LGBTQ+ Marketing: How to do it right in 2026

For many brands, LGBTQ+ marketing still comes with a quiet sense of anxiety. There is a fear of getting it wrong, of being called out, of saying the wrong thing or being seen as performative. In recent years, that anxiety has intensified as political pressure, cultural polarisation, and media scrutiny have increased. Some companies have even scaled back or withdrawn Pride campaigns altogether. 39% of brand executives surveyed in early 2025 said they planned to reduce spending on Pride-related marketing, up from just 9% in 2024. This is often citing fear of backlash or concerns about how their marketing campaigns would be received.

At the same time, silence has become just as visible as action.

Almost three-quarters (72%) of LGBTQ+ consumers will stop purchasing from brands that devalue their community, while 56% prefer to buy from brands that give back to the community, according to the Nielsen research.

In 2026, LGBTQ+ marketing is no longer just about visibility or rainbow logos during Pride Month. It is about confidence, consistency, and credibility. It is about whether brands are prepared to stand behind what they say, and whether their actions reflect their values in a way that LGBTQ+ consumers, LGBTQ+ people, and wider audiences can recognise and trust.

The good news is that doing LGBTQ+ marketing right is not as complicated as it is often made out to be. It does not require perfection, nor does it require brands to suddenly become experts in every aspect of gender identity or sexual orientation. What it does require is intention, investment, and a willingness to involve the LGBTQ+ community properly and respectfully.

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What LGBTQ+ marketing looks like now (and why it’s changed)

LGBTQ+ marketing has evolved significantly over the past decade. What may once have felt progressive or even bold can now feel surface-level or outdated. That does not mean brands, businesses, or advertisers have failed. It means expectations have changed across the industry.

Understanding how LGBTQ+ marketing has shifted is essential for companies that want to engage the market with confidence rather than caution.

From visibility to participation

Not long ago, featuring LGBTQ+ people in advertising was considered enough. Representation itself was seen as progress, particularly in industries where LGBTQ+ audiences had long been ignored or erased.

Today, visibility alone is no longer enough.

LGBTQ+ audiences increasingly recognise the difference between being seen and being involved. Participation means including LGBTQ+ people, queer communities, and LGBTQ communities in the creative process, not just placing them in front of a camera at the final stage of a campaign. It means listening early, collaborating meaningfully, and allowing lived experience to shape the work from the outset.

This shift reflects a broader move toward community marketing. Brands are learning that authenticity does not come from observation or research reports alone. It comes from building relationships with people who understand the culture, humour, and everyday realities of the communities being spoken to.

From Pride Month to year-round commitment

Pride Month remains important. It is rooted in history, from the Stonewall Riots to decades of activism that paved the way for visibility and acceptance. But when LGBTQ+ marketing only shows up during Pride Month, it can feel disconnected from the rest of the year.

In recent years, many consumers have questioned why support appears in June but disappears by July. In 2026, strong LGBTQ+ marketing shows up year-round. It is reflected in social media content, in marketing strategies, in the services and products brands offer, and in how organisations behave internally.

This does not mean every campaign needs to centre LGBTQ+ themes. It means inclusion is embedded rather than seasonal. Consistency builds trust. Sporadic visibility undermines it.

From generalisations to lived experience

The LGBTQ+ community is not a single group. It includes people with different identities, backgrounds, and experiences, from lesbians and gay men to bisexual, trans, non-binary, and queer individuals. Gender identities, sexual orientation, race, class, disability, and geography all shape lived experience.

Marketing that treats LGBTQ+ audiences as one homogenous market often misses the mark. Effective LGBTQ+ marketing recognises nuance without overcomplicating the message. It reflects real life rather than relying on stereotypes or exaggerated symbolism.

This is where research, listening, and genuine engagement make the difference between surface-level inclusion and meaningful representation.

The biggest myth holding brands back

One of the most persistent myths in LGBTQ+ marketing is that it is inherently complicated.

