Speaking to Page Six at an Alice + Olivia Pride party, Lady Bunny spoke up on the corporations that have strong-armed their way into the parade:
“A lot of the floats now are Sprint and Red Bull, or corporations with straight bodybuilders playing music that they think gay people will like. It seems more of a marketing thing than a march. They televise the parade and the broadcast mainly includes the big corporate floats, not “civic-minded groups.” There has always been a dialogue of: Is this parade a march for our rights, or is it a parade with balloons and confetti? Some feel it’s gone too far in the direction of confetti. Maybe because of political developments, they feel it’s time to renew our commitment to the struggle.”
The irony of these comments being shared at a branded fashion event featuring Sofia Richie and Nicky Hilton Rothschild is not lost on this gossip. Regardless, I’m glad that more people are speaking up against corporate pink-washing. (Yes, even those who’ll be participating in a sponsored float come parade-time like Lady Bunny.) But as more young people reject capitalism and seek socialist alternatives, I hope that our collective push left changes the way emerging celebrities interface with brand partnerships. Come the revolution against the corporate overlords overwhelming our planet, it’d be tricky to accept handouts from Mastercard for “queer themed activations.”
