It’s tough being LGBTQ+ on Valentines’ Day – where are we represented and thought about?
We live in a cis-hetero-normative world and Valentines’ Day reminds many of us of this fact every year.
Everything seems to be geared up around “the lady” and what “the man” will do to woo for affections – ok that may well be the historic story, but we are in 2021 – if the cast of Bridgerton can come from a wide range of communities and sexualities then organisations can think about the message they put out each and every year.
It is LGBT history month in the UK and this surrounds Valentines’ Day – yet we do not have major brands stepping up and shouting out for the LGBT community in their product lines to appeal to those who have same sex partners or who are bi, pan or aromantic.
Marks and Spencer were lorded for their BLT with guacamole to create the LGBT sandwich, but I think they missed a trick this year with the campaign “Valentine’s Day Colin the Caterpillar cake with Connie in ‘Love Cocoon’”
No option to customise this for two Colins, two Connies or even a saucy two Colins and one Connie. Don’t get me started on the overtly gendered names themselves or the white Britishness of the whole experience.
C’mon big brands walk the talk not just this month but every month – we don’t live in a binary cis het world – I know it and you know it – step up! Next year make Valentines’ Day for everyone.
#lgbthistorymonth #opinionpiece
