It’s June again—the month social media braces for an onslaught of rainbow-colored logos and products. But, Pride 2022 is different than previous celebrations. This year's festivities are shadowed by the numerous pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that have passed or been proposed since last June, disproportionately affecting transgender Americans and queer youth.

Rather than documenting each brand’s revamped packaging, Ad Age collects this year’s top Pride campaigns with purpose. Check back throughout the month to stay up to date on the latest work supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

Gymshark is highlighting the diversity of athletics and the inclusive communities that LGBTQ+ people have found in fitness spaces. From an all-LGBTQ+ production team, the brand is rolling out a series of videos, called “Pride in Progress,” throughout June and beyond showcasing inspirational stories of found family.

The campaign seeks to end the idea that fitness environments are exclusionary and judgemental through the series aimed at younger generations of queer athletes eager to celebrate identity in all facets of their fitness journeys. Teaming with a roster of fitness personalities across a diverse spectrum of identities, the video series tells the stories of LGBTQ+ athletes and how they overcome stigmas around gender and identity.
 

As part of Decentraland’s virtual Pride celebration throughout the month of June, Mastercard has opened the “Mastercard Pride Plaza” within the metaverse gaming platform. Within the immersive experience, players will be able to interact with Mastercard executives as well as LGBTQ+ personalities and advocacy groups. Those include actress Candis Cayne, NYC Pride Executive Director Sandra Perez and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center Executive Director Glennda Testone. The virtual activation will also include musical performances, a recreation of Mastercard’s NYC Pride float designed by Brooklyn-based illustrator Shanée Benjamin as well as limited-edition NFT gear for Decentraland avatars.

Mastercard will further its Pride presence in the Metaverse by launching “True Self World” on June 21 in Horizon Worlds. In collaboration with Meta’s Creative Shop, the space within Meta’s emerging metaverse platform will serve as an ongoing communal space for LGBTQ+ users rather than featuring splashy experiences. Available in the U.S. and Canada using the Meta Quest 2 headset, the world will include private spaces for connecting with other queer users as well as interactive games and activities. The “True Self World” is part of Meta’s official “Pride World Hub,” built by LGBTQ+ creators.
 

Led by its internal LGBTQ+ Network, Penguin Random House gathered LGBTQ+ creatives to collaborate on its first-ever zine, themed “Pride in Your Words.” The 60-page volume includes a 2022 Pride reading list, coloring pages by “Color Me Queer” illustrator Anshika Khullar and original illustrations by queer artist Kyle Letendre. Also included are writing and interviews from notable authors including Eloghosa Osunde, Paul Tran, Lillian Fishman and Jesse Leon. The zine is available for digital download on the campaign’s website.

Dr. Martens is giving its branding the backseat for Pride in a campaign that amplifies the voices of LGBTQ+ activists and prominent figures. Directed by Prettybird filmmaker Jess Kohl, the “Pride Generations” video series features U.K. Black Pride Co-Founder Lady Phyll, London Trans+ Pride Founder Lucia Blayke, Kia, the ex-mother of the House of LaBaija, and Lee Soulja, father of the House of Soulja.

The video featuring the latter two is a serene and moving conversation on the ballroom legends’ journeys with identity and embracing and being embraced by the ballroom community, despite struggles with HIV and discrimination. 

Alongside the video series, Dr. Martens has pledged $200,000 to benefit international LGBTQ+ organizations, including the Trevor Project in the U.S., akt in the UK, ReBit in Japan and Black Rainbow in Australia.
 

The fragrance and intimates brand reimagines the legendary site of humanity’s birth as the grounds for exploring one’s identity—with hilarious commentary from “Teen Wolf” star Charlie Carver and viral “Hi, Gay” comedian Megan Stalter. The campaign’s hero spot, called “The Tale of the Forbidden Fruit,” stars Stalter as “Bisexual Eve” and Carver as “Gay Adam” to promote its “Marble Fruit” candle.

The brand reports that the name of the candle is a reclaiming of the derogatory word used against queer people, “fruit,” plus the strength and resilience of marble. The idea of an LGBTQ+ Eden prompts viewers to examine what is truly natural about gender identity—the way one feels inherently or the role they’re told to adhere to. The brand will donate 15% of proceeds from the “Marble Fruit” candle during June and July to GLSEN, with a minimum donation of $50,000.
 