In reality, most marketers already understand the basics. They know rainbow washing does not resonate. They know tokenism feels hollow. They know audiences can tell when a campaign is more about sales than support.

The real barrier is confidence

Fear of backlash has replaced fear of getting it wrong. Some companies worry about negative responses from consumers, media outlets, or political commentators. Others fear that engaging LGBTQ+ audiences could alienate different markets. As a result, many opt for silence or the safest possible version of inclusion.

Avoiding LGBTQ+ marketing altogether is still a decision, and it is often a visible one.

LGBTQ+ marketing is not complicated. Brands that act with care, clarity, and commitment are far more likely to be met with understanding than those that hedge, hesitate, or disappear when things feel uncomfortable.

Taking action when it matters most

We are operating in a moment where action matters more than ever. Across the world, LGBTQ+ rights are being debated, challenged, and in some cases rolled back. Social issues affecting LGBTQ+ people have become more politicised, and public discourse has grown more polarised.

This is when brands are tested.

LGBTQ+ marketing during moments of tension reveals what brands actually believe. It shows whether inclusion is simply a marketing strategy or a genuine value. Supporting the community when it is easy is expected. Supporting it when it is difficult is what builds credibility and trust.

Including and supporting the trans community

Any conversation about LGBTQ+ marketing in 2026 must explicitly include the trans community. Trans people and gender-diverse individuals face disproportionate levels of discrimination, media scrutiny, and violence, yet are often overlooked in mainstream LGBTQ marketing.

Support for trans inclusion cannot be vague. It needs to be visible in policies, partnerships, representation, and funding. Brands do not need to speak over trans voices, but they do need to ensure those voices are included, protected, and respected.

Meaningful LGBTQ+ marketing recognises that inclusion without trans inclusion is incomplete, and that acceptance must extend across the full spectrum of gender identities.

Stop siloing the LGBTQ+ community for no reason

One of the most common pitfalls in LGBTQ+ marketing is treating the community as a separate silo, distinct from “mainstream” consumers.

While cultural nuance absolutely matters, LGBTQ+ people are not defined solely by their identity. They live ordinary lives. They brush their teeth, go to work, raise families, watch sport, engage with media, buy products, and use services like anyone else.

When marketing consistently sensationalises LGBTQ+ people, positioning them only through identity, struggle, or symbolism, it reinforces othering rather than inclusion. Bring them into the ordinary as well.

Normalisation matters.

Some of the most effective LGBTQ+ marketing reflects everyday life. It shows LGBTQ+ people as individuals, not as concepts. It acknowledges difference without exaggeration and celebrates community without spectacle.

Treating LGBTQ+ audiences as fully human is one of the simplest and best ways to build long-term trust.

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What doing LGBTQ+ marketing right actually means

So what does “doing it right” actually look like in practice?

It is not about having a flawless report, a perfect campaign, or a single best way that applies to every brand. It is about grounding decisions in respect, accountability, and action.

Co-create with the community and compensate them fairly

If you’re looking to create for the community, co-create with them. Bring the community into every stage, not just for research or sense checking. Bring them in for data, strategy, creatives and more. If you include them in every part, the work will resonate. Look outside your current pool of creatives and maybe engage an LGBTQ+ agency to help (hi!👋).

LGBTQ+ people are frequently asked to educate, consult, or represent without being paid. This informal labour, whether emotional, cultural, or creative, often goes unrecognised.

If brands want genuine insight, they need to pay for it.

Working with LGBTQ+ creators, influencers, consultants, and community members should be treated as a professional collaboration. Compensation signals respect, value, and seriousness. It builds trust and supports sustainable creative ecosystems.

In 2026, involving the community without fair compensation undermines the very inclusion brands claim to support.

Take action beyond the campaign

Marketing campaigns alone do not demonstrate commitment. Action does.

That action might include supporting LGBTQ+ organisations, donating to charities, engaging with initiatives led by groups like the Human Rights Campaign, or measuring progress through tools such as the Corporate Equality Index. It might also include internal policy changes, leadership accountability, or support systems for LGBTQ+ employees.

