Charity launches fundraiser 'to make Pride happen'
A charity has launched a fundraising campaign to host an alternative Pride event in Liverpool after the annual celebration and march in the city was cancelled.
LCR Pride announced last week that the march, due to take place in July, would no longer happen because of financial challenges.
Ant Hopkinson, the chief executive of the Sahir House charity, said it had pledged to raise money to help facilitate an alternative event because "Liverpool deserves a Pride".
"Pride is a protest, pride is a celebration. It means many things to different people," he said.city's
"We've realised as a city that no one organisation should own and operate something like Pride."
Mr Hopkinson said the charity had been approached by lots of "disappointed and concerned" people.
He said a range of potential cash-generating ideas had been suggested but there was a "very significant challenge" of only seven weeks to arrange an event in time for July.
"We have a list of aspirations - we are currently pulling together community stakeholders, partners and local people to see what's possible," he said.
With ideas ranging from a rally and a peaceful march to a street festival, Mr Hopkinson said the community "would be at the heart of the plans".
"Liverpool is all about community," he said.
"Pride is owned by everyone. Let's have a Pride that centres around community.
"The idea of working as a collective, as a collaborative of individuals and organisations, works much better and actually feels more Scouse and more authentic."
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
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WIRED
2 days ago
- WIRED
The Era of ‘Woke' Brand Activism Is Over
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The Ellen Show tweeted that it was 'nothing short of incredible.' Gillette was not alone in creating a buzzy ad about the LGBT community as a marketing strategy; in the past two decades, there's been a steady uptick in brands and corporations embracing Pride, a trend sometimes criticized as being superficial, or 'pinkwashing.' But, as someone who has worked in marketing for over a decade, if you felt like this Pride month was a lot quieter than years previous, you're not imagining it. Five months into Donald Trump's second presidential term, his executive orders against DEI and LGBT rights have influenced an increasing number of high profile corporate brands to abandon marketing and programming that could be considered too progressive, forcing Pride and Juneteenth celebrations around the country to scale back. At the same time, there's been an influx of brands doubling down on nationalist messages in advertising, at least some of which appear to be tied to Trump's tariffs and fixation on American-made goods. 'I've heard stories of clients wiping out … references to old work or old programs to try to erase that trail online because they're afraid of getting attacked,' says Mark, a creative director and former chief creative officer of a top New York ad agency who did not want his real name used due to potential industry backlash and repercussions. Where there used to be 'a lot of activity and a lot of discussion about social justice issues,' he adds, there's now a 'void of silence.' Welcome to the Trumpian era of anti-woke capitalism. Please check your pronouns at the door. Advertising is one of America's most popular and potent forms of cultural messaging, and signs of Trump's 'anti-woke' cultural crusade are all over our TVs, on our Instagram feeds, and in our communities. 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'Mastercard is a long-standing supporter of the many communities our employees are part of, including the LGBTQIA+ community,' said Will O'Connor, Mastercard's senior vice president of communications for North America, in a statement. 'This year, we continue that commitment by proudly participating in the NYC Pride March and related events with a strong employee-led presence and a community engagement program designed to uplift and celebrate our workforce.' In a statement to WIRED, a Citi spokesperson said, 'Our Citi Pride Inclusion Network is excited about sponsoring a range of Pride Month celebrations and participating in local marches around the globe, including in New York City where we will march in partnership with SAGE, one of our not-for-profit partner organizations.' Similarly, a Nissan spokesperson said the company remains 'committed to promoting an inclusive culture for employees, consumers, dealers and other key stakeholders.' 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Which is why brand CEOs, agency executives, and creative decision makers of all levels must start getting comfortable placing moral imperative over political deference; progressive ideals over short-term gain. Or the American imagination won't just turn MAGA. It will cease to exist at all.
