Pride organizations in the U.S. are confronting a sharp decline in corporate sponsorships ahead of pride month, prompting many to seek out other means of funding.
Several major cities, including San Francisco, Washington D.C. and St. Louis, have reported substantial funding shortfalls for their 2025 Pride events, according to Bloomberg. San Francisco Pride is currently down approximately $200,000 after longtime sponsors like Comcast, Anheuser-Busch, Diageo and Benefit Cosmetics withdrew their support. Federal contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, a previously committed sponsor for the Capital Pride Alliance (CPA), responsible for hosting World Pride in Washington, D.C., has withdrawn its financial support.
CPA Executive Ryan Bos told Bloomberg that Deloitte, Comcast and Darcars Automotive Group elected not to finance the event in the nation’s capital. Similarly, St. Louis’ PrideFest is grappling with a $150,000 shortfall after Anheuser-Busch ended its support.
The reasons behind this corporate retreat are complex. While some companies reportedly cited budget constraints, others appear to be responding to the current political climate. (RELATED: Companies Backing Out Of Supporting Several Major Gay Pride Events Amid Trump’s DEI Crackdown)
A study of multiple corporate executives conducted by Gravity Research found that around two in five said they were pulling back pride month engagement in 2025 when compared to the past, Bloomberg reported. Six in ten firms point to President Donald Trump’s policies regarding transgenderism and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as a driver. Almost 40% of all firms raised concerns over criticism from conservatives and customers.
“Conservative scrutiny is really the top driver of change,” Gravity Research President Luke Hartig told the outlet.
NEW: Anheuser-Busch pulled its sponsorship for a St. Louis LGBT event, breaking its 30-year streak of support for the festival. @DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/wnkf9TPQg0
— Justin Bailey (@JustinRBailey96) March 26, 2025
Suzanne Ford, executive director of San Francisco Pride, previously told KTVU-TV that the sudden withdrawal of multiple longtime supporters was “very abnormal.” The entities told the organization that budgetary issues forced them to withdraw support, SFGATE reported.
Pride organizations in smaller cities are also feeling the pinch. Twin Cities Pride reported being about $200,000 behind on its funding goal, with more than 30 firms having not yet responded, according to Bloomberg. In Norfolk, Virginia, Hampton Roads Pride President Jeff Ryder told The New York Times in March that the organization has seen sponsors either reducing donations or postponing their decisions.
This sponsorship pullback coincides with the rolling back of DEI initiatives in the U.S. Trump has pushed to eliminate DEI programs in federal agencies, previously characterizing them as “radical and wasteful” in a Jan. 20 executive order.