San Francisco Pride, one of the largest LGBTQ+ celebrations in the world, has lost significant funding as major corporate sponsors – some who supported the festivities for years – have pulled out of the event.
Several companies, including Comcast, Diageo and Anheuser-Busch, which had provided about $300,000 in funding, told the organization that they did not have the budget to participate this year, Suzanne Ford, the executive director of San Francisco Pride, told the Guardian. Some of the companies had been a part of Pride for decades, Ford said. “We have relationship with all those people. It’s not just a number or transaction.”
Ford believes the sudden departure of long-term sponsors is the result of a political environment, driven by the Trump administration, that has become increasingly hostile to the LGBTQ+ community.
“The backtracking on rights for the LGBTQ community certainly have to be part of any [corporation’s] calculus on whether they give us money so I can’t pinpoint the exact reason, but, as we all know now, it’s more difficult than ever to stand up and say you support rights of LGBTQ people,” Ford told KRON4.
Since taking office, Donald Trump’s administration has attacked LGBTQ+ people and diversity efforts with a barrage of executive orders. The president has ordered that the US only recognize two sexes, sought to ban trans people from the military, and repealed policies promoting racial equity and protecting LGBTQ+ people from discrimination. Major US companies from Amazon to Google have announced they will end their diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
SF Pride recently announced it would end a longtime partnership with Meta after the company terminated its DEI programs shortly before Trump took office.
“Right now you see a lot of negative attention on the LGBTQ community and maybe people are making this decision from a marketing point of view. I think that is a very short-term view and I think it’s dangerous for companies to take that view,” Ford said.
Organizers are now seeking new funding sources for the event, including to cover greater security costs. Ford has said Pride organizers anticipate more threats this year and planned to increase security. The organization has received several inquiries about new partnerships and about $5,000 in individual donations since the news broke.
Despite initial reports that it had dropped out as a sponsor, Benefit Cosmetics said in a statement to the Guardian on Wednesday that the company “will proudly be participating in the SF Pride Parade”. The company said it had always intended to take part in the event. San Francisco Pride announced on Thursday that organizers had confirmed Benefit would return as a sponsor this year.
“Our support for the LGBTQ+ community is integrated in everything we do and is evident in our support of our employees embracing allyship in the workplace,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
The free event provides major economic benefits to the city of San Francisco, Ford said, and organizers intend to ensure it proceeds no matter what. “We’re going to have the event. We’re going to find the money if we have to knock on every door in San Francisco,” Ford said. “We’re going to find a way this year to have this and take care of our people.”
