Rainbow Doesn’t Equal Inclusive

Disclaimer: this post comes from my personal experiences in the LGBTQ+ community and my professional perspective as a branding specialist. I do not speak for all members of the community and it is important to note that we all experience our identity in unique ways.

What inclusive design really means for the LGBTQ+ Community?

Every June businesses roll out their rainbow logos, slap a few Pride flags on products, and call it allyship. It’s colourful. It’s loud. It’s everywhere. But is it inclusive?

Spoiler alert: not always.

As a queer, neurodivergent designer, I’ve learnt the difference between designing for visibility and designing for belonging. And that difference matters - not just during Pride Month, but every single day of the year.

Visibility is Not Enough

A rainbow sticker might show support, but support without depth? That’s marketing - not inclusion.

Inclusive design doesn’t start with your colour palette. It starts with your values, your decisions, and how you build the space you’re inviting people into. When brands rely on rainbow aesthetics without doing the deeper work, they risk tokenism — using queer identity as a trend instead of treating it with the care and complexity it deserves.

So what IS inclusive design?

Inclusive design for the LGBTQ+ community is about creating spaces — digital and physical — where people feel safe, represented, and respected. It’s not just about showing up during June. It’s about showing up consistently, thoughtfully, and intersectionally. Here’s what that might look like in practice:

• Representation beyond the binary

  • Avoid gendered language like “Hey ladies!” or “For him/her” products

  • Offer gender-neutral options on forms and in your brand voice

• Queer voices at the table

  • Hire LGBTQ+ creatives, consultants, and collaborators

  • Share stories from within the community, not just about it

• Consistent allyship

  • Don’t disappear on July 1st. Show ongoing commitment to equity and inclusion

  • Support queer causes through your platform or (even better) partnerships

Performative VS Transformative

Performative inclusion is when your branding says “Love is Love” but your systems still assume heteronormativity. Transformative inclusion is when you’ve:

• Updated your brand voice to reflect diverse identities

• Created content that affirms queerness without explaining it away

• Made space for nuance, complexity, and authentic expression

Brands Have Power. Use It Well.

Design is powerful. It shapes what we see, who we relate to, and how we feel. If you want to design for inclusivity, it takes more than just rainbows — it takes intention, empathy, and action.

So this Pride Month (and every month after), ask yourself:

• Who am I including?

• Who am I leaving out?

• How can I use design as a tool for connection, not decoration?

Because true inclusion isn’t about visibility.

It’s about belonging.

Ready to build an inclusive brand?

At Angell Designs, I work with value-driven, heart-led businesses who want to build brands that actually reflect the communities they serve. If you want to move beyond surface-level support and into real, inclusive design — Let’s chat!