Performative activism

"[2] Rainbow washing refers to the practice of corporations or organizations publicly aligning themselves with LGBTQ+ rights through symbolic gestures—such as adopting rainbow-themed logos, merchandise, or marketing campaigns during Pride Month—while failing to substantively support LGBTQ+ communities or address systemic inequities.

A combination of political polarization, legal challenges to affirmative action (e.g., the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard decision), and economic pressures led many companies to scale back or eliminate DEI programs.

In October 2024, major corporations such as Meta, Boeing, Target, Amazon, Ford, Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s, Walmart among many others disbanded DEI departments or reduced related spending, citing shifting priorities and financial constraints.

[4] The Forbes report documenting these rollbacks highlighted the tension between performative activism and sustained organizational change, noting that many companies had previously promoted DEI pledges during periods of social unrest but deprioritized them once public attention faded.

[4] On June 1, 2020, while expressing support for the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the George Floyd protests, singer Lorde stated, "One of the things I find most frustrating about social media is performative activism, predominantly by white celebrities (like me).

Protest at the Whole Foods Market at South at 9th Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA at the time of George Floyd Protests in response to a policy not to allow workers to wear clothing with Black Lives Matter printed on it.