This Pride month Nicola Kemp asked industry leaders to share advice on how brands can authentically support the LGBTQ+ community. Jungle Creations CEO Melissa Chapman shared her thoughts.

Brands can't just rainbow-wash and piggy-back onto Pride celebrations as a one-off sales technique - you have to be a true ally and advocate in supporting the LGBTQ+ community. The government statistics for England and Wales show a 126% increase in hate crime based on sexual orientation, and a 156% increase based on Transgender identity, since 2017 which clearly and plainly states that progress hasn't been there in a way that really matters. When brands face backlash for their support, it is their opportunity to prove the authenticity of their rainbow logos and branding of yesteryears. In pulling away in this critical moment, they invalidate and insult everything that has come before. If equality isn't embedded in your permanent business strategy, if it isn't reflected in your internal company policies and values, and has just been used as an inauthentic marketing tactic - it is the ultimate insult, which customers are becoming increasingly sharper at spotting.

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