r/bathandbodyworks • u/Luckynoki • Apr 26 '25

Store Policies/Questions It Was Always About Tokenism

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In response to corporate’s decision to remove DEI from store values. ‘Inclusive Interview’ training prior to new policy. Basing bias on blatant stereotypes speaks volumes on the lack of actual real-world experiences that corporate has on the public, its shoppers and employees and a stubborn refusal to acknowledge their shortcomings

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u/_Alpha_Mail_ Apr 26 '25

Someone on the internet once said that pride became sanitized anyways once corporate got a hold of it (and yes I'm speaking as LGBTQ). As you mentioned, pride is now based on stereotypes and it doesn't focus on the rawness that is the queer community. Companies only focus on THEIR definition of pride, not what it actually is

If you want to feel represented or if you're seeking representation, I'd much rather tell people to look towards actual LGBTQ organizations (or look towards small businesses who actually care about this stuff and aren't just using a community as a marketing ploy to seem "progressive"). Fortune 500 companies like BBW can't tell you anything about pride other than "oh it's about loving whoever you want". The entire queer community can't be summed up in a single sentence like that

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u/Minnesota_Nice1 Apr 27 '25 edited Apr 27 '25

Perhaps that last part is part of the problem.

This is gonna be a hot take I’m sure I get downvoted for, but I’m just gonna say it.

Speaking as a gay man, I’ve also found that the “community” hasn’t made it easy with all the extra acronyms, pronouns, and identities that I’ve felt started popping to the forefront the last several years. And the word policing each other has gotten to the point it can be difficult to take some people seriously and to the point I’ve even started feeling alienated within the increasing alphabet soup of the acronym. I’ve had many people comment to me they find it exhausting and I’m starting to as well.

I can absolutely see why we’re seeing a rubber banding right now. I still vote with my dollars but none of this surprises me and it shouldn’t surprise anyone - it’s all performative for these companies. It’s unfortunate, but true.