Coach Unveils their Newest Collection for Pride Month
Coach just unveiled their newest collection for Pride Month.
June was Pride Month. During the month, many corporations have new campaigns that are traditionally in the rainbow pride flag, to support the LGBT community. The fashion brand, Coach, recently released their new Pride collection. The collection features Coach's logo, two C's facing each other, in rainbow colors. It includes bags, shirts, and hats.
Coach also launched a new campaign to show off the collection, called the "We C You" campaign. It included several celebrities and public figures in the LGBT community, including, singer Kim Petras, social media personality Rickey Thompson, and drag queen Bob The Drag Queen. The campaign features a video of these figures talking about what it means to them to be seen, and what makes them feel seen. The video was shot with Go-Pros and iPhones, and was put together by Christelle de Castro.
Coach has also announced that it will be making donations to several different charities, including the Hetrick-Martin Institute, the Albert Kennedy Trust, and GLSEN, encouraging others to do the same. While many corporations will show support for the LGBT community during Pride Month, many people believe that it is just a marketing tool, since they only do it during June, and some companies support some anti-LGBT policies and groups. However, Coach seems to be the real deal, since they are highlighting different queer experiences and are committed to donating.
Report: Anna Bechtel
4 Brands Whose Pride Collection Proceeds Actually go to LGBTQ+ Advocacy Groups
Although it is nice to see brands transform their logos to incorporate the ten color rainbow of the Pride flag, do these companies actually stand with the LGBTQ+ community?
It’s pride month. One of my favorite national months of the year because it's all about love, acceptance, and pride! Clearly. One of my favorite parts of this month is the way brands include the rainbow colors of the Pride into their clothing and logos in order to show support to members of the LGBTQ+ community. And although this gesture is nice to see, it got me thinking about how these bands are truly giving back to this community. It also made me question if these displays are actually sincere. Why should I spend my coin on a pride tee shirt if the brand has no affiliations with LGBTQ+ charities? So I went on a search to find brands that are actually giving the proceeds of its pride collections to LGBTQ+ advocacy groups.
ASOS pledged to give 100% of the proceeds from the pride collection to The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). This is the fourth year that the clothing brand has worked with them. This non-profit's goal is to accelerate the acceptance and equality of the LGBTQ+ community.
UGG Australia released the Pride edition of everyone’s favorite fluffy sandals. The Pride FluffYeah sandal will be sold year-round. Ugg has also pledged to donate $125,000 to GLAAD.
Nike’s BeTrue Collections is all about “The Power of The Team”. The collection includes the classic Air Force Ones with a 10 color Pride flag heel patch. They pledged to donate $500,000 to 20 organizations whose mission is to advocate for and advance the LGBTQ+ community. The grants will be $25,000 administered by Charities of America.
Aside from clothing, Morphe Cosmetics launched a “Free To Be” collection. All of the net proceeds from this collection will go to the GLSEN, which is an educational organization whose mission is to end discrimination and bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. The goal to raise awareness and tolerance of LGBTQ culture in K-12 education.
Photo Credit: Nike, ASOS, UGG Australia, and Morphe Cosmetics
Report: Lauren Tucker
Black Lives Matter: and That Includes Black Trans and Queer Lives
With the Black Lives Matter movement taking center stages, and June being Pride Month, these two causes have united to bring awareness to an underrepresented community.
With the Black Lives Matter movement taking center stages, and June being Pride Month, these two causes have united to bring awareness to an underrepresented community.
On Sunday, in Brooklyn, a peaceful protest was held to support the transgender members of the black community. It was called "Brooklyn Liberation: An Action for Black Trans Lives." Several local organizations, including The Okra Project, Marsha P. Johnson Institute, For the Gworls, G.L.I.T.S. and Black Trans Femmes in the Arts, put this event together. The protest was put together to honor the lives of black trans women who were unjustly killed, and have not received a lot of media coverage. Some of the lives honored were, Layleen Polanco, Dominique "Rem'mie" Fells, and Riah Milton. Transgender activist Raquel Willis, author Ceyenne Doroshow, and the family of Layleen Polanco, were all among the featured speakers at the rally. Protesters chanted and carried homemade signs with the phrase "Black Trans Lives Matter."