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business Insider
How 15 major brands changed their approach to Pride Month this year
Bud Light's parent company, Anheuser-Busch, ended its funding of St. Louis' PrideFest. After 30 years, Bud Light's parent company, Anheuser-Busch, ended its sponsorship of St. Louis' PrideFest, the main Pride Month celebration taking place June 28 and 29 in the city where the company is headquartered, St. Louis Public Radio reported. Amid the reduced corporate sponsorships, St. Louis' PrideFest will require a $10 entry fee for the first time. Anheuser-Busch did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment. It has not commented publicly about its decision. In 2023, Bud Light faced public backlash after partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The boycott campaign launched by anti-LGBTQ+ groups led to a sharp drop in sales that accounted for over $1 billion in sales for its parent company, Anheuser-Busch, as reported by CNN. At the time of the boycott, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth released a statement, saying the company "never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people." Target has scaled down its Pride collection displays since 2023. Target faced boycotts from anti-LGBTQ+ groups in 2023 and scaled down its displays in response last year. While the number of products in the Pride collection and stores carrying them is similar to 2024, there have been changes to the displays — Forbes reported that they have been shrunk and "set aside" for Father's Day and Independence Day collections. When Business Insider's Talia Lakritz visited a Target in Wisconsin to see its Pride collection, she found a small section at the back of the store featuring rainbow-themed clothing and home decor. She found many more items on their website. "We are absolutely dedicated to fostering inclusivity for everyone — our team members, our guests, our supply partners, and the more than 2,000 communities we're proud to serve," a Target spokesperson wrote in an email to Business Insider ."As we have for many years, we will continue to mark Pride Month by offering an assortment of celebratory products, hosting internal programming to support our incredible team and sponsoring local events in neighborhoods across the country." Nissan did not sponsor any Pride events this year, unlike in previous years. This year, Nissan pulled its sponsorship of San Francisco Pride and New York City Pride, CBS News reported. The company was a major supporter of the events in previous years. "Nissan is currently reviewing all marketing and sales spending — including select consumer auto shows, sports properties and other entertainment activations — to maximize both efficiency and breakthrough effectiveness," a Nissan spokesperson wrote in an email to BI. "Our company remains committed to promoting an inclusive culture for employees, consumers, dealers and other key stakeholders." Citi pulled back its sponsorship of NYC Pride. Along with other corporate giants, Citi pulled its sponsorship of New York City Pride, the Wall Street Journal reported. Instead, the company will participate in the event on a smaller scale, marching with SAGE, a nonprofit organization advocating for LGBTQ+ elders. "Our Citi Pride Inclusion Network is excited about sponsoring a range of Pride Month celebrations and participating in local marches around the globe, including in New York City where we will march in partnership with SAGE, one of our not-for-profit partner organizations," a Citi spokesperson told BI in an email. Mastercard also pulled back its sponsorship of NYC Pride. Mastercard did not renew its sponsorship of the event, The Wall Street Journal reported. The company donated over $175,000 last year. Similarly to Citi, the company will participate in the event on a smaller scale by marching with its employee-focused groups. "Mastercard is a long-standing supporter of the many communities our employees are part of, including the LGBTQIA+ community," a Mastercard spokesperson told BI via email. "This year, we continue that commitment by proudly participating in the NYC Pride March and related events with a strong employee-led presence and a community engagement program designed to uplift and celebrate our workforce." PepsiCo also pulled back its sponsorship. PepsiCo, Pepsi's parent company, was another of the corporate sponsors that pulled back support from NYC Pride this year, The Wall Street Journal reported. The company is also one of the various corporations amending its DEI policies following Trump's executive order and continuous pressure on the private sector, as reported by Reuters. Garnier was another company to withdraw its sponsorship of NYC Pride. Garnier also pulled back its sponsorship of NYC Pride this year, The New York Times reported. Last year, the company was one of the event's Platinum sponsors, contributing over $175,000. While Garnier did not contribute to the event this year, L'Oreal — Garnier's parent company — is featured as one of the event's Platinum sponsors for 2025. When reached by Business Insider, a Garnier spokesperson declined to provide a comment. The Home Depot pulled its sponsorship of Toronto Pride. Across the border, Toronto Pride saw the end of some of its corporate sponsorships, including support from The Home Depot, The Guardian reported. "One of our core values is respect for all people, and we'll continue to uphold that commitment to our associates and our customers. We work with an extensive network of nonprofits made up of thousands of local and national organizations to amplify our support to the communities we serve. We continually review our nonprofit giving and decided not to contribute to this event this year with no agreement in place to do so," a Home Depot spokesperson told BI over email. "We continue to participate in Pride activities throughout Canada and look forward to working with Toronto Pride on future opportunities. In both the U.S. and Canada, we allow our associates to choose which local community events they participate in, and our associate resource groups support events that are important and relevant to their communities." Clorox also withdrew its support of Toronto Pride. "Our decisions around sponsorships evolve year to year as we look to make an impact and foster healthy and inclusive communities," a Clorox spokesperson told BI over email "This year we chose to direct our support to other meaningful initiatives aligned with Pride." Adidas also pulled its sponsorship. Adidas also withdrew its sponsorship of Toronto Pride this year, per The Guardian. "For us, Pride is about creating a fair and authentic culture of inclusion, respect and support for all our people, athletes, and partners. It's also about showcasing the +1 power of allyship through the lens of sports. To turn these words into action, we keep teaming up with organizations like Stonewall and Athlete Ally," an Adidas spokesperson told BI over email. "To mark Pride month for our employees, we're holding Pride panel talks, themed sports activities and workshops for our people throughout the month. All year long, our teammates are celebrating communities and inspiring dialogue through Employee Resource Groups — all to create a workplace where everyone belongs." Visa pulled its funding of WorldPride in Washington, DC. In Washington, DC, WorldPride — which ran from May 17 to June 8 — also saw the withdrawal of corporate sponsors like Visa, as reported by CBS News. Visa did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment. While the company still displays a diversity and inclusion page on its website, no public comment or announcement has been made about any LGBTQ+ initiatives for this year. Deloitte also walked back its funding of WorldPride. Comcast also pulled its funding of San Francisco Pride and WorldPride in DC. Last year, Comcast released a press release celebrating Pride Month. This year, the company pulled its funding from San Francisco Pride and WorldPride in Washington, DC, as reported by The New York Times. Comcast did not respond to BI's request for comment. Macy's support efforts are similar to last year's, but without public announcements. Last year, Macy's put out a press release celebrating Pride and sharing its plans, which included running a donation campaign for The Trevor Project (which supports LGBTQ+ youth) and spotlighting LGBTQ+-owned brands. This year, it is participating in similar ways, including taking part in Pride events across the country and highlighting LGBTQ+ brands, but without a major public announcement, CNN reported. It did, however, share a video about its Trevor Project campaign on social media, including its YouTube and Instagram profiles, and has been sharing other videos with Pride messaging. The Gap has also stayed quiet.
