Pinkwashing

Pinkwashing - According to Mokatrin from FEM Magazine, the term pinkwashing “refers to the appropriation of the LGBTQIA+ movement to promote a particular corporate or political agenda.” (March, 2019) It also describes the way that “entities market themselves as ‘gay-friendly’ to gain favour with progressives, while masking [areas of their politics or behaviours] that are violent and undemocratic.” (March, 2019) Therefore, it is best to understand pinkwashing as a method in which governments and other structures of power seek allegiance with mainstream LGBTQIA+ politics and their movements to mask their own involvement in ongoing violence and atrocities that are committed in global and transnational contexts.

This description is useful because it allows us to understand how global entities may appropriate the goals of LGBTQIA+ activists and movements to justify violence in a transnational and global context. I chose pinkwashing because it is relevant to my own experiences as an LGBTQIA+ activist, and it is useful in contextualizing the goals of the LGBTQIA+ movement in relation to transnational feminisms. I believe this understanding of pinkwashing is necessary if we are to move forward towards solidarity for queer and trans struggles across the globe. If we aren’t able to recognize how structures of power manipulate our communities and exploit our politics, then we won’t be able to resist or challenge them. Furthermore, recognizing these issues means recognizing the diverse needs of our communities, and understanding through an intersectional lens that our experiences are different but equally important.

Source: Mokatrin, Raneem. (March 2019). Feminism 101: What is Pinkwashing? FEM Magazine. https://femmagazine.com/feminism-101-what-is-pinkwashing/ Keywords: pinkwashing, intersectionality, solidarity, resistance, activism, LGBTQIA+ feminism Author: Ashelyn Latam