Exclusive: Faith leaders urge religious groups to "recommit to Pride" amid backlash

A coalition of faith leaders is urging religious organizations to openly show their support for LGBTQ+ people ahead of this year's Pride Month.Why it matters: The effort comes as corporations are pulling support for Pride events and as GOP-led states are pushing laws banning Pride flags and at least 10 states have introduced bills banning marriage equality.The big picture: This year's Pride Month comes amid uncertainty after President Trump signed an executive order against diversity, equity, and inclusion, prompting DEI walk-backs from companies.Driving the news: In a letter with a pledge obtained by Axios, the mostly left-leaning faith leaders said "2025 Pride will test the courage of our nation" and "too often religion is used to attack LGBTQ+ people."The leaders said millions of dollars are being spent "targeting our Trans siblings" and promoting bills like those banning marriage equality. "We, who are from diverse faith traditions and beliefs, are showing up and refusing to back down. We support the LGBTQ+ community, and we Recommit to Pride," the letter said.The leader said they would speak out with public prayers, bold statements, and visible acts of support for the LGBTQ+ community and urged other faith leaders to sign the pledge.Zoom in: Interfaith Alliance is organizing the campaign.The open pledge to be released Tuesday has already been signed by groups like the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Hindus for Human Rights and Muslims for Progressive Values.State of play: Trump issued his anti-DEI order, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is rushing to ban transgender troops from the U.S. military under pressure from evangelicals and conservative Catholics.Both were among Trump's strongest supporters in the 2024 election. The orders and moves by the administration have resulted in several companies ending DEI programs and stopping supporting Pride events.Zoom out: Mastercard, Citi, Pepsi, Nissan and PwC pulled sponsorship of NYC Pride. Booz Allen Hamilton and Deloitte pulled out of WorldPride Washington, D.C., Axios' Eleanor Hawkins reports.Anheuser-Busch, Comcast and Diageo also stopped sponsoring San Francisco Pride.Meanwhile, Minneapolis' Twin Cities Pride rejected Target's sponsorship dollars citing wishy-washy support of the LGBTQ+ community and its DEI rollbacks.By the numbers: 39% of corporations are scaling back external Pride Month engagements this year, according to Gravity Research data.This is a sharp increase from last year when only 9% said they were changing their external Pride engagement.57% of companies that are federal contractors plan to reduce external engagement, highlighting the risk of federal investigations.What they're saying: "This Pride, it is more urgent than ever that we lock arms with our neighbors and build a community of solidarity," Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, executive director of GLSEN, an education LGBTQ advocacy organization, said in a statement."In a moment when the fundamental rights and physical safety of LGBTQ+ people are under attack...Faith in Public Life joins in honoring Pride and recommitting to our continued advocacy," Jeanné Lewis, CEO of Faith in Public Life, said."It's more important than ever for communities of faith to make absolutely clear our solidarity and support," said Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance. Friction point: The risk for engaging around LGBTQ+ issues has increased 42% since this time last year, per Gravity Research's insights.Roughly 6 in 10 companies cite the Trump administration as the top reason for this change, while conservative activists and conservative policymakers come in second and third.

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