Brooklyn was not the only American city that was putting on peaceful protests and gatherings supporting black trans lives. Los Angeles decided to hold a march supporting black trans lives, in lieu of their annual Pride Parade. The day before, volunteers painted the words "All Black Lives Matter," on the street, at the intersection of Hollywood and Highland Avenue. Some of the words were painted in the colors of different pride flags, including the non-binary flag, the transgender flag, and the original rainbow pride flag. The event itself, which was organized by All Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, was not just a plea for justice but a celebration that included music, dancing and performances by queer Black artists.
Report: Anna Bechtel
Pride Month Looks Different This Year But is Not Cancelled
Typically June is filled with pride parades, drag shows, events at gay bars and lots of rainbows. Due to the pandemic things are different this year but we can still unite virtually to celebrate pride together.
Typically, June is a month filled with pride parades, drag shows, events at gay bars and lots of rainbows. However, everything has been different this year and that includes pride month. Due to the coronavirus pandemic most people aren’t able to travel or have large groups of people meeting up. However, thanks to virtual events we are still able to unite to celebrate pride, differently than most years, but together nonetheless.
On June 27th world leaders, celebrities, and stars will be joining together as a part of a 24 hour live stream Global Pride event being put on by hundreds of LGBTQ+ organizations around the globe. Some of the notable guests include Justin Trudeau, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Kesha, the Dixie Chicks and the Pussycat Dolls. This virtual event is expected to attract up to 300 million viewers. At the center of this massive celebration is the Black Lives Matter movement.
The New York Pride march has been a notable celebration for the past 50 years, it looks a little bit different this year but it is still happening virtually on June 28th. The Pride Broadcast Event includes many organizations and individuals including: Dan Levy, the Ali Forney Center, Yanzi Peng, Victoria Cruz and Margaret Cho. In addition on June 26th there will also be a virtual pride rally.
The Los Angeles virtual pride parade will be airing on June 27th as a 90 minute tv special on ABC7. There are numerous acclaimed guests including: Bob the Drag Queen, Erika Jayne, Jake Borelli, Shea Diamond, the Pussycat Dolls, and Leslie Jordan.
All throughout the United States many larger cities are putting together their own version of virtual pride parade celebrations. However, it doesn't stop there there will also be celebrations across the globe including in Ireland and the UK. Be sure to check out The New York Times Pride event calendar for more events and details.
Happy Pride month!!
Report: Rebecca Vanderkooi
Spotify Celebrates Pride Month 2020 With LGBTQIA+ Curated Music and Podcast Playlists
Spotify has announced its Unlike Any Other global campaign for Pride Month 2020, spotlighting LGBTQIA+ creators for fans all around the world.
Spotify has announced its Unlike Any Other global campaign for Pride Month 2020, spotlighting LGBTQIA+ creators for fans all around the world.
According to a press release, Unlike Any Other will be launched in 38 countries where Pride is celebrated. The campaign aims to support LGBTQIA+ creators, empowering them to celebrate their uniqueness and connect to a global audience through music and podcasts. It shares Daniel Quasar’s Progress Flag which features five additional stripes to the orthodox Pride rainbow, better including trans and non-binary individuals, marginalized communities of color, the people who have fallen to AIDS and those living with HIV within queer representation.
The campaign features both music and podcast playlists. Spotify teamed up with Pose runway choreographer Twiggy Pucci Garcon for The House of… Ballroom playlists, which include selections from Jason Ozzie, Byrell The Great and more. There’s also the flagship queer playlist Out Now: Unlike Any Other that stresses the energy of both rising and established queer voices in music, along with a number of Pride-themed playlists for a number of genres like Pride Classics, Latin Pride, Alternative Pride, Queer as Folk and Disco Fever. Finally, the campaign’s official podcast playlist features shows from Patrick Hinds (True Crime Obsessed), Em Schulz (And That’s Why We Drink) and Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers (Las Culturistas), followed by the launch of curated podcast playlists by Gigi Gorgeous and Benito Skinner.
Report: Amanda T Lou
Virtual Concerts & Fundraisers & Events, Oh my!
We are living in unprecedented times, as the coronavirus pandemic has been sweeping the globe. This greatly changed how entertainment, concerts and other events are being held. Many of us can no longer go to a Broadway show, a movie theater, a benefit dinner or a concert. Events that were already scheduled to happen in person had to be transitioned to online events, many of which are free. Check out this article for highlights from past events as well as a few exciting events to look forward to in the coming weeks.
