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In 2023, Bud Light faced backlash after transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney promoted the beer and Target has experienced backlash for selling LGBTQ+ Pride merchandise.

However, more than seven in 10 people in Colorado and across the U.S. said knowing a company or store offers Pride merchandise has either a positive effect or no effect on their purchasing decisions, according to a new Ipsos survey commissioned by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

Meghan Bartley, senior director of brands, agencies and engagement for GLAAD, said the results should send a message to CEOs and boardrooms across the nation.

"We want to make sure that all of those brand leaders know that consumers stand behind those choices," Bartley explained. "We don't want anyone to get lost in the narratives that are being pushed forward that somehow Pride and LGBTQ inclusion isn't good for business."

The survey found three-fourths of Americans believe brands should care more about profits than politics. Bartley noted the purchasing power of LGBTQ+ consumers was estimated to be $1.4 trillion in 2022. The purchasing power of Black consumers is expected to reach $1.7 trillion by 2030.

Tristan Marra, vice president of research and reports for GLAAD, said Americans are more likely to agree than disagree offering LGBTQ+ Pride merchandise is no different from offering other branded merchandise. She argued the new survey provides them with a "powerful" understanding of the consumer.

"In building empathy, being thought-provoking and also being that strong source of truth," Marra emphasized. "That is what we really hold very strongly at GLAAD is the integrity of data and the power of research to really change hearts and minds."

The survey's findings are consistent with recent data. More than nine in 10 non-LGBTQ+ Americans agree LGBTQ+ people should have the freedom to live their life without discrimination and 55 percent of non-LGBTQ+ adults said companies should support the LGBTQ+ community all year, not just during Pride Month.