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Our research at Nielsen shows that globally LGBTQ+ people felt the best way to improve inclusion in the media was to avoid stereotyping and tropes. That means that marketers have to get to know the community they’re trying to reach. You can’t do that one time a year. You can’t do that by speaking to just one segment of a population. Keep it intersectional, informed by the community and closely tied to what matters to them.

As a data strategist my job is to understand how people perceive and relate to brands and culture. As a member of the queer community, annually I find myself as both advertiser and target audience during Pride.

My best advice to brands is to not be swayed by public reactions and stand firm with the community. I think what stings more in times of uncertainty—more than the rainbow logo timer that is set June 1 and ends July 1—is backing down from good ideas and intersectional opportunities. I have heard anecdotes from many creatives in the industry about amazing ideas, and even opportunities for positive representation, that were never executed because of fear of bad PR or backlash.