Unauthoritative Pronouncements

Apple released a new Apple Watch band for Pride, like they always do. From their press release:

Featuring a tapestry of rainbow stripes that vary in shape and size, each Pride Edition Sport Band is assembled by hand from individual stripes of vibrant color that are compression-molded together, creating subtle yet striking variations. No two bands are exactly alike, reflecting the individuality of all members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The result is a very abstract approach to Pride where you would not necessarily know what it is you are looking at when you see a band. The Watch face, is easier to clock (wink) but it’s a very busy watch face, and I never use those because they never have enough complications.

iPhone, and iPad wallpapers also have a more recognizable grouping of colored stripes, but there’s no animated Mac wallpaper animated wallpaper to go with them.

Nothing’s been done to address concerns about the consumerism of selling Pride-themed products while the company, and notably its homosexual CEO, doesn’t really behave in a Pride-like way.

For anyone that might ask, “Why focus on Tim?” I would point you toward the Why Focus On Tim? subsection of my blog post critiquing the disparity between Tim’s words and his actions.

This administration has done harm, from day one, and continues to do harm with glee. This is a festering wound and Apple has a band-aid for us to feel better by buying something, just like always.

[UPDATE: You should also read Niléane’s post at MacStories about this as well.]

I would also point people toward Apple’s bold comittment to LGBTQ+ people on May 5, 2025 with this:

Apple is proud to financially support organizations that serve LGBTQ+ communities.

What does it mean, exactly, to support organizations that serve communities? It doesn’t guarantee a percentage of these band sales go toward organizations. It doesn’t say what percentage of the $24 billion in profit Apple made just last quarter go to these organizations. It doesn’t spell out who the organizations are and what kind of support work they do. Is Apple including donation matching from their employees when they say this?

From the 2024 Newsroom post Apple’s 2024 Pride Collection shines light on LGBTQ+ communities:

Through this Pride Collection, Apple is proud to continue its support of LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations whose efforts are bringing about positive change, including ILGA World, a global federation committed to advancing the rights of LGBTQ+ people worldwide; and the Human Rights Campaign, a global advocacy group working to ensure all LGBTQ+ people are treated as full and equal citizens. Additional advocacy organizations Apple supports include Encircle, Equality North Carolina, Equality Texas, GLSEN, Equality Federation, the National Center for Transgender Equality, PFLAG, SMYAL, and The Trevor Project.

As I said before: You are better off giving to any or all of those organizations directly in 2025 –you were always better off giving directly, but people also wanted a fun watch band. I don’t see how a new Pride Collection will provide the necessary fascist-neutral offset for Tim Cook.

Apple doesn’t even bother to spell out anything as meager as what it said last year. What’s changed? Oh right, the thing that changed is an administration threatening LGBTQ+ people. That’s definitely the time to do less when pedalling Pride merch.

Whatever Apple is donating, it is not going to offset the damage being done. Plant some more eucalyptus.

If there was a way people could buy digital Apple Watch faces with 100% of the proceeds going toward an organization then that might be an interesting twist on all of this. Buy the 2025 Trevor Project watch face, the GLSEN one, etc. Buy them all. That’s just not Apple’s business model where they control the watch faces, you get one a year, and they sell a strip of molded plastic that allegedly pairs with it.

Tim Cook is very active in steering Trump away from tariffs and other policies that threaten Apple’s finances directly, but he’s not active in steering Trump away from policies that threaten his LGBTQ+ employees and customers. I would argue that indirect threat will have an effect over time on consumer sentiment, and on employee morale.

Make sure to buy your Pride merch and wave to Tim Cook at the Pride parade. There’s no shame in being who you are, especially if you can insulate yourself with wealth.