imo target being pro or not pro queer was never symbolic of target loving or accepting us (target is a soulless corporate entity, it cannot love or accept), it was just a weathervane, and it's okay to be happy when the vane implies fair weather, and anxious when it doesn't

Exactly! The corporation itself has no morals, it's a corporation, but queerness being generally accepted in mainstream society is Good and queerness being screamed back into the closet by tinpot domestic terrorists is Bad

people were not stupid for celebrating fair weather, especially after decades of storm. people are not stupid for worrying now that the vane is saying something different

I don't trust corps to rep queer folks in general. They're all duplicitous. When I see corp rep, I'm happy it's there, but I know it's hollow. Where I fall is that I'm happy its there cuz, regardless of the reason, it's still visibility and sends a msg in its own right beyond the rainbow capitalism.

I also did not like the back peddling and corporate speak used towards their employees to explain why they were not getting stock. It makes sense but it is so sanitized it's a press release disguised as a corporate email. I don't like that

it really sucks for corporations to profit off of marginalized folks BUT it does say a lot when they suddenly no longer want our money.

it's a stupid weathervane, it always was. you should not base your personal comfort on whether you're being celebrated for a full month in soulless corporate displays of pandering.

THIS, yes! I can remember when being out was mostly taboo, and openly shopping for “queer things” in a mainstream store seemed like an improbable dream. That it could happen AT ALL, regardless of whether it was sincere or not, was a good sign! That there should be pushback on any of it is alarming.

as cynical as it is, rainbow capitalism does occasionally have benefits. cultural power is important. if businesses find it more profitable to "support" us, that's an indicator that we have some kind of leverage, however fragile it may be

Corporations going rainbow is just so they can sell us crappy Pride merch. But it also means they know we’re too influential nowadays for them to simply ignore us. It’s why homophobes go so feral when they see little rainbow flags. They know we’re important enough to pander to now.