Take Pride in Your Creativity
June marks the celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride. Without Pride, some of the world’s most influential creations might have never developed. A world without Pride is a world without The Picture of Dorian Gray, “American Horror Story,” “The Matrix,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and much more.
Creative work is very powerful; with a single note, word, scene or brush stroke you can elevate your work from good to lifechanging. Artists like Elton John, the Wachowski sisters, Freddie Mercury, Ryan Murphy, Oscar Wilde and Janelle Monáe are some of the most vibrant, thoughtful and recognizable people to ever exist. They have achieved this status by being true to themselves, though they have met with many obstacles.
By acknowledging the influence of these icons, we can appreciate the adversity they overcame to change our world. We celebrate the determination of past, present and future LGBTQ+ community members who, against all odds, take pride in their creativity.
When supporting the LGBTQ+ community, it is important for a business to be all in. We’ve highlighted a few of the biggest businesses that have supported LGBTQ+ causes, but being an ally doesn’t have to mean spending thousands on a commercial or donating lots of money.
Being a true ally means being consistent and thoughtful with your support and standing firm if challenged. Though these are certainly not the first companies to try and reach an LGBTQ+ audience, these companies stood out in their approach.
While many companies either removed, edited or intentionally made their content vague, Subaru, IBM and Apple stretched beyond the ads they created. Their support was continuous, unapologetic and most importantly, consistent. They were met with backlash, boycotts and threats, but they stood their ground. Subaru began their support after they noticed a large number of customers were lesbian. From there, they created ads with subtle ways of acknowledging this customer base, including “XENA LVR” and “P-TOWN” license plates on their cars.
June 19th, also known as Juneteenth, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day and Emancipation Day, is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States. Due largely to the hard work of Marsha P. Johnson, we celebrate Pride month alongside this holiday. To honor and recognize her bravery, we feature some prominent members of the Black LGBTQ+ community. These artists, through their strength and bravery, tackled hardships and left a lasting legacy and contributed to diversifying what Pride represents. The work of creatives like James Baldwin, Roxane Gay, Alvin Baltrop, Isis King and Patrick Kelly give precedence for young, Black creatives to express who they are and create work that is distinctive of their stories.
Drive Brand Studio celebrates the individuals who told their narratives through their creations and created a world that takes pride in creativity.