"Rainbow-washing" remains a marketing technique used by brands to sell more products by improving their image and making them appear more inclusive, but it continues to give visibility to the LGBT+ movement
This Pride month, many brands have released collections and products dedicated to the LGBTQ+ cause. While, for some, their status as partners and supporters of the community is recognized, for others, it could be more a question of cashing in. This notion has given rise to the term "rainbow-washing," referencing the rainbow flag that symbolizes the LGBT movement.
Another related term is "pink-washing," coined by Breast Cancer Action to denounce brand campaigns using breast cancer for their own profit, which then went on to encompass any political or marketing communication technique designed to change a brand's image in a progressive direction. The term was subsequently taken up for the LGBT cause and is now associated with it.