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Community Not a Commodity: The LGBT+ Community’s Views on Alcohol Marketing

Alcohol Focus Scotland has published a new report exploring how alcohol marketing affects LGBT+ people in Scotland, and how the industry’s presence in LGBT+ spaces and events, particularly Pride, is being perceived by the community itself.

Community, Not a Commodity is based on a series of workshops held in late 2024 with LGBT+ individuals, offering a safe space for participants to share their experiences and perspectives on alcohol marketing. The report captures participants’ reflections on how alcohol is promoted in LGBT+ venues, events, and media - and how this intersects with their own experiences of identity, inclusion, and community.

Key findings include:

• Superficial inclusivity: Participants expressed concern that alcohol brands use rainbow branding and slogans as a marketing tactic
• Commercialisation of queer history: Some brands were seen to exploit the legacy of events like the Stonewall Riots for promotional gain, which many found inappropriate and offensive.
• Social pressures and unrealistic portrayals: Alcohol advertising was seen to reinforce the idea that drinking is a necessary part of queer social life, contributing to pressure and exclusion - especially for those in recovery or who choose not to drink.
• Alcohol in queer spaces: There was a strong sense that LGBT+ venues are too often centred around alcohol, with limited alcohol-free alternatives available.
• Pride and sponsorship: The presence of alcohol companies at Pride events was a particular point of discomfort, with some participants questioning whether these partnerships are aligned with the values Pride is meant to represent.

The report makes a series of recommendations aimed at both policy-makers and the LGBT+ community, including calls for increased regulation of alcohol marketing, more inclusive alcohol-free spaces, and a critical rethink of corporate sponsorship at Pride.

Download the report: Community, Not a Commodity: The LGBT+ Community’s Views on Alcohol Marketing