Covid Already Taught Us—Brand Silence in a Health Crisis Fails Communities

Maybe it seems like something outside your immediate reality. But as a queer person, let me tell you: It’s here, it’s real and much of America doesn’t know what to do or how to talk about it. Even more frustrating, the information my community received about the virus didn’t come from our government, healthcare institutions or brands, but from fellow LGBTQ+ people.

I just recently recovered from monkeypox, emotionally jolting through all the stages of grief. I took six Covid tests and prayed for a positive result, fully in denial. My weeks were filled with a whirlwind of emotions, from a sullen sadness to absolute optimism, and every part of me knew that my community deserved and deserves better.

The government wasn’t hearing us. Brands and corporations were silent. We lined blocks waiting for vaccines in small batches, just to be turned away. It’s as if we were walking around with a dingy rolling amp and old corded mic, shouting into the ether for anyone to listen, for anyone to help.

It’s not Pride Month, but brands and corporations, particularly healthcare brands, had the opportunity to hold the microphone for queer people, drive awareness of the virus and demand top-down action from our government. But they missed it. We can move forward and make progress if we can learn how handing the mic to marginalized communities can pave the way for better brand and community connections in the future.

There are insights to be learned from monkeypox and actions brands can still take to drive change across the country and globe. This virus isn’t leaving the news cycle anytime soon, and there’s a great amount of stigma to fight as the cases continue to grow globally.

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Silence is equivalent to harm

It’s challenging for brands to toe the line between assessing a problem and acting on it. Even the government, for example, held 300,000 monkeypox vaccine doses in Denmark while they waited for cases to grow exponentially in New York City. Their silent, wait-and-see approach caused direct harm to queer New Yorkers, despite the community demanding vaccines for months.

6,600 positive national cases later, the federal government finally declared monkeypox a public health emergency. The lesson to be learned here: Had brands and corporations spoken out in support of the queer community earlier in the outbreak, the advocacy may have made a difference in a faster response from the government.

Misinformation lessons in the time of Covid

Covid quickly became unpleasantly polarized. And now, too often, monkeypox is being talked about as a “gay disease,” a label experts fear could hinder progress in addressing the virus.

The facts about the virus are still widely miscommunicated, and “monkeypox” Google search trends in the United States didn’t take off until the end of July. Keep in mind, the first case in the U.S. was detected in mid-May.

Covid consumer research from 2021 showed that 70% of respondents support brands sharing factual information about how and where to get vaccines. As we marketers know, awareness can drive real change. Awareness increases knowledge, and knowledge encourages action.

There is still an opportunity for brands to increase fact-informed awareness about the virus. Brands and corporations can educate about vaccination resources and directly help fight the stigma brought upon the queer community, validating the importance of proper government intervention.

Reexamine community commitment

The queer community celebrates “pride” 365 days a year, and so should brands. When a community they openly support each June becomes the victim of government negligence, brands need to step in and speak up. Using its platform to drive change is completely free and could go a long way in growing its commitment to any given community.

There’s a long road ahead to eradicate this virus and fight the stigma held against my community. I have fought through my internalized shame, and I’ll shout loud from my amp: “We’re here, we’re queer and our healthcare rights are no less important than anyone else’s.”

Our brands are microphones. Let’s turn them on.

We Don’t Need Empty Rainbows. We Need Support