Cheena Pazzo: Beyond rainbow logos — Why real LGBTQ+ inclusion is good business
ONE80 Founder and CEO explores the benefits of year-round inclusion for the Tulsa World
Every June, some brands roll out rainbow logos as a nod to Pride.
But inclusion isn’t a marketing moment; it’s a reflection of your values. It shouldn’t be performative, but rather part of a growth strategy that transforms culture and improves performance through an intentional commitment to people, performance and purpose.
Different minds, better outcomes
When employees feel safe, respected and supported, they thrive, and so do the companies they work for.
The data is undeniable: Inclusive workplaces are more successful. According to a McKinsey & Company study, companies with gender-diverse executive teams are 21% more likely to outperform on profitability. Diverse teams bring richer perspectives, leading to stronger decision-making and breakthrough innovations.
According to the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index, U.S. employees are 4.5 times more likely to work for a company that supports LGBTQ+ rights — a number that jumps to 5.5 times among adults age 18-34.
Inclusion can save millions
Employee retention is one of the biggest costs in business. Research conducted by EY in 2024 shows that a Fortune 500 company that increases LGBTQ+ retention by just 5% can save over $4 million annually in turnover costs alone.
When people feel they truly belong, they stay and give their best, leading to lower turnover, higher productivity and less stress. In short: Safe teams perform better.
According to Gallup, more than 1 in 5 Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ+. Estimated to comprise 30% of the total U.S. workforce by 2030, younger generations expect workplaces to be inclusive, not just in policy, but in practice.
Consumers and shareholders are watching, too
When brands prioritize optics over authenticity, it erodes trust and damages both reputation and revenue with consumers. According to Forbes, when Target scaled back after years of promoting Pride collections, it experienced 10 consecutive weeks of low sales from consumers who saw the move as a betrayal of values.
Meanwhile, Costco, which reaffirmed its commitments, saw 12 straight weeks of increased foot traffic and a 22% spike in online traffic on the day of an anti-diversity consumer boycott. Companies such as Apple, Goldman Sachs and Levi Strauss saw overwhelming shareholder support for maintaining inclusive workforce policies, underscoring the notion that diversity is not a liability, but rather effective leadership.
Conversely, Bud Light’s failed campaign with social media personality Dylan Mulvaney is another cautionary tale. It was surface level and short sighted, and ultimately harmful to the very person it spotlighted. The backlash cut deep: Sales dropped by 28% in just three months.
As our content strategist and member of the LGBTQ+ community, Jerakah Greene, put it best, “Businesses do best when they treat their customers not as consumers, but as people.”
Target revealed that their values were flimsy at best; their Pride collections were simply performative gestures with the goal of cashing in on a lucrative moment. Bud Light’s campaign was similarly performative; not only did the campaign put Mulvaney at risk, but it also alienated their customer base.
The lesson? Think about what your customers actually value, not what you think will simply boost short-term profit.
The risk of falling behind
In today’s economy, companies that fail to build inclusive cultures won’t just struggle to hire and build trust with consumers, they risk losing relevance with the next generation.
This Pride Month, the question isn’t whether your brand changes its colors. It’s whether it lives its values year-round in how it hires, leads and takes a stand when it matters most.
Read the full piece in the Tulsa World.