Latest news with #NewYorkCityPride
New York Post
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Diddy's two-charge acquittal: Letters to the Editor — June 5, 2025
The Issue: Sean 'Diddy' Combs being acquitted on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. Sean Combs may have been acquitted of the most serious charges, but that doesn't mean he isn't a degenerate ('Making of a hip-hop martyr,' Kirsten