Synopsis:
Shone Faye (2016) has done a wonderful video for Novara Media on YouTube that seeks to define and conceptualize pinkwashing in mainstream Pride movements. She questions whether Pride has “sold out to capitalism” and explains that the word pinkwashing comes from a combination of the words pink – a colour that has been associated with queer and trans identities since Nazi Germany – and whitewashing. (2016) This video is particularly useful because it explains the dangers of seeking an alliance with state entities to obtain rights when those same entities are exploiting LGBTQIA+ folx globally. Faye (2016) explains that pinkwashing seeks to isolate sexuality from class, race, nationality and religion in order to claim that equality is possible for all, which she argues is nonsense under the exploitation of capitalism.
Rationale:
I believe that Faye’s (2016) analysis of the way that pinkwashing is inherently tied to capitalism is a necessary and important contribution to the discussion on these issues. She explains clearly that the concept of intersectionality is directly at odds with the goals of pinkwashing because it seeks to erase and isolate identity issues rather than acknowledge how they are inherently connected. This allows our government and other power structures to claim that LGBTQIA+ rights are separate from other human rights issues to do with class, race, nationality and religion, because this enables them to exploit others. This violence is often directly tied to the goals of economic and political gain, and thus seeking alliance with these power structures in order to receive rights means that we are complicit in this ongoing abuse.
Keywords: Intersectionality, Pinkwashing, Liberalism, Capitalism, State Exploitation
Author: Ashelyn Latam
I appreciate you bringing capitalism and Pride into the conversation of transnationalism, especially as someone who agrees that capitalists who profit from the impositions of harmful normative ideas of gender and sexuality are not in a position to appropriate gender inclusive discourse. I would like to bring to your attention some of the theory that Jasbir Puar offers to this work, especially considering that we read one of her pieces in our unit on the War on Terror, linked at the bottom of this comment. Puar invented the term “homonationalism”, which describes the effort used by neoliberal states to bolster nationalism through the use of gay rights symbols as a tool for dominance over other states. For example, Canadian politicians…
Shon Faye perfectly explains the concept of pinkwashing in this video. The blind acceptance of seemingly progressive capitalistic displays of inclusion must be recognized as only being put forth purely with one interest in mind: gaining popularity and making profits. In a neo-liberalist society it is important to keep in mind the ulterior motives that every corporation possesses in a capitalistic economy. These companies are often called out for putting gay pride flags on their logos and donating to parades just to gain “ally” status and use these parades and activism to further their agenda and act as the ultimate advertisement. This video is an important topic to bring up in discussing transnational feminism because just as in the case…