Shoppers Drug Mart #PrideVibes and Rainbow washing
To preface, I have been with SDM for nearly 3 years in a supervisor role at a single location. This location is in a densely populated area, with a higher than average 2SLGBTQIA+ sub population and store demographic. I am visibly queer/trans. Prior to my employment with SDM, I was employed by another national pharmacy chain in Canada, in various manager roles and locations for 9 years.
The rainbow-washing SDM perpetuates is appalling. Though, I'll admit this year is more tame than the last few years. The Quo Beauty pride line is smaller this year and I couldn't find the usual Pride Vibes banner/adverts on SDMs website (thus far). Fortunately our store's customer's and patients don't fall for the over-priced rainbow merch we display every year. Our 2SLGBTQIA+ community is rather indignant to corporate rainbow-washing. However, my main issue is the incredibly disingenuous slogan SDM reuses every year and expects their staff to be 100% onboard with, PRIDE VIBES. It must have been created by a corporate cis 'pick-me' gay or another corporate ally. It has always come across, to me, as completely lacking substance. I know SDM donates to PFLAG Canada (though it's only *up to* $30,000, based on sales of Quo beauty products) and other 2SLGBTQIA+ initiatives nationally each year. Which I do admit is better than what most corporations are doing, but it's entirely only ever for the branding they get out of it. One might argue they have a monopoly on the Canadian beauty and pharmacy pride marketing landscape.
I have had cis-het employees confide in me that they don't want to wear the PRIDE VIBES shirt because they don't want to be perceived as gay, like it's my problem. I have seen SDM employed plain clothed security guards yell homophoic slurs at community members. I have been continually tokenized by staff whilst being misgendered or dead-named. I have had customer's make homophoic remarks to my face and have been threatened with physical assault because of my queerness.
I am not ashamed of my queerness. I take pride in my identity everyday, all year.
So, I will continue my refusal to don SDMs disingenuous garb this month. Not because I am afraid of being more hypervisible. Not because I have a disdain for crew neck collars. I refuse to wear SDMs tacky pride slogan on my queer body. SDM thinks, because we're employees, they can use our bodies as advertising space. My body is not for sale, I would never disrespect my body in such disregard for corporate sponsorship.
Yes, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community needs visibility and ally's, now more than ever. But the way SDM is doing it feels like a mockery to me, my friends, my partner, and my community.