How 15 major brands changed their approach to Pride Month this year

Pride events have seen a sharp drop in corporate sponsorships this year.ReutersPride Month events have seen a decrease in corporate support from brands like Mastercard and Nissan.President Trump's efforts to end DEI initiatives have put pressure on companies' diversity efforts.With companies dropping their support of Pride events, organizers are operating at a loss.This Pride Month, "rainbow capitalism" no longer comes with a pot of gold.The June celebrations that only a few years ago prompted corporations to display their brightest rainbow logos on social media, LGBTQ+-themed collections in storefronts, and extravagant floats at city parades have seen a decrease in corporate support amid President Donald Trump's crackdown on DEI initiatives.A number of major brands have scaled back their visible support of high-profile Pride Month events this year, while others are withdrawing their sponsorships entirely, even as their internal values remain the same. Some told Business Insider they are redirecting their support from corporate-sponsored events to more employee-led Pride Month initiatives.The cutbacks have left some Pride organizations scrambling for ways to cover event costs, and some have scaled down their celebrations.In New York City, Heritage of Pride, the organizer of official Pride Month events across the city, reported a budget shortfall of $750,000 after a quarter of its corporate sponsors pulled back their funding, The New York Times reported in May.Here's how 15 brands have changed their approach to Pride events this year.Bud Light's parent company, Anheuser-Busch, ended its funding of St. Louis' PrideFest.In 2023, Bud Light faced public backlash after partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty ImagesAfter 30 years, Bud Light's parent company, Anheuser-Busch, ended its sponsorship of St. Louis' PrideFest, the main Pride Month celebration taking place June 28 and 29 in the city where the company is headquartered, St. Louis Public Radio reported.Amid the reduced corporate sponsorships, St. Louis' PrideFest will require a $10 entry fee for the first time.Anheuser-Busch did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment. It has not commented publicly about its decision.In 2023, Bud Light faced public backlash after partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The boycott campaign launched by anti-LGBTQ+ groups led to a sharp drop in sales that accounted for over $1 billion in sales for its parent company, Anheuser-Busch, as reported by CNN.At the time of the boycott, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth released a statement, saying the company "never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people."The company has stayed quiet on LGBTQ+ issues since.Target has scaled down its Pride collection displays since 2023.Target faced public backlash over its Pride collection in 2023.Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesTarget faced boycotts from anti-LGBTQ+ groups in 2023 and scaled down its displays in response last year.While the number of products in the Pride collection and stores carrying them is similar to 2024, there have been changes to the displays — Forbes reported that they have been shrunk and "set aside" for Father's Day and Independence Day collections.When Business Insider's Talia Lakritz visited a Target in Wisconsin to see its Pride collection, she found a small section at the back of the store featuring rainbow-themed clothing and home decor. She found many more items on their website."We are absolutely dedicated to fostering inclusivity for everyone — our team members, our guests, our supply partners, and the more than 2,000 communities we're proud to serve," a Target spokesperson wrote in an email to Business Insider ."As we have for many years, we will continue to mark Pride Month by offering an assortment of celebratory products, hosting internal programming to support our incredible team and sponsoring local events in neighborhoods across the country."The company continues to support New York City Pride, Houston Pride, and Utah Pride, among others.Nissan did not sponsor any Pride events this year, unlike in previous years.The company pulled its sponsorship of Pride events in San Francisco and New York City.ReutersThis year, Nissan pulled its sponsorship of San Francisco Pride and New York City Pride, CBS News reported. The company was a major supporter of the events in previous years."Nissan is currently reviewing all marketing and sales spending — including select consumer auto shows, sports properties and other entertainment activations — to maximize both efficiency and breakthrough effectiveness," a Nissan spokesperson wrote in an email to BI. "Our company remains committed to promoting an inclusive culture for employees, consumers, dealers and other key stakeholders."Citi pulled back its sponsorship of NYC Pride.Citi was one of various corporate giants to pull their sponsorship of New York City Pride.Ms Jane Campbell / Shutterstock.comAlong with other corporate giants, Citi pulled its sponsorship of New York City Pride, the Wall Street Journal reported.Instead, the company will participate in the event on a smaller scale, marching with SAGE, a nonprofit organization advocating for LGBTQ+ elders."Our Citi Pride Inclusion Network is excited about sponsoring a range of Pride Month celebrations and participating in local marches around the globe, including in New York City where we will march in partnership with SAGE, one of our not-for-profit partner organizations," a Citi spokesperson told BI in an email.Mastercard also pulled back its sponsorship of NYC Pride.Mastercard also pulled back its support of NYC Pride.ReutersMastercard did not renew its sponsorship of the event, The Wall Street Journal reported. The company donated over $175,000 last year.Similarly to Citi, the company will participate in the event on a smaller scale by marching with its employee-focused groups."Mastercard is a long-standing supporter of the many communities our employees are part of, including the LGBTQIA+ community," a Mastercard spokesperson told BI via email. "This year, we continue that commitment by proudly participating in the NYC Pride March and related events with a strong employee-led presence and a community engagement program designed to uplift and celebrate our workforce."PepsiCo also pulled back its sponsorship.Pepsi's parent company was another of the corporate sponsors to back out of NYC Pride this year.AP Photo/Paul SakumaPepsiCo, Pepsi's parent company, was another of the corporate sponsors that pulled back support from NYC Pride this year, The Wall Street Journal reported.The company is also one of the various corporations amending its DEI policies following Trump's executive order and continuous pressure on the private sector, as reported by Reuters.PepsiCo did not respond to BI's request for comment.Garnier was another company to withdraw its sponsorship of NYC Pride.Garnier did not provide a financial contribution to NYC Pride this year.Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images for GarnierGarnier also pulled back its sponsorship of NYC Pride this year, The New York Times reported.Last year, the company was one of the event's Platinum sponsors, contributing over $175,000.While Garnier did not contribute to the event this year, L'Oreal — Garnier's parent company — is featured as one of the event's Platinum sponsors for 2025.When reached by Business Insider, a Garnier spokesperson declined to provide a comment.The Home Depot pulled its sponsorship of Toronto Pride.The Home Depot was one of various companies to pull its sponsorship of Toronto Pride this year.ReutersAcross the border, Toronto Pride saw the end of some of its corporate sponsorships, including support from The Home Depot, The Guardian reported."One of our core values is respect for all people, and we'll continue to uphold that commitment to our associates and our customers. We work with an extensive network of nonprofits made up of thousands of local and national organizations to amplify our support to the communities we serve. We continually review our nonprofit giving and decided not to contribute to this event this year with no agreement in place to do so," a Home Depot spokesperson told BI over email."We continue to participate in Pride activities throughout Canada and look forward to working with Toronto Pride on future opportunities. In both the U.S. and Canada, we allow our associates to choose which local community events they participate in, and our associate resource groups support events that are important and relevant to their communities."Clorox also withdrew its support of Toronto Pride.Clorox was another company to pull back its sponsorship of Toronto Pride.Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images"Our decisions around sponsorships evolve year to year as we look to make an impact and foster healthy and inclusive communities," a Clorox spokesperson told BI over email"This year we chose to direct our support to other meaningful initiatives aligned with Pride."Adidas also pulled its sponsorship.Adidas was another company to withdraw its sponsorship of Toronto Pride this year.Thomson ReutersAdidas also withdrew its sponsorship of Toronto Pride this year, per The Guardian."For us, Pride is about creating a fair and authentic culture of inclusion, respect and support for all our people, athletes, and partners. It's also about showcasing the +1 power of allyship through the lens of sports. To turn these words into action, we keep teaming up with organizations like Stonewall and Athlete Ally," an Adidas spokesperson told BI over email."To mark Pride month for our employees, we're holding Pride panel talks, themed sports activities and workshops for our people throughout the month. All year long, our teammates are celebrating communities and inspiring dialogue through Employee Resource Groups — all to create a workplace where everyone belongs."Visa pulled its funding of WorldPride in Washington, DC.Visa pulled back its sponsorship of WorldPride in Washington, D.C.Thomson ReutersIn Washington, DC, WorldPride — which ran from May 17 to June 8 — also saw the withdrawal of corporate sponsors like Visa, as reported by CBS News.Visa did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.While the company still displays a diversity and inclusion page on its website, no public comment or announcement has been made about any LGBTQ+ initiatives for this year.Deloitte also walked back its funding of WorldPride.Deloitte pulled back its funding of WorldPride in Washington, DC.Alexander Bogatyrev/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesDeloitte also pulled back its sponsorship of WorldPride Washington, DC, The New York Times reported.Deloitte did not respond to BI's request for comment.The company still has a page on its website dedicated to LGBTQ+ inclusion, mentioning alliances they're a part of supporting the community. No public announcement has been made about any financial support to Pride Month initiatives this year.Comcast also pulled its funding of San Francisco Pride and WorldPride in DC.Comcast withdrew its funding from Pride events in San Francisco and Washington DC.Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesLast year, Comcast released a press release celebrating Pride Month. This year, the company pulled its funding from San Francisco Pride and WorldPride in Washington, DC, as reported by The New York Times.Comcast did not respond to BI's request for comment.The company's Pride Month page from last year is still up on its website, and they have sponsored Denver Pride and Sacramento Pride this year.Macy's support efforts are similar to last year's, but without public announcements.Macy's has maintained similar initiatives but has not made major public announcements about them.Carl Juste/Miami Herald/TNSLast year, Macy's put out a press release celebrating Pride and sharing its plans, which included running a donation campaign for The Trevor Project (which supports LGBTQ+ youth) and spotlighting LGBTQ+-owned brands.This year, it is participating in similar ways, including taking part in Pride events across the country and highlighting LGBTQ+ brands, but without a major public announcement, CNN reported.It did, however, share a video about its Trevor Project campaign on social media, including its YouTube and Instagram profiles, and has been sharing other videos with Pride messaging.The Gap has also stayed quiet.Gap seems to have scaled down its Pride Month initiatives this year.SAM YEH/AFP via Getty ImagesGap has largely stayed quiet this Pride Month, despite having previously championed LGBTQ+ celebrations, as reported by CNN.Last year, Gap and its subsidiary Old Navy released a campaign celebrating the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month. This year, its support of Pride initiatives appears to have been scaled down to a social media campaign partnership with Paper Magazine.Gap did not respond to BI's request for comment.Read the original article on Business Insider

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