Is IKEA Rainbow Washing with their Pride-Themed Love Seats?

You’ve seen it happen in June of every year: Corporations colourfully redesigning their logos and creating pride-themed campaigns — some, ostensibly with good intentions, and others as a way to partake in rainbow capitalism.

So when IKEA Canada debuted their new series of Love Seats — representing ten flags from the 2SLGBTQ+ community — it's safe to say that there were mixed reactions.

People had a lot to say about the couches, but none more than the bisexual one. One Twitter user even went on to say they were haunted by its design. Another joked that the couch looked so threatening that they would need to go to therapy to talk about it. 

Created by four designers, three of whom identify as queer and one as an ally, IKEA says they hoped to "honour the richness and diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community" and celebrate queer stories of love.

When it came to creative execution, the company definitely did not hold back — from giant ruffles to a colourful assortment of faux flowers on their jazzed up pride couches, the sofas were the embodiment of pride meets art school.

Although the Love Seats may come across as rainbow washing to some, one has to consider IKEA’s past statements and actions when it comes to LGBTQ+ issues. The fact is, this is not the first time IKEA has done a pride campaign. 

In 2020, the company released limited-edition versions of their Frakta bag redesigned in the colours of the pride flag, with 100% of the sales proceeds donated to IKEA’s choice of LGBTQ+ initiatives, charities, and causes.