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Over the past several decades, marketers have justified outreach to LGBTQ consumers because of their spending power and consumer loyalty, supported by a shift in social and economic norms that suggests the importance of increasing inclusivity to LGBTQ stakeholders. According to a 2017 Gallup Poll, 10 million Americans identify as LGBTQ, and 7.3% of millennials identify as sexual and/or gender minorities [1], with younger people, especially Generation Z, being less committed to traditional gender norms, embracing queer [2] identities and seeking brands that reflect similar perspectives (Gates, 2017). While some recent communication campaigns have successfully integrated diverse LGBTQ representations, such as Coca-Cola's “Enjoy Yours” and Oreo's “Pronoun Packs,” communication campaigns that encompass complex strategies and tactics to engage sexual and gender minorities are lacking.
Public relations trade publications have displayed robust interest in LGBTQ perspectives, advising brands on how to approach Pride month [3] (Farey-Jones, 2019) and noting that visibility of LGBTQ people is only a start (Gurr, 2017). Some commentators criticize organizations “opportunistically marketing to the LGBTQ+ under the guise of progressive brand values” (Joffe, 2019, para 1), arguing that work with LGBTQ communities has a long way to go (Hoffman, 2019). Meredith Eaton, Director of North America at Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, an international technology public relations agency, notes that organizations must promote authentic brand beliefs, internally and externally: “It's fine to show support outward for the LGBTQ community. Yet brands must also demonstrate support inward. Offering equal opportunity employment, and maintaining an open, diverse and inclusive culture is a must” (2019, para 15). Practitioners agree that authenticity demands more than a special Pride Snapchat filter (Hines, 2019) or Pride merchandise for stores in the month of June (Avery, 2019), requiring a holistic organizational commitment to LGBTQ stakeholders.
Despite an interest in LGBTQ perspectives in the field, scholars lament the lack of public relations research relating to sexual and gender minorities (Austin, 2010; Ciszek, 2018; Tindall and Waters, 2012). Grunig et al. (2001) acknowledged the dearth of scholarship in public relations regarding practitioners' and publics' sexual orientation, and nearly two decades later, a meager body of research has emerged. Tindall (2013b, p. 519) notes the “paucity of material on LGBT public relations practitioners is challenging to scholars who wish to study this...