Postmates' new campaign, “Eat With Pride,” takes a purpose-driven swing at the sex lives of gay men. It promotes the delivery service’s limited-time “bottom-friendly menu,” which centers on foods that make for easier butt clean-up prior to a roll in the hay. Teaming with anal surgeon, sexual health expert and founder of Future Method/Bespoke Surgical, Dr. Evan Goldstein, as well as gay comedian Rob Anderson, the brand accompanies its in-app “bottom-friendly menu” with an educational video filled with harness-wearing eggplants and jock-strapped peaches.

The campaign features a largely LGBTQ+ production team, including co-directors Loren Christiansen, Michael DeWeese and producer Hanna Stolarski. Postmates also recruited queer talent from within its ranks, amplifying LGBTQ+ voices without the performativity of recruiting influencers or outside faces who often ring phony to audiences. Postmates also put action behind the work with a donation to The Okra Project, which works with the transgender community to address food insecurity, financial barriers and mental health assistance.

West Pride, the non-profit that organizes Pride festivities in Gothenburg, Sweden, addresses the rigorous process the country requires from LGBTQ+ asylum-seekers. “Ambassadors of Pride,” created with agency AKQA, features a series of life stories from LGBTQ+ refugees and their experience making it through Sweden’s asylum process.

In addition to raising awareness through the stories, West Pride will strengthen the credentials of LGBTQ+ people seeking asylum in Sweden by naming them Ambassadors of Pride and Honorary Members of West Pride. The non-profit is also offering them free legal counsel for refugee cases and heading a petition to be sent to Sweden’s Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, Anders Ygeman, on World Refugee Day, June 20.
 

This “Feminist Bodega” is an inclusive space for all who menstruate

Viv, an eco-friendly period care brand, uses gender-inclusive and branding year-round to create a safe space for transgender and non-binary menstruators who may not feel welcomed by the category. For Pride, Viv is taking that inclusivity a step further with the second iteration of a pop-up in Boston called the “Feminist Bodega.”

From June 17-19, the brand will host the event for all who identify as menstruators. In addition to shopping Viv’s product line as well as from host-store Uvida’s zero-waste offerings, the activation features wellness and social activities as well as educational resources and donation opportunities for local activist groups MassNow and Trans Resistance MA.
 

Hulu livestreams Pride parades

Although many streaming platforms drop Pride hubs onto their platforms for June, Hulu stands out from the pack with a unique offering: pride parade livestreams. All Hulu subscribers will have access to streams of the Los Angeles and New York City Pride parades through Hulu’s “Pride Never Stops” page, featuring celebrity hosts. While many are enthusiastic to rejoin the festivities in person, the parade streams offer a unique opportunity for immuno-compromised celebrants or LGBTQ+ people with disabilities to participate in the fun safely.
 

Miller Lite is continuing its “Open & Proud” platform with a book on the history of queer bars. Created with Pulitzer Prize finalist LGBTQ+ historian Dr. Eric Cervini and agency ICF Next, “Beers & Queer History” documents the stories of ten queer bars and their historical significance. 

Featuring original illustrations by Miller Lite, the book documents treasured safe spaces, including White Horse Inn in Oakland, California, D.C.’s The Chicken Hut, San Francisco’s Black Cat Cafe, the Stonewall Inn in New York City and more. It also highlights influential LGBTQ+ figures, such as Marsha P. Johnson and Lady Chablis. The campaign will continue Miller Lite’s charitable relationship with the Equality Federation through a $200,000 donation. The brand launched a program last year in partnership with the Equality Federation to offer resources to bars on serving inclusively. 

"Miller Lite is one of America's favorite beers, and while our fans can expect us to show up in many different ways throughout the year, our 'Open & Proud' initiative is one that is close to our hearts," said Sofia Colucci, VP of marketing at Miller Family of Brands, in a statement. "We hope the release of this guidebook and its crucial lessons will inspire people to be more inclusive, to learn and to share their own authentic stories." 
 

Tinder calls on FDA to overturn controversial ban on blood donations

Nearly 40 years ago, the FDA, in response to the AIDS crisis, implemented a discriminatory ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men. That ban remains in effect to this day, barring queer men from giving blood despite rigorous testing on donated blood as well as advancements in the prevention, detection and treatment of HIV/AIDS.

In partnership with the Human Rights Campaign, Tinder is calling attention to the issue by promoting awareness of ADVANCE Study, a research program aiming to establish a more inclusive alternative to the FDA’s current policy. Throughout June, Tinder users will encounter a card on the app that connects them to the study and provides ways to participate in it. 

