I was hit with a contagious energy as I emerged from the Christopher St. subway station in the West Village for the NYC Pride parade this past summer. The low-budget yet exuberant community floats were all there, but so were a barrage of rainbow-backed logos and slick trailer hitches packed with bodies dancing to hit music. Most creative festive outfits from parade-goers had at least one piece of branded swag; bandanas, sunglasses, lanyards, and drawstring bags were just a sampling of the items up for grabs if you had an appendage you were willing to cover.

The inescapable corporate presence this year was particularly jarring despite being a gay man immersed in the world of branding on a daily basis. At the heart of Pride is a pure and simple truth: people of all sexualities and gender expressions are deserving of love, dignity, and equal treatment before the law. How did that end up getting cluttered up with so much stuff?

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