A group of LGBTQ people holding a rainbow heart celebrating International Pride Month.
Declining Corporate Support for Pride Month
In recent years, a significant number of major corporations have withdrawn their sponsorships for Pride Month, leaving organizers of large-scale parades and festivals scrambling to cope with budgetary challenges. This trend follows a more moderate decline in corporate support observed in the previous year, as reported by CBS News.
The reduction in corporate backing has coincided with a noticeable shift in the engagement of companies like Ford Motor, Molson Coors, Lowe’s, Target, Brown-Forman, and Harley-Davidson, many of which have ceased submitting data to the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. This index evaluates corporations based on their stated policies and support for LGBTQ individuals in the workplace.
This situation raises an important question: how crucial is corporate support to the LGBTQ Pride movement? Many community members argue that corporate involvement is largely performative, often referred to as “rainbow washing,” aimed more at achieving corporate objectives rather than genuinely addressing the real issues faced by LGBTQ individuals.
“We had Pride long before corporate sponsors took an interest. We are returning to our community roots with a focus on collaboration and connection,” stated Eve Keller, co-president of USA Prides, an organization dedicated to supporting Pride festival organizers.
Corporate Sponsorship Declines Amidst Community Skepticism
A recent survey by Gravity Research has highlighted the retreat in corporate support for Pride. Their latest findings revealed that approximately 30% of “consumer staples” companies, like retail brands, planned to adjust their strategies concerning Pride engagement. Across the broader sample, only 9% anticipated any changes.
Fast forward to 2025, and the number planning to withdraw their support has risen markedly, with 39% of all surveyed major corporations indicating plans to scale back, and none expecting increased engagement. Notably, 61% attributed this shift to pressures from new governmental administrations, while 39% cited worries over potential conservative backlash.
The decline is predominantly attributed to reformulations of corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in response to restrictions imposed by the Trump administration on DEI programs, especially impacting federal contractors. Additionally, corporations are wary of becoming potential targets for discrimination lawsuits or facing negative publicity from influential anti-DEI activists, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
“While this year’s rollbacks in corporate Pride support signify an escalation, they are not an entirely new trend,” remarked Jack Mackinnon, senior director of cultural insights at Collage, which recently released findings regarding the current state of the Pride movement.
Collage’s survey underscored a widening trust gap between LGBTQ individuals and corporations. Over 75% of LGBTQ individuals value brand trust in their purchasing decisions; however, only 36% find brands and companies to be trustworthy, revealing a disconnect of 40 percentage points.
“Cynicism regarding corporate support for Pride has been steadily rising among LGBTQ+ Americans,” Mackinnon noted. This heightened skepticism is mirrored in a thought-provoking article by Austin Ahlman in The Intercept, titled “Corporate Pride Is Dying. Good.” Ahlman identifies corporate support as a marketing strategy aimed at tapping into the perceived spending power of LGBTQ+ individuals, highlighting that it has never genuinely represented allyship but rather a lucrative endeavor for corporations.
He concluded that this shift provides an essential wake-up call and a unique opportunity to rebuild Pride with community-centric values at the forefront.
Turning Challenges into Opportunities
To adapt to dwindling corporate support, many Pride organizers are utilizing crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe to establish community-centric funding. GoFundMe’s communications manager, Brian Hill, reported that since January 2024, over 1,000 fundraisers on the platform have collectively raised more than $1.2 million to mitigate the effects of reduced corporate backing.
Keller from USA Prides shared that her organization has not received any alarmed calls about funding deficits from the Pride organizers it assists. Instead, this year’s financial challenges are prompting organizers to seek support from their local communities.
“Organizers are demonstrating increased creativity and resourcefulness, making smarter decisions about their events,” she explained.
This approach includes prioritizing local performers over big-name entertainment and lowering sponsorship fees to encourage participation from more small businesses.
“They’ve committed to working harder and exploring avenues they hadn’t considered before,” she added, noting that Pride extends beyond June and is a year-round celebration.
This grassroots support not only benefits the LGBTQ community but also nurtures meaningful connections within the community, reflecting the true allyship Ahlman emphasized.
He proposes that excessive corporate involvement has “actively undercut the essence of Pride,” transforming events into mere billboards for corporate logos rather than genuine expressions of human rights advocacy.
Signs of a Cultural Shift in Acceptance
While challenges remain regarding support for LGBTQ individuals, a recent Pew Research survey encompassing 4,000 LGBTQ adults indicates a growing acceptance of gay and lesbian individuals in society. Approximately 61% of gay and lesbian respondents reported a significant degree of acceptance, with an additional 29% experiencing some acceptance.
However, the sentiment is notably less optimistic among bisexual (52% acceptance), nonbinary (14%), and transgender individuals (13%). An interesting trend identified by the study reveals that about half of gay and lesbian respondents believe they share a substantial common ground with heterosexual individuals, which could be attributed to the tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling that upheld same-sex marriage.
The Pew survey further suggests that this milestone significantly contributed to the social acceptance of the LGBTQ community, with nearly half of respondents believing the ruling fostered greater acceptance and 20% asserting it had a considerable impact. A strong majority indicated they feel more accepted today compared to a decade ago, with hopes for increased acceptance in the coming years.
Choosing Partners Wisely
The Pew survey also reveals that most LGBTQ individuals believe greater support from religious leaders (61%) and more openly LGBTQ political leaders (60%) would substantially enhance public acceptance. On the other hand, corporate and organizational support is seen as less impactful, with only 45% sharing this belief.
Notably, 68% of respondents acknowledge that many companies promote Pride Month primarily for business incentives, while only 16% believe that they genuinely engage with the LGBTQ community.
“The LGBTQ+ market possesses remarkable purchasing power and brand loyalty, but this loyalty is contingent on authentic support,” asserted Lawrence Johnson, co-founder and CEO of Pure for Men, a prominent wellness brand tailored for LGBTQIA+ individuals.
“We are witnessing a significant movement back towards the authentic origins of Pride. While major corporations may temporarily don rainbows on their products for a month, we are dedicated to serving our community’s genuine needs year-round. Our community deserves businesses that advocate for them beyond mere profit motives.”