We are living in unprecedented times, as the coronavirus pandemic has been sweeping the globe. For many of us in the United States mid March is when changes started happening and lock downs began being implemented. This greatly changed how entertainment, concerts and other events are being held. Many of us can no longer go to a Broadway show, a movie theater, a benefit dinner or a concert. Events that were already scheduled to happen in person had to be transitioned to online events, many of which are free.
There have been numerous online events. On April 26th GLAAD, the world's largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group hosted “Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone.” This event featured performances from Kesha, the cast of Broadway's “Jagged Little Pill,” among many others. Throughout the night over $225,000 was raised for Centerlink and other local LGBTQ+ centers. Another event this April was, “Take Me To The World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration.” It was put on by Raul Esparza and featured numerous Broadway stars including an iconic performance via zoom of, “Ladies Who Lunch,” by Audra McDonald, Meryl Streep and Christine Baranski. Yet another event was a virtual benefit via instagram live for Say called “Under One Moon.” Say is a nonprofit organization that benefits those who stutter. The highlight of the night was an appearance by actress and activist Mariska Hargitay and her husband Peter Hermann.
Looking forward there are numerous exciting online events in the upcoming weeks. On June 27th Josh Groban is holding a virtual concert to sing his numerous hits throughout his career. Tickets will be on sale June 1st, the ticket will include an online access code as well as a T-Shirt for an extra $5. June 7th there will be a free Broadway Tony Awards celebration. Although the awards themselves have been rescheduled this event will be hosted by Tony nominee Lonny Price and will raise money for the American Theater Wing and The Broadway League. On June 6th Barack Obama, Lady Gaga and BTS will be a part of a 2020 Youtube virtual commencement ceremony for graduates. A quick google search reveals even more amazing events, some from local places like orchestras as well as some nationwide events. So please check that out. Stay safe, stay connected and stay entertained.
Report: Rebecca Vanderkooi
Loss of NYC’s 50th Annual Pride March Hinders Visibility
The cancellation of NYC’s 2020 Pride March is not just a loss of festivities, but also a loss of visibility.
Source: NY LGBT Sites
Mayor Bill De Blasio announced on April 20 that all permits for June events in New York City would be nullified due to COVID-19 concerns. This decision has caused the first ever cancellation of the city’s annual Pride March since its inception in 1970, hitting during the event’s pivotal 50th anniversary. While some cities are looking to postpone their festivities for a later date in 2020, the co-chair of NYC Pride, Maryanne Roberto Fine, stated that “large scale events such as [the march] are unlikely to happen in the near future” and that they will need to “reimagine NYC Pride events” (via Forbes).
While there is talk about attempting to digitize NYC Pride and host the celebrations online, there is a newfound uncertainty in regards to the future of the LGBTQIA+ community’s public voice. New York City’s Pride March is the largest in the country, consistently drawing in over two million people every year. Since its conception, the event has encapsulated the demand for acceptance and liberty of expression for the LGBTQIA+ community. These demands become significantly less visible in an online space. When the streets of a city are flooded by millions, it is hard to turn a blind eye on the festivities. In the digital world, it simply takes one click.
Source: NY Curbed
For a community that has been systematically erased from history and media, visibility is vital for progress. The NYC Pride March is a symbol of the LGBTQIA+ community’s call to freely be loud and proud; the move to online spaces greatly limits their volume, and thus fosters concern about how this will limit LGBTQIA+ awareness. To combat this, there has been a push to remain visible in the online hemisphere. Hashtags such as #LGBTQuarantine have risen to top trending spots on Twitter because of community members posting selfies decorated with unapologetic rainbows and smiles. Their faces serve as a reminder that in a time of isolation and fear, it is more important than ever to be vocal, open minded, and most importantly, proud.
Report: Nicolette Schneiderman
At the rise of Covid-19 many of us first questioned the timeline of fashion week and would we see the regular calendar continue - the question weighed over many of us for months! It was refreshing to see design houses and designers across the globe take advantage of the uncertainty and plow into production mode - thus my interest in Jerri Reid New York - The Black Designer based in Brooklyn New York wow’d instagram with his latest collection paying homage to the Black Is King film which debuted earlier this year in July. I was taken aback at quick of a turn round the young designer produced and released his well crafted designs reflecting some of the films most memorable moments.