
Research by The Big Issue has shown that members of the LGBT+ community make up to 24 per cent of the youth homeless population in Britain.It is also still evident that there is still a high level of prejudice in UK workplaces surrounding the LGBT+ workers, as 1 in 3 employers would not hire a transgender person. This year, a range of big companies have made the effort to jazz up for pride and get involved in the multicoloured movement. These brands have each pledged their support for LGTB+ people not only by slapping on a rainbow, but also by supporting giving back to the people. However, some motives might be a little questionable. We’ve dug a little deeper into Pride campaigns from some of the UK’s best-known brands to see if their intentions are genuine or a case of jumping on the brandwagon.
Barclays
The big bank has been working to build a better tomorrow for everyone? for over 100 years and will emerge has the headline sponsor of Pride in London for the fifth year running. According to Barclays itself, the bank believes the event is an important part of connecting with staff and customers. Ahead of Pride 2018, Mark McLane, global head of diversity and inclusion said: For Barclays, diversity is important but inclusion is essential to drive innovation and business impact. being able to be yourself in the workplace removes barriers that impede productivity and engagement. Being headline sponsors of Pride in London is one way for us to show that becoming the go-to bank is about colleagues and customers. We want everyone to feel welcome at Barclays.
Adidas
For this year’s Pride month, sportswear giant Adidas launched a pride pack to honour pride, diversity and expression which included the revamping of four shoes. Inside each shoe, a message reads: We are proud and unapologetic, and we encourage you to be the same. Arguably, Adidas? loyalties are a little skewed, as the brand is a major sponsor of this year’s World Cup in Russia.Russia is notorious for its anti-LGBT+ attitudes and laws, and is an unsafe place for fans and athletes. Furthermore, this stark contradiction of brand values connotes ingenuity in its ‘support? of pride. However, it did remain an ally with this year’s Valentine’s Day Instagram post.Funny how the World Cup’s sponsors (Coca-Cola, Adidas, etc) have no issue marching in Pride events world-wide but they won’t stand up for LGBT rights in the country (Russia) that is hosting their sponsored events.
? dd? (@Eddysaurus_) June 15, 2018

Primark
This year, Primark has teamed up with key LGBT+ support charity Stonewall. Sales of full priced items from the Pride 2018 collection clothing range directly results in 20% of proceeds going to Stonewall. The full collection is bursting with rainbow shades and motifs, as well as trendy’savvy designs and key seasonal items. Nick Lambert, a buyer at Primark Stores Ltd said: “Throughout the course of the project, it’s been absolutely vital to us that we join up good intentions with a meaningful way of giving back to the community, and that’s where Stonewall came in. “We also wanted to make sure the collection was fun, practical, and relevant to our customers. Weve been very lucky to feel the support of our fantastic buyers, from across the business, and we are truly proud (no pun intended!) of the end result.Please don’t buy #Pride range from #Primark – they’re profiting and giving nothing to Prides.
? Jamie Love (@MrJamieLove) May 23, 2018
Prides all around the UK are the product of volunteers working their arses off to make them possible by constant fundraising. pic.twitter.com/TS2dQkRSHi