John’s Dad here with John. We want to share an important message around Pride month.
How can a message of inclusion bring such division? How can a message of love bring out such hate? These questions haunt us every June as Pride month approaches and we prepare to celebrate what should be a time of joy and acceptance.
At
John's Crazy Socks, we are on a mission to spread happiness, and much of that mission is based on inclusion. We champion the possibilities in each of us and in everyone we meet. It's only natural that we carry an array of
Pride-themed socks. As John would say, they are colorful, creative, fun, and "let me be me."
The reality hits us every June when hostile messages arrive. Like this Facebook response to one of our posts:
Unfortunately, I will no longer buy your product. #GetWokeGoBroke
We receive emails that literally condemn us to hell for selling Pride socks and express hopes that we go out of business.
How can selling socks unleash such venom?
Why We Don't Just Stop
Why not simply stop selling Pride items to avoid losing customers? The honest answer is that Pride socks aren't even among our best-sellers, though we'd love them to be. We don't want to alienate customers, no business does.
But offering Pride socks represents one crucial facet of our commitment to inclusion. It's only natural for us to celebrate Pride month. If it costs us customers and revenue, then that's the price we'll pay to live up to our mission.
We have to be true to our values, and your values don't count until you're willing to spend money to live them.
Thanks for supporting inclusion. Thanks for making it possible for us to do what we do.
John and Mark
John’s Crazy Socks
