When it comes to allyship with the Queer and Trans community, it is common for beauty brands to believe that a Pride photoshoot and changing their profile picture to a rainbow is enough. But we must remind ourselves that simply emphasizing Queerness one month out of the year is not enough and has never been enough. Allies must be doing the work all 12 months of the year.Allyship is something that is not just said or represented in a change in your marketing strategy. Allyship means ACTION! When I say action, it means not just having Queer folx as the face of a brand, but also having them as the BODY. Not just Queer and Trans models, but photographers, consultants, and executives. Queer people in POWER and being PAID.It’s easy to book us for our outward queerness, but are you paying us for our perspective, our ideas, and our voices? Queer people shouldn’t be an accessory to your business, but integral. When I say “integral,” I mean in the marketing department, in operations, in outreach, in front of the camera and behind it as well. Every facet of your organization should be representing the people that you say your beauty products are for, because Queer people aren’t just walking wallets to give you money and pat you on the back for having a float in a parade.We are PEOPLE. People who face institutional queerphobia and transphobia and if you say that you support Queer people, it means helping to fight that institutional prejudice. Does a portion of your profits go to supporting Trans people’s transition funds? Do you financially support Queer spaces and Queer organizations that are on the ground in communities supporting us like G.L.I.T.S. Inc.?