Link (Archive)
The poll, commissioned by the LGBTQ+ organization GLAAD and conducted by the polling firm IPSOS, asked American adults what impact it would have on their likelihood of buying from a brand or store if they knew that that brand or store offered “LGBTQ Pride collections/merchandise.”
Fifteen percent of respondents said they would be more likely to buy from that brand or store, while nearly twice as many (27%) said they would be less likely to buy from that brand or store. A majority (55%) said that it wouldn’t impact their decision to purchase from the store.
Black non-Hispanic respondents responded less positively to the question about Pride merchandise, with only 8% saying they’d be more likely to buy from a store or brand with Pride merch and 11% saying they would be less likely to buy from them. An overwhelming majority (77%) of Black non-Hispanic respondents said it didn’t matter.
Hispanic people were more likely (19%) to say that Pride merchandise would positively impact their likelihood of buying from a brand.
The publicly released poll results don’t show breakout results for other races or ethnicities, so it’s unclear how white non-Hispanic, Asian-American/Pacific Islander (AAPI), Native American, or people of other races responded.
The poll also asked if it “would be a shame” if a store or brand stopped supporting Pride Month. More people disagreed (48%) with that statement than agreed (46%).
People were about evenly split on whether they were comfortable or uncomfortable with companies changing their logos for Pride Month (48% vs. 47%) and brands having marketing campaigns for Pride Month at all (48% vs. 47%). They were more comfortable with the idea of companies supporting LGBTQ+ organizations (52% vs. 43%) and sponsoring Pride events (52% vs. 44%).
The question of the public’s support for corporate Pride has been relevant in recent years as conservatives have mounted boycott campaigns of businesses that sell Pride gear. In 2023, it was a trend on social media for rightwing influencers to film themselves at Target looking angry or disgusted with the chain’s Pride offerings, eventually leading Target to withdraw its Pride displays in many stores. Target later rolled back its commitment to diversity. Several Republican state attorneys general threatened legal action against Target for selling Pride merchandise.
Years of backlash against companies that support Pride have led to fewer sponsors for Pride events this year. New York City’s Pride organizers have already said that they are $750,000 short in funds because corporate sponsors are pulling out, which could also be explained by corporations trying to stay in the good graces of the new presidential administration.
In a press release, GLAAD was more upbeat about the survey results. For example, for the question about Pride merchandise, they noted that 70% of Americans in their survey said that a brand offering Pride merchandise would have either a positive impact or no impact at all on their purchasing decisions, a statement that’s true even if most of those people are in the “no impact” category.
The release also highlighted that 81% of respondents agreed that “freedom means we all should be able to believe and behave as we choose, as long as it isn’t hurting anyone else.” Of course, the disagreement between pro- and anti-LGBTQ+ advocates is about what counts as freedom and what counts as hurting others.
GLAAD also noted that 85% of respondents agreed that “CEOs have a responsibility to speak up about things that matter to their consumers and shareholders,” even though the question, as worded, would include both support and opposition to equal rights as “things that matter to consumers.”
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said that, despite the poll’s results, support for LGBTQ+ people “remains a business imperative” for companies. “Companies and leaders must listen to consumers who are demanding that brands prioritize values of freedom, inclusion, and growth over rank politics.”
The poll was conducted from April 11 to 14, 2025, and was based on 1025 interviews.
Twice as many Americans would avoid brands with Pride merch than would support them
A new poll released just before Pride Month shows that more Americans would avoid a company that offers Pride merchandise than would be motivated to support the same company.The poll, commissioned by the LGBTQ+ organization GLAAD and conducted by the polling firm IPSOS, asked American adults what impact it would have on their likelihood of buying from a brand or store if they knew that that brand or store offered “LGBTQ Pride collections/merchandise.”
Fifteen percent of respondents said they would be more likely to buy from that brand or store, while nearly twice as many (27%) said they would be less likely to buy from that brand or store. A majority (55%) said that it wouldn’t impact their decision to purchase from the store.
Black non-Hispanic respondents responded less positively to the question about Pride merchandise, with only 8% saying they’d be more likely to buy from a store or brand with Pride merch and 11% saying they would be less likely to buy from them. An overwhelming majority (77%) of Black non-Hispanic respondents said it didn’t matter.
Hispanic people were more likely (19%) to say that Pride merchandise would positively impact their likelihood of buying from a brand.
The publicly released poll results don’t show breakout results for other races or ethnicities, so it’s unclear how white non-Hispanic, Asian-American/Pacific Islander (AAPI), Native American, or people of other races responded.
The poll also asked if it “would be a shame” if a store or brand stopped supporting Pride Month. More people disagreed (48%) with that statement than agreed (46%).
People were about evenly split on whether they were comfortable or uncomfortable with companies changing their logos for Pride Month (48% vs. 47%) and brands having marketing campaigns for Pride Month at all (48% vs. 47%). They were more comfortable with the idea of companies supporting LGBTQ+ organizations (52% vs. 43%) and sponsoring Pride events (52% vs. 44%).
The question of the public’s support for corporate Pride has been relevant in recent years as conservatives have mounted boycott campaigns of businesses that sell Pride gear. In 2023, it was a trend on social media for rightwing influencers to film themselves at Target looking angry or disgusted with the chain’s Pride offerings, eventually leading Target to withdraw its Pride displays in many stores. Target later rolled back its commitment to diversity. Several Republican state attorneys general threatened legal action against Target for selling Pride merchandise.
Years of backlash against companies that support Pride have led to fewer sponsors for Pride events this year. New York City’s Pride organizers have already said that they are $750,000 short in funds because corporate sponsors are pulling out, which could also be explained by corporations trying to stay in the good graces of the new presidential administration.
In a press release, GLAAD was more upbeat about the survey results. For example, for the question about Pride merchandise, they noted that 70% of Americans in their survey said that a brand offering Pride merchandise would have either a positive impact or no impact at all on their purchasing decisions, a statement that’s true even if most of those people are in the “no impact” category.
The release also highlighted that 81% of respondents agreed that “freedom means we all should be able to believe and behave as we choose, as long as it isn’t hurting anyone else.” Of course, the disagreement between pro- and anti-LGBTQ+ advocates is about what counts as freedom and what counts as hurting others.
GLAAD also noted that 85% of respondents agreed that “CEOs have a responsibility to speak up about things that matter to their consumers and shareholders,” even though the question, as worded, would include both support and opposition to equal rights as “things that matter to consumers.”
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said that, despite the poll’s results, support for LGBTQ+ people “remains a business imperative” for companies. “Companies and leaders must listen to consumers who are demanding that brands prioritize values of freedom, inclusion, and growth over rank politics.”
The poll was conducted from April 11 to 14, 2025, and was based on 1025 interviews.
