Iris JUNE Newsletter 🏳️🌈
Iris’ Newsletter focuses on pride and inclusion for this month of June. As New York City was one of the premier areas for LGBTQ rights and activism, we felt it was important to explore the events and news surrounding this crucial topic in honor of Pride month. The theme of inclusion has not only echoed in NYC, but across the globe as shown through the various articles below.
THINGS TO DO 🚕
Pride events in NYC beyond the parade
While the main event of Pride Month is the parade and gathering at the end of June, there are many events throughout the city that highlight other sectors of the Pride movement not shown in the parade and festival. These events vary on a wide spectrum. They provide pride events with racial intersectionality, food, art, entertainment, and other cool activities throughout the city during June.
NYC NEWS 🗽
Google celebrates NYC Pride with digital monument on Christopher Street
In honor of the Stonewall Riots’ 50th anniversary, Google has installed an interactive monument to commemorate the occasion. The installation is set up in Christopher Park and hopes to give a more holistic overview of the LGBTQ community in America. Many are excited about Google giving rise to once silenced voices. The monument has attracted many New Yorkers to stop by and hear stories from the LGBTQ people directly. The installation will continue for the month of June to coincide with the Pride Celebration.
WORLD NEWS 🌎
What will Taiwan’s same-sex marriages mean in the rest of Asia?
On May 17, 2019, same sex marriage became legal in Taiwan. This Washington Post article examines the road Taiwan to reach this historic moment, the difference between public and legal opinions, as well as what this decision may mean for other Asian countries where sam sex marriage is still largely outlawed.
INDUSTRY NEWS 📰
Budweiser UK faces backlash for advertising beer with Pride flags
Budweizer launched a controversial campaign this month to celebrate LGBT members. The campaign, “Fly the Flag,” features multiple flags on beer cans to represent the diversity that exists within the LGBT community. Criticism has stemmed from some believing this marketing tactic is not genuine and is based on profit, while others do not like the campaign because they simply oppose the values represented.
SOMETHING NEW 💡
OPINION: BRANDS, HERE’S HOW TO DO LGBTQ+ PRIDE RIGHT
The history that celebrating pride represents is a history of struggle and triumph for LGBTQ+ people. Brands have to be careful when endeavoring to work in conjunction with Pride. Outside of the more Human reasons for supporting Pride it can be tempting for brands to just view it as a channel to the younger audience. The history behind Pride makes it simple to see what brands genuinely support LGBTQ+ people, and what brands merely preform support. Performance for the sake of profit exploits LGBTQ+ identities and symbols supposedly meant to represent Pride.
The article stresses Brands establishing relationships with non profits, and ditching the Idea of direct profit from Pride themed products. For Brands “the rainbow stuff” fails to be supportive and represented with out a clear “Larger Purpose”. Being Human as a brand when engaging with Pride is essential. Look deeper than the surface of Pride, into the Intersectional Identities and their struggles. The large range of intersectional identity’s offers many opportunities to genuinely make and impact and engage on a very Human level with a brands audience. Donations are great but they are a very one-dimensional form of action. Brands have to act in order to engrave activism into the institutional structure of the brand. If a Brand is trying hard to make a difference the audience will know and respond accordingly.
EAT AND DRINK 🍽️
OpenTable showcases LGBTQ+ restaurants for Pride Month
OpenTable, during the month of June, is highlighting LGBTQ owned restaurants throughout the world. OpenTable gave the top 100 LGBTQ-owned and operated restaurants in the United States on its website. The site also mentions multiple in the U.K., Canada and Australia.
These are the ones for NYC:
Aunt Jake's - Greenwich Village
Tzarevna - Lower East Side
Ortzi - Theater District/Times Square
The Australian - Midtown West
