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Apple employees celebrate LGBTQ Pride with rainbow Apple Watch bands

By Lulu Chang June 27, 2016

apple watch pride screen shot 2016 06 27 at 1 16 05 pm — Image used with permission by copyright holder

This past weekend, the world lit up in colors of the rainbow in a show of solidarity with the LGBTQ community. In San Francisco, the annual Pride Parade drew hundreds of thousands of supporters, including Apple employees and CEO Tim Cook. And to commemorate the momentous occasion, the tech giant broke from its generally monochromatic color scheme, giving employees Apple Watch bands bearing the many colors that have come to symbolize the LGBTQ community around the world.

The bands, which are not currently available for purchase by everyday consumers like you and me, were first revealed on Reddit when user Sakusuhon posted a picture of the band, noting that they were “distributed as gifts for registration.” The special watch bands were accompanied by a placard that reads: “Apple’s first Diversity Network Association, Pride, turns 30 this year and we’re thrilled to celebrate this tremendous milestone with you! As recognition for everyone who registered to participate in the Pride event this year, we created something special. This limited-edition band is a symbol of our commitment to equalit, and we hope you’ll wear it with pride.”

Apple certainly has significant ties to the LGBTQ community, with CEO Tim Cook recently ranked as the most influential LGBT person of 2016 in Out Magazine’s 10th annual power list.

And while you could ostensibly buy a third-party Apple Watch band to show off your pride, they don’t look quite as nice as the nylon Apple-sanctioned ones. That said, you can check out the available selection here.

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