“Despite the advances of the past few decades, members of the LGBTQIA+ community across our country are facing highly organized efforts to scale back their rights,” wrote Tinder CEO Renate Nyborg in an op-ed. “It is time for the FDA to step up, prioritize science over stigma, and honor the hundreds of thousands of gay and bisexual men who are ready to contribute to our communities.

Nyborg wrote that ADVANCE Study has been fully funded by the FDA, but "the organization has not put enough resources into the recruitment effort to ensure its success."

Microsoft takes Pride to the metaverse

Microsoft has gathered its queer employee community from offices spanning more than 120 countries to raise awareness on what it means to be LGBTQ+ in 2022. The company’s “Pride Has No Borders” platform features a VR experience to immerse viewers in a digital experience to explore queer history and hear from advocacy groups, such as the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA World) and OutRight Action International.

Microsoft also turned to its internal LGBTQ+ group to craft a vibrant series of artwork featuring 33 flags representing different identities within the community. “Microsoft Unlocked” is a new series of monthly profiles of the company’s employees, launching this month with Pride stories that empower readers through the intersectionality of global LGBTQ+ communities, each facing unique but unifying injustices.

Make a YouTube short, make a donation

To support LGBTQ+ youth, YouTube calls on its vast user base to post Shorts, with each “#YouTubePrideChallenge” video generating a $1 donation to the Trevor Project. Led by campaign Grand Marshal Willow Pill, winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 14, the campaign hopes to see messages of support from all users, whether LGBTQ+ or allies. Each Short will feature a new cover of Diana Ross’s “I’m Coming Out” by artist Halsey, with the potential to rack up a huge donation on behalf of users and collect a powerful show of support from the YouTube community.

“This June, we're showcasing ways Pride can offer light, love, hope and a reason to celebrate,” reads a blog post for the campaign. The site also links to hubs for YouTube’s curated Pride content and music playlists.

NYX Cosmetics offers inclusive metaverse avatars

On June 24, metaverse platform The Sandbox kicks off “Belonging Week,” a first-of-its-kind virtual Pride parade. As part of NYX Cosmetics’ “Paint Your Own Story” campaign, the L’Oréal-owned brand will debut a collection of inclusive NFT avatars featuring a diverse range of skin tones and gender and cultural expression, created with Web3 group People of Crypto Lab.

NYX was also hosting physical activations during LA Pride, including a mural painted by artist Seth Bogart and a drag show at Heart West Hollywood. The brand also debuted a limited-edition gender-inclusive makeup line. NYX, an ongoing partner with the Los Angeles LGBT Center, will allow customers to round up purchases to benefit the non-profit throughout the month.

Make a donation with a picture

BMO Financial Group, supported by agency FCB Canada, is literally turning rainbows into action this Pride with its “Rainbow Deposits” campaign. No matter where people bank, they can download the campaign’s app to snap a picture of a rainbow—in the sky, on a flag, a shirt, socks, window paint—and transform that photo into a $1 donation to Rainbow Railroad, a non-profit that helps LGBTQ+ people living in oppressive regions, up to $50,000.

Chipotle addresses food insecurity

Chipotle’s Pride platform spans a charitable merch line and checkout round-up program as well as training and resources for its employees. The burrito maker is also using its platform to address an issue in the LGBTQ+ community that doesn’t get as much attention. According to research cited by the company, LGBTQ+ adults in America are nearly twice as likely as their straight counterparts to experience food insecurity. Chipotle and Miley Cyrus’s Happy Hippy, a non-profit for homeless youth, will distribute $250,000 of food to the charity’s LGBTQ+ center partners throughout the year.

Pantene helps create inclusive workspaces 

Pantene’s third iteration of “Hair Has No Gender Campaign” features a campaign film highlighting the stories of queer workers—lawyers, models, carpenters, race car drivers and more—and the pride they feel when they’re free to wear their hair according to their identity. Research showed that 53% of LGBTQ+ people feel pressured to disguise their identity in the workplace, according to the Procter & Gamble haircare brand.

Also: P&G and Unilever extend LBGTQ+ efforts well beyond Pride month

Along with the video, Pantene released educational resources on how to create an inclusive workplace, in collaboration with the video’s 12 cast members as well as advocacy groups, including Outleadership and The Dress Code Project.