It has been said over and over that in November, the American people gave President Donald Trump a resounding mandate. They wanted immediate action on things like the economy, illegal immigration, and crime. They also wanted to see an end to divisive and damaging things like diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). One of Trump's first actions was to sign an executive order banning DEI throughout federal government agencies, and many American companies and corporations have followed suit and eliminated DEI programs as well. Now, as June and Gay Pride Month approaches, those companies are getting skittish about funding events associated with Pride Month and are pulling their financial support.
NEW: Corporate sponsors refuse to fund SF gay pride parade citing lack of funds.
— Kristin Sokoloff (@KSOKUNCENSORED) March 19, 2025
Pride's director called the developments 'very abnormal'. 😆
Comcast•Anheuser-Busch (the company behind Budweiser and Beck’s beer)•La Crema (a wine company, which is part of Jackson Family… pic.twitter.com/ee3QJzOZHw
The trend of companies pulling funding for Gay Pride events has spread across the country and is even happening in Canada. The result: many Pride organizations are falling far short of their funding goals. One of the biggest, San Francisco Pride, is trying to come up with ways to cover a roughly $300,000 shortfall. Twin Cities Pride, meanwhile, is facing a $200,000 funding deficit. Executive director Andi Otto stated that several longstanding sponsors were not returning calls and emails, and management consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton has pulled out entirely of Washington D.C.'s World Pride Event. Other Pride organizations in Milwaukee and Norfolk, Virginia, have also seen scaled-back support from companies who have been supporters in the past.
Read More: The Golden Age Notches Another Big Victory After Target Corp. Bends the Knee on Woketivism
The pulling back of funding for Pride events is not limited to American cities. Pride Toronto reports that U.S. companies have pulled financial support from their event as well, leaving them around $300,000 short. But there is also an interesting tidbit found in that report: Pride Toronto has an annual budget of around $5.6 million. If we didn't know it already, Pride is big business in North America.
The reason for the corporate cold feet is apparently the fear that the Trump administration will classify funding for Pride events as DEI and companies will face some sort of repercussions. President of Milwaukee Pride Wes Shaver said, “There’s a lot of fear of repercussions for aligning with our festival. Everyone’s afraid.”
More companies will not continue to support these pride events. They will understand what people really want and need. https://t.co/8ioIGU30kr
— Lynn Cappelli (@cappGigi) March 20, 2025
The corporate exodus from supporting Pride events started with the recent withdrawal of St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch from sponsoring that city's Pride event this year after 30 years of support. Two years ago, Anheuser-Busch became the face of "go woke go broke" when transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney appeared in two videos promoting Bud Light. Customers responded by leaving Bud Light on grocery store shelves, and as a result, Anheuser-Busch took a roughly $1.4 billion hit in sales.
It would appear that American companies are more afraid of any possible repercussions from the Trump administration, should corporate funding of Pride events be considered promoting DEI, than they are of a very vocal minority that comprises just 9.3 percent of a U.S. population estimated to be a little more than 340 million people. It is not clear what sort of pushback companies might face from the Trump administration, but blocking acquisitions and mergers could be on the table. Attorney General Pam Bondi has stated that the Department of Justice would enforce Trump administration policies regarding the elimination of DEI criminally if deemed necessary.
American companies and corporations have seen what happened to others like Target, Amazon, and Walmart, in addition to Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light, all of which have endured customer boycotts because of their woke policies and have clearly seen enough. For American businesses, supporting Pride events may no longer be worth the financial risk.
Big sponsors cancel support for Pride parades, but LGBTQ+ groups remain determined
— OnlineFreeUSA (@OnlineFreeUSA) March 23, 2025
(BUD LIGHT WON FOR US!!)https://t.co/ZW4ZA3DSwT via @usatoday
Donald Trump has vowed to take the discriminatory practices of DEI out of the federal government—and out of big-name companies too. And he’s winning.
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