One in four corporate donors at New York City’s annual Pride Festival have drawn support for 2025, citing the economic uncertainty and fear of retaliation from the Trump administration.
Pride, the organization that creates the Pride Festival in New York City, is currently facing a shortfall of nearly $750,000. According to the New York Times.
The loss has prompted organizers to launch grassroots fundraising campaigns, hoping to raise $25,000 by the end of June, making the Pride event “free and accessible.”
Only one of five “Platinum” sponsors from last year (a $175,000 donation) has regained that commitment again. This is Cosmetics Giant L’Oreal, donated through a group of LGBTQ employees. Garnier, Skyy Wodka and MasterCard have reduced their financial support or withdrawn them entirely.
PepsiCo, Nissan, PricewaterhouseCoopers and City are usually sponsored at lower levels, but they also dialed support for the Pride Festival, as they first did. It has been reported by Wall Street Journal.
Kilbride said that if some corporate representatives are perceived to support LGBTQ events, they “have definitely mentioned the horrors of a potential blow from the Trump administration.”
Target sponsors as a “silent partner” and repeatedly mentions sponsorship. company spokesman Joe Unger said The era Its target is “sponsoring NYC Pride at a level consistent with last year,” but declined to comment further.
According to The eraLGBTQ social service organizations across New York and across the country have also seen a decline in corporate offerings this year. Some donors are seeking anonymity to avoid attracting the attention of right-wing activists and the Trump administration.
Kazz Alexander and Michele Irimia, co-chairs of NYC Pride, The era A shortage threatens the organization’s ability to hire private security for events. As a result, NYC pride may be forced to scale back or cancel some of its June events. cancel Last year’s Pride Rally and Pride Island Music Festival.
Funding shortages may require a legacy of pride to compete for community grant programs in order to distribute more than $100,000 to LGBTQ nonprofits in the most recent 2023 data available.
“I think it’s very difficult to believe this is about economic context,” said Fabrice Foodart, executive director of the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors. The era. “One of the things that really struck me about the conversations I’ve had over the past few months is, “I don’t want to be a target so I don’t get involved in anything LGBT-related. [of a boycott]. ‘”
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