According to recent research, around 60% of LGBTQ+ consumers and allies believe the community needs brand support more than ever, particularly in the face of rising backlash.

These actions do not need to be loudly advertised, but they do need to exist.

Build inclusion into the core of the business

Marketing cannot outpace reality. If a company’s leadership, CEO, internal culture, products, pricing, or services do not reflect inclusion, external campaigns will struggle to resonate.

Doing LGBTQ+ marketing right means embedding inclusion across the organisation. When inclusion is part of how a business operates, marketing becomes an extension of that truth rather than a performance.

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What good LGBTQ+ marketing looks like in practice

Theory matters, but examples are what make LGBTQ+ marketing feel real and achievable. Seeing how brands apply these principles in practice helps demystify the process and shows that meaningful inclusion does not require overthinking or fear-based decision making.

Strong LGBTQ+ marketing tends to share a few common traits. It is collaborative rather than extractive. It is rooted in lived experience rather than assumption. And it is willing to invest properly in the people and communities being represented, not just feature them.

LEGO: normalising inclusion through everyday products

LEGO’s Everyone Is Awesome campaign is often referenced as a strong example of LGBTQ+ marketing that prioritises normalisation over spectacle. Rather than centring messaging around explanation or justification, the brand introduced a Pride-themed product that quietly integrated a wide spectrum of gender identities and sexual orientations into an everyday toy.

The campaign demonstrated that inclusion does not need to be loud to be meaningful. By embedding LGBTQ+ representation into a product people already know and trust, LEGO reinforced the idea that diversity can simply exist, without fanfare. It showed how brands can reflect the real world without turning identity into a moment or a marketing hook.

HER: co-creating with the community and paying them for it

We saw these principles in action when we created an out-of-home campaign for HER, the sapphic dating app. From the outset, the work was built on a clear belief: if brands want to genuinely connect with their communities, they need to co-create with them and, crucially, pay them.

Queer women were involved throughout the creative process, shaping the idea, tone, humour, and cultural references from the start. Their contribution was treated as paid, professional creative work, not an informal consultation. The creative itself was a playful, sapphic take on the “everything reminds me of her” internet trend, grounded in everyday community culture.

The campaign went viral on TikTok, reaching around 900,000 views and over 100k likes with comments such as “give the marketing team a pay rise” and “this kind of marketing works on me”. The response reinforced something we strongly believe: when work is shaped by the people it represents, it resonates more deeply and more widely.

Levi’s: consistency over campaigns

Levi’s offers another example of LGBTQ+ marketing done well through long-term commitment rather than one-off moments. Over many years, the brand has consistently centred LGBTQ+ people in its storytelling, paired with tangible support for LGBTQ+ organisations and inclusive internal practices.

Rather than relying on a single Pride campaign, Levi’s has built credibility through sustained action. Its approach shows that trust is earned over time, and that meaningful representation is most effective when it is backed by consistent behaviour across the business.

Across all three examples, the lesson is the same. Good LGBTQ+ marketing is not about grand statements or perfect execution. It is about showing up thoughtfully, investing properly, and trusting the community to help shape the work.

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The goal of LGBTQ+ marketing is not perfection. It is progress.

Confidence allows brands to act, listen, and learn. It enables adjustment rather than retreat. Brands that build trust over time are not those that avoid mistakes entirely, but those that respond thoughtfully, invest consistently, and keep showing up.

Silence, on the other hand, rarely goes unnoticed.

This is a real opportunity for brands

LGBTQ+ marketing in 2026 is about relationships, responsibility, and relevance. Brands have a unique opportunity to reflect the world as it is and to support communities in ways that create positive changes.

Doing it right requires care, clarity, and real commitment, alongside a willingness to involve the people being spoken to.

For brands that want to approach LGBTQ+ marketing with integrity, confidence, and community at the centre, this is exactly where meaningful work begins.

And it is exactly the kind of work I Am Female* exists to support. So if you want to talk about how we can help you do LGBTQ marketing in the right way - get in touch.

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