MASSIVE WIN: Major Brands Pull Funding from Pride Events Amidst DEI Rollback – The Collapse Is Here!
We have some incredible news to share! What started as a trickle of lost financing for small-scale Pride events, with reports of significant funding like $350,000 being pulled last week, has now escalated into an absolute deluge and avalanche of major brands pulling out of Pride celebrations. And frankly, we couldn’t be happier. This is exactly why brands should just stay out of this kind of thing. Why on earth would you want to get political as a brand?
Big brands are now openly distancing themselves from Pride events amidst a broader Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) rollback. LGBTQ+ celebrations coast to coast are facing significant funding shortfalls as corporate sponsors cut back. Even some backers who continue to provide funds are electing to be silent partners, not wanting to put their name on the product or be associated publicly. Just think about that – even the people still funding them don’t want their names attached.
Organizers are seeing the impact firsthand. Marty Zuniga, who helps organize Pridefest in St. Louis, one of the Midwest’s biggest celebrations, noticed by January that corporate contacts were not answering emails. Long-term partners like Anheuser-Busch have declined to sponsor this year’s festival, with Bud Light reportedly cutting all Pride funding. Other sponsors have slashed donations, leaving a massive gap in their budget. Meanwhile, several companies willing to commit financially asked to keep their names out of it, stating, “We still want to support you but we can’t scream it from the rafters”. We find that pretty interesting.
Amidst what’s described as the Trump administration’s targeting of DEI initiatives, companies are distancing themselves from Pride. Many big brands are backing away from LGBTQ celebrations of all sizes as part of a broader DEI roll back. This is leaving organizers, even for marquee events in major cities like San Francisco and New York, with budget shortfalls. This comes at a time when they anticipate higher turnout and face what they call heightened safety and logistical challenges. Organizers worry that perceived anti-trans and anti-drag sentiment could make events a magnet for hate.
However, we have to ask, has there ever actually been an attack at a Pride event? This group often presents themselves as perpetual victims. Organizers are also claiming that while losing sponsorship dollars, they have to spend way more on security. We’ve heard reports of extreme security measures like encircling an event with a 6-foot fence and renting a nearby parking garage just to shut it down to prevent potential vantage points. We think this implies fear of “mass events” at Pride festivals. But honestly, last time we checked, a significant percentage of recent “mass events” were perpetrated by people who would likely identify with or be present at Pride themselves.
Eve Keller, co-president of the United States Association of Prides, noted that Pride celebrations of all sizes are reckoning with a sudden drop in financial support. Perhaps they should try to run these events like a business and not a charity? Why should corporations have to subsidize them?. Keller did acknowledge that economic uncertainty must make it hard for companies to manage budgets. Some events have even reportedly lowered their sponsorship threshold to just $500.
Besides direct sponsorship cuts, some companies are also rolling back specific policies. Nissan, for instance, reportedly rolled back some policies late last year after being pressured by conservative activists online. Other brands like Boeing, Caterpillar, Toyota, Molson Coors, and Tractor Supply have also revised their policies.
Large Pride celebrations, which rely heavily on corporate partnerships for massive multi-day events drawing hundreds of thousands, are particularly vulnerable. The executive director of San Francisco Pride reported that corporate partners usually make up two-thirds of their more than $3 million budget but they are short roughly $400,000 this year due to lower corporate donations. Anheuser-Busch, Comcast, and Nissan are among the additional brands that have completely backed out there. Other big names like Mastercard, Pepsi, and Booz Allen Hamilton are also stopping their spending in Pride.
Comcast, Booz Allen Hamilton, Mastercard, and Anheuser-Busch have all essentially said, “Nah, we’re done”.
We absolutely love to see this. This is an absolute epic victory, and we hope more and more of these brands pull out. Nobody wants to see this stuff. You can have your Pride festival, but we don’t want any company we support with our hard-earned money spending it to support things like drag story shows for kids. It’s a pretty easy thing to understand if you’re not… well, you know.
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