Apple began publicly selling its Pride Edition Woven Nylon band for Apple Watch during WWDC week earlier in June, one year after it handed out a similar band to its employees at Pride events in San Francisco.
During its first few weeks up on Apple.com, the company made no mention as to whether any portion of the profits made off of the band would go towards LGBTQ organizations, but a new change made to the band's webpage has confirmed that Apple will be helping out such advocacy groups with profits made from the rainbow-emblazoned Pride band.
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As spotted by Redditor N-Code, the new Product Information section of the Pride Woven Nylon band confirms that a portion of proceeds from its sales in the United States will help benefit LGBTQ groups including GLSEN, The Trevor Project, the Human Rights Campaign, and PFLAG. Internationally, ILGA will see the same donations. A new banner referencing the donation support was also added to the main Apple Watch page on Apple.com.
The changes were made yesterday, with the Wayback Machine internet archive providing a point of comparison dating back to this past Saturday, June 17.
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Apple's full statement on the Pride band donations reads as follows:
Apple is proud to support LGBTQ advocacy organizations working to bring about positive change, including GLSEN, the Human Rights Campaign, PFLAG and The Trevor Project in the U.S. and ILGA internationally. A portion of the proceeds from Pride Edition band sales will benefit their important efforts.
Apple runs similar donation initiatives with many of its product lines, most popularly being (PRODUCT)RED. Apple devices sold with that banner have a portion of their proceeds donated to the Global Fund to help raise awareness and fight HIV/AIDS. Last year marked Apple's tenth year anniversary in supporting (PRODUCT)RED'S causes.
At the time, Apple CEO Tim Cook commented on the company's support of causes such as (PRODUCT)RED and pro-LGBTQ organizations, addressing critics who believe his and Apple's public stances are made to endear millennial customers into buying products in the Apple ecosystem, among other criticisms. In response Cook said, "We haven't shied away from being visible on a number of topics, and if it's something in our wheelhouse, we'll always be visible and stand up to protect as well as advance people's rights."
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Top Rated Comments
(View all)A watch band that supports gay and lesbian communities? Where's the watch band that applauds the straight people? It's got to work both ways or else it's sexist. Funny how that works huh?
And as for you, you're not forced to buy it, but if you can't appreciate that LGTBQ people are still significantly discriminated against and *still* fighting stigma (from people like you) then you're going to have to realise that you're part of the problem and probably not who this promotion is aimed at.A watch band that supports gay and lesbian communities? Where's the watch band that applauds the straight people? It's got to work both ways or else it's sexist. Funny how that works huh?
Until straight people are told they should go to hell for living in sin and risk getting murdered for being straight, I don't put much stock in this argument.A watch band that supports gay and lesbian communities? Where's the watch band that applauds the straight people? It's got to work both ways or else it's sexist. Funny how that works huh?
Honey, you've got a big storm coming.A watch band that supports gay and lesbian communities? Where's the watch band that applauds the straight people? It's got to work both ways or else it's sexist. Funny how that works huh?
No it doesn't. If you're the group with the power (in this case straight cis people have the power because they have no fear of being harassed or assaulted when in public with their partner, whereas non-straight couples typically are not able to show affection in public to say the least and trans people basically struggle with anything in public) then you need no special recognition. LGBTQ people are searching for acceptance and equality and this is one way that they can show they are fighting and for people to show their support.Almost any political issue is nuanced, but for me, if you don't support LGBTQ rights you are wrong, period. Like, this shouldn't even be a political issue. Mind your own business and don't worry about who people love or how people choose to express themselves. Go enjoy life some, and then go work to fix some real issues.
Anyway, thanks for letting me vent. This has actually been on my mind quite a bit recently. Weird place to let it out I have to say...
[I'm not in the LGBTQ community so please do tell me if I'm wrong or need to fix any nuance.]
A watch band that supports gay and lesbian communities? Where's the watch band that applauds the straight people? It's got to work both ways or else it's sexist. Funny how that works huh?
When straight people start getting murderer for being straight, sent to concentration camps for being straight, denied rights to marry or adopt for being straight, be discriminated against or denied services for being straight... then you have permission to ask for your "straight pride" watch band.