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business Insider
I shopped at Walmart and Target to compare their Pride Month collections. They weren't easy to find.
I shopped at Walmart and Target to compare their Pride Month collections of LGBTQ+-themed items. The Walmart I visited had a few rainbow pajama sets. Target's Pride collection was more extensive. Both retailers appear to be keeping most of their Pride merchandise online amid political pressure. Pride Month looks different this year. When I set out to compare Pride Month collections at Walmart and Target in June, I expected to see aisles full of rainbows and apparel with snappy slogans as I'd seen in previous years. Instead, I found that both retailers kept much of their LGBTQ+-themed items online instead of on shelves. The limited offerings at the stores I visited in Wisconsin could simply be due to differences in inventory across different locations. It could also be part of the brands' broader efforts to avoid right-wing backlash while still catering to customers who celebrate Pride Month. In 2023, Target said it was reducing its Pride collections due to "threats impacting our team members' sense of safety and well-being" from anti-LGBTQ protesters, and in 2024, it said only half its stores would carry Pride items. This year, it told BI it is "absolutely dedicated to fostering inclusivity" with its Pride collection. Walmart's chief marketing officer, on the other hand, said in 2023 that it hadn't received threats related to its line and didn't plan to pull any items, although it did remove some LGBTQ+ merchandise from its website in 2024. A Walmart spokesperson told BI that roughly the same number of stores are carrying Pride merchandise this year. As some corporations scale back their Pride Month offerings amid political pressure, I was curious to see what kind of themed merchandise Target and Walmart might offer this year. Here's what I found during my shopping trips at the two retailers. My first stop was a Walmart Supercenter in Saukville, Wisconsin, to check out its Pride merchandise. The Walmart Supercenter spans 122,000 square feet. I started in the seasonal aisle, but the store had already moved on to the Fourth of July. The seasonal aisle was full of American flags, barbecue accessories, and red, white, and blue decor — no rainbows. There wasn't a designated Pride section in the store, but I found some Pride apparel in the pajama aisle. A pajama set with rainbows and the words "Love" and "Be you" retailed for $16.98. The rainbow pajama sets were the only Pride items I found in-store. A Walmart employee told me she hadn't seen much Pride merchandise in the store and that I'd have better luck shopping online. Next, I visited a Target store in the neighboring town of Grafton, Wisconsin. This Target store was about 5.5 miles from the Walmart store I visited. At 104,000 square feet, the suburban Target location is much larger than the small-format Target stores found in larger cities. The Pride section was located at the back of the store near the fitting rooms in the women's clothing section. The Pride display was marked with a rainbow Target logo, but it took me a few laps around the store to locate. Target's Pride collection included a mix of clothes, accessories, home decor, and other knickknacks. A black polo featured hearts in colors representing the trans flag as well as the rainbow colors of the Pride flag. The all-gender shirt retailed for $24. A 14-inch square rainbow pillow added a pop of color to the shelves. Pride-themed teacups featured rainbow handles. The teacup and saucer sets were priced at $8. A dog toy in the Pride collection had the words "proud pup" in rainbow letters. There was also a rainbow journal printed with the words "Love first." The journal was priced at $10. While Target's in-store Pride collection was larger than Walmart's, Target's website also offered a more extensive selection of items. Target's website had even more Pride apparel, jewelry, home goods, and accessories than I saw stocked on the shelves. A QR code in the Pride display directed customers to "discover more" of the collection online. Both companies kept much of their Pride collections out of stores. I could have saved myself a trip and shopped online. It's possible that other Target and Walmart locations feature more robust sections for Pride Month. A Walmart spokesperson told BI that inventory varies by store and that there has been no effort to move more Pride merchandise online. A Target spokesperson told BI, "We are absolutely dedicated to fostering inclusivity for everyone — our team members, our guests, our supply partners, and the more than 2,000 communities we're proud to serve. As we have for many years, we will continue to mark Pride Month by offering an assortment of celebratory products, hosting internal programming to support our incredible team and sponsoring local events in neighborhoods across the country." It's also worth noting that this year's Pride Month arrives on the heels of both companies rolling back their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives following President Donald Trump's executive order to end diversity programs across the federal government. This change has led some shoppers to boycott the brands. As corporations grapple with how to approach Pride amid political, legal, and cultural shifts, it appears that retailers like Target and Walmart want to have their cake and eat it too. They still sell Pride Month collections to cater to customers on the left, but keep them largely out of sight to avoid angering customers on the right. As Business Insider's Dominick Reuter wrote, this approach risks backlash from both sides.
