can hold companies accountable for their lobbying while also accepting that their pride lines are accessible to a far wider group of people.

Don't shop there if you don't want to, but let's validate how useful stuff like this is for outreach.