Each June, we see brands and businesses awash in rainbow flags, efforts at supporting the LGBTQ community that become much less visible as July sets in.
So, as the debate goes on about whether Pride has become too corporate or the moment has lost touch with the movement, WWD catches up with fashion’s next generation about what Pride Month means to them, how they celebrate it and what they’d like to see change amid the industry’s new or renewed commitments to diversity and inclusion.
As FIT design student Sydney Shuba says, “Pride Month, to me, is a celebration of queerness. Gender and sexuality are so fluid and so intimately unique to every individual person. Pride is an opportunity to display that uniqueness. It’s a time to highlight queer identity, be thankful for it, and fight for the rights of vulnerable queer folks.”
The Pratt Institute / Jose Salazar

Jose Salazar 
Courtesy photo

WWD: What does Pride Month mean to you and how do you celebrate it? 
J.S.: Pride to me is about reclaiming my truth and no longer being ashamed of it. Growing up in a society where homophobia is heavily present, I was never comfortable with being who I am. Pride is a beautiful thing to

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