The 2025 Pride collection from Levi’s drew concern from some reviewers for its emphasis on Holocaust imagery without education. Many of the items on sale this year contain the pink triangle that Nazis forced victims to wear to label them as queer. While many LGBTQ+ folks appreciated something other than rainbow logos, others felt that the symbol warranted a little context.
Levi Strauss & Co. does have a history of supporting the LGBTQ+ community and even rejected anti-DEI efforts from the Trump administration this year, but a little blurb about what the triangle means would be extra helpful during a difficult time for the community.
Levi’s 2025 Pride collection review: ‘Provide some kind of context’
On Monday, fashion critic and TikTok user @connor.clary reviewed this year’s Levi’s Pride crop, and he’s not impressed. Not only are a number of the items very plain, without any hint of Pride other than on the tags, but the nod towards the Holocaust felt a little weird without any kind of explanation as to where those triangles come from.
@connor.clary REVIEWING THE 2025 LEVI’S PRIDE COLLECTION: uh oh
♬ Night Jazz Bar Style Jazz Piano Trio 17 Minutes(889867) – ricca
In the video, Connor Clary explains that the pink triangle originates from Nazi Germany, which used these symbols to label the approximately 15,000 gay men they sent to their concentration camps. Gay rights activists reclaimed it in the 1980s during the AIDS crisis to criticize then-President Ronald Reagan for his silence on the epidemic.
With such a bloody history, Clary feels unsettled by the fact that Levi’s used the symbol without providing context in the product descriptions.
“I would be very hesitant to support a corporation that’s using that iconography sans any kind of awareness or education as to why it exists in the first place,” he said.
Clary points to the “Pride community tee” that reads “united for freedom our diversity is our strength” within an upside-down pink triangle. The description notes the yearly Levi’s donation to Outright International, but mentions no history.
“If they’re going to use a symbol that has such a heavy and dark history, I would love if they would just provide some kind of context as to why it’s there or give voice to the people who were impacted by the history of both the Holocaust and the AIDS epidemic—survivors of which are still here today.”
Commenters weigh in on Levi’s Pride Month collection
Commenters on Clary’s video often agreed that Levi’s should have included this context in their 2025 Pride collection, but others pushed back. Some defended the company based on recent actions or insisted that people should already know the context behind the symbol.
“Ok but…Levi’s board just rejected anti-DEI initiatives, which means something in today’s world,” said @thegoodfarmers. “They have proven themselves as allies, unlike a lot of performative companies. I give them a pass.”
“Levi’s is based in San Francisco,” wrote @lav5450. “Volunteers put a giant pink triangle on the side of the hill in SF ¡EVERY YEAR AT PRIDE! as a sign of remembrance. If you don’t know the cultural significance of the pink triangle, that’s on you.”
Clary responded to the latter commenter by saying he grew up in Missouri, where people buy Levi’s and need the education.
“I grew up in Missouri and most people in the Midwest don’t really know the history behind the pink triangle, schools don’t talk about the AIDS epidemic at all and only briefly get into the Holocaust,” he explained.
@kennethpabon Is it performative or pride? Reviewing @Levi’s ♬ original sound – Kenneth Pabon
Other TikTok fashion reviewers like @kennethpabon criticized the Levi’s Pride collection for the boring rainbow logo shirt and the lack of LGBTQ+ symbology on other items, but appreciated the pink triangle merch. On Bluesky, some users agreed.
“Levi’s 2025 pride collection appropriates Holocaust symbols (pink triangles and then other triangles) without any context or acknowledgement of their origin,” said @popher.bsky.social. “Totally unacceptable.”
Levi’s chooses diversity
Levi’s has a history of supporting the LGBTQ+ community beyond its yearly Pride collection, though this underscores questions about why they failed to take any steps toward simple education around a symbol they are profiting from.
According to Sustainability Magazine, over 99 percent of Levi’s shareholders voted to uphold its DEI programs in the face of pressure from the Trump administration. On April 23, 2025, they held the vote in response to a request from right-wing think tank the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR).
The tank asked shareholders to “consider abolishing its DEI program, policies, department and goals.” Levi’s Board of Directors advised a “no” vote, and shareholders overwhelmingly complied.
“We’ve been committed to diversity and inclusion for literally decades, and it’s the core to who we are,” said Levi’s President and CEO Michelle Gass. “So our commitment remains unchanged.”
“We will do what’s right for our people, for our business. And at the end of the day, building a diverse and inclusive workplace helps us deliver stronger results.”
The company also partnered with San Francisco–based tattoo artist José Luis Sanabria this year to create eight embroidered patches and four stamps, according to Sourcing Journal. These will be available at Levi’s Tailor Shop locations starting on June 1.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @connor.clary via TikTok and Levi Strauss & Co. via email.
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