Can We Talk About Rainbows for a Second?

Let Us Say This with Love—and a Little Sass About Rainbows to the “Oh, Hi’ers”.

We support the LGBTQ+ community. Truly. We believe in equal rights, equal love, and living free without apology.

And we also believe that corporate logos should maybe stop trying so hard to prove they believe it, too.

Every June, the rainbow logo swap appears like clockwork. Brands go full technicolor to show solidarity during Pride Month. Which is fine... in theory. Corporations do a lot of good. They donate. They sponsor. They amplify voices. That’s important.

But there’s a big difference between supporting a cause and branding your employees into a social movement they didn’t actively join.

We work for public companies. And overnight, our company logos on places like LinkedIn turn into big, bright beacons—rainbow-blasted and attached to every employee’s profile. No heads-up. No opt-out. Just, “Congrats! You’re now a walking, talking pride campaign.”

Cue the random DMs from strangers:
“Hey :)”
“Hi, I saw your profile and just wanted to say hello.”
“Cool, but... why?”
“Oh, you know—figured you were part of the community.”

And we’re left blinking at the screen like: Wait, what community?

Turns out, the rainbow wasn’t just on the company’s main page—it followed us around the internet like a badge we didn’t apply for. A badge that now sends signals we didn’t know we were broadcasting.

Look, we get it. Companies want to show they care. But there are smarter, more respectful ways to do it.

Put up a landing page. Write a thoughtful statement. Donate. Volunteer. Make real impact.

But maybe stop attaching cause-driven graphics to every employee’s nameplate like it’s a company-wide personality test.

We didn’t sign up to be spokespeople. We just logged into our emails.

And while we’re at it—can we be consistent? If we’re flying the Pride flag in June, let’s not forget the American flag on the 4th of July, or support veterans in November. Pick a principle, not just a trending month.

This isn’t about being anti-anything. It’s about letting support be real—not performative.

We want to uplift the LGBTQ+ community without unintentionally turning employee profiles into Pride billboards.

We want companies to show up with purpose—not just polish.

So to the “Oh, Hi’ers”-messagers: We see you. You’re kind. But that rainbow logo isn’t our personal announcement—it’s the corporate dress code of the month.

And to the companies: show your heart—but please, next year, don’t glue it to our foreheads.

Support should be chosen, not assigned.
Inclusive, not intrusive.
Proud, not performative.

We came here to work—not to accidentally come out on LinkedIn.

And since we’re already elbow-deep in corporate identity makeovers, let’s talk about the sudden push to add pronouns to email signatures. We’re all for clarity and respect, but now it feels like we’re role-playing a Dungeons & Dragons campaign every time we hit “Send.”

“Best regards, Kevin Blart (He/Him, Guardian of Logistics, Level 7 Procurement Wizard, Slayer of Paper Jams).”

Pretty soon we’ll be required to include our Enneagram type, moon sign, and spirit animal just to order more printer ink. Again—great in theory. But maybe let's not turn our Outlook signatures into personality Tinder bios with built-in HR compliance?

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