I went to a Pride parade a few years ago and asked people what they thought about brands and Pride Month. The answers were strong, but one person said something I haven’t forgotten.
“We are watching you. Not just in June. All year.”
Levi’s heard them. Target and most other brands did not.
Here’s what most people don’t know about Levi’s.
In 1982 — before AIDS even had a name — the CEO of Levi Strauss walked out of company headquarters in San Francisco and handed out leaflets to employees about a disease that was killing gay men. No other company was doing that. In 1983, they made the first corporate donation in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In 1992, they became the first Fortune 500 company to offer health benefits to same-sex partners.
