Tired commentary ahead: These soulless, sanitized parades are mostly corporate virtue-signaling, at this point. Watching 30-40 hours of corporate employees wearing corporate t-shirts walking by, handing out 10% off coupons – it's not particularly thrilling, certainly not transgressive or challenging.

I'm glad we live in a world where corporate America is, in theory, aligned on the right side of inclusiveness and gay rights, as I can remember when it wasn't. But, the parade is just so, so boring now. I mean, just fundamentally, at the heart of it, watching corporate employees in rainbow t-shirts walk by so they can count hours towards matching funds for their corporate giving programs is just sort of uninteresting. No, renting a drag queen to ride your swag float does not make you edgy.

I would draw the line for the threshold of corporate involvement way further back than most organizers, but at least this group is giving a hard pass to Amazon's arrogant, thoughtless, clueless "proposal." Jesus that company is so irritating in how it treats Seattle like grateful subjects of its corporate kingdom.

Corporations are not your friends.

“It’s Dangerous when you say,
‘we’re going to accept Money
from a Corporation that gives
money to people who are
seeking to Hurt us... "

NOT contributing Space to those
who view your Extermination
with a gleam in their Eye

that's gotta be
a Good Thing.

soulless Corps
are NOT Required
to see Stakeholders
(other than Shareholders)
as Existing to the Detriment
of the usofa and Planet Earth

they Buy
our Lawmakers
whilst we the Peeps
Fight over any Droppages.

@3 When was the last time anybody gave out coupons?

The Fremont Solstice Parade has zero corporate logos and no printed words either.

Just saying.

And it's on this year - check it out at www solsticeparade org

Microsoft back in the 90's decided to eschew the lobbying game. It didn't work out for them and The Stranger (predominantly still on paper) was gleeful about it. Yes, Amazon was naïve to treat Seattle Pride like a tech event where you sign up to be a platinum sponsor, but should I forgive Matt for being too young to recognize the hypocrisy. The Stranger likes to have it both ways - pardon the pun.

Consider too how Amazon fired a gay employee in Spokane in retaliation after he complained to human resources about his boss sexually assaulting and bullying him.

The story is not getting the attention it should.

https://www.advocate.com/business/2022/2/23/gay-ex-amazon-employee-claims-he-was-hit-female-boss-then-fired

Amazon is no ally.