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Pride Beyond Rainbows
Words by Pioquinta
Edited by Abigail Vela
We’ve all seen it without actually knowing it. Performative allyship is “activism done to increase one’s social capital rather than because of one’s devotion to a cause. It is often associated with surface-level activism, referred to as slacktivism.” We saw this happen recently with Brownsville and Texas-based lifestyle brand line JZD’s removal of some of their 2023 Pride Collection from Target storefronts, which was in itself an act of performative allyship/activism and rainbow washing. However, there are ways that we can, collectively, prevent performative allyship from happening throughout the month of June and year-round.
Prevent Performative Allyship in 3 Ways
First and foremost, actively support your local LGBTQIA+ organizations, performers, businesses, and community members. Share their stories, attend their events, and (if you’re able) donate to their causes! South Texas Equality Project (STEP) and Valley Aids Council are a few local LGBTQIA+ organizations to pay attention to.
Acknowledge and educate yourself about the history of Pride, nationally and locally. Check out the Library of Congress’ The History of Pride. Additionally, UTRGV’s Pride University Library Resources offers a plethora of films, books, and local authors to research.
Stand up for the LGBTQIA+ community. Call out performative allyship, homophobia, and transphobia. Show up to Pride events and lift up members in RGV’s LGBTQIA+ and Drag community.
Lastly, keep your rainbows up every day!
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