pinkwashing

[ pingk-wosh-ing, -waw-shing ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

an instance or practice of acknowledging and promoting the civil liberties of the LGBTQ+ community, but superficially, as a ploy to divert attention from allegiances and activities that are in fact hostile to such liberties:
Posturing has always been this mayor’s stock in trade, so it’s no surprise he’s adopted pinkwashing as his latest bogus appeasement of constituents he neither understands nor cares about.
the business practice of promoting breast-cancer awareness and research while in fact profiting from the manufacture and/or marketing of carcinogenic or other socially irresponsible products:
It takes a little investigation, but it is possible to find companies chipping in to eradicate breast cancer without the pinkwashing.
the use, provision, or sale of pink ribbons, pink-ribbon logos, articles of pink clothing or sports equipment, etc., for promoting awareness of breast cancer and raising funds to support research and treatment:
Every year, the garden center sponsors a day of “Petunia Pinkwashing,” during which all the profits from the sale of pink flowers go to cancer research.

First recorded in 1810–20, in a literal sense; 2010–15 pinkwashing fordef 1; 2005–10 pinkwashing fordef 2; pink ¹( def ) + (white)washing ( def )

Not all Israeli gay propaganda is pinkwashing—a lot of it is good, old-fashioned PR to attract gay tourist dollars to Tel Aviv.

Of course, to call out pinkwashing is not to deny the facts.

Now this pinkwashing campaign is coming to the City University of New York.

Silence in the face of bigotry is not an option, even if only a small number of radical gays buy into the pinkwashing nonsense.

The goal is to create a word—whether it be “apartheid”, “racism” or “pinkwashing”—that sticks.

April 19, 2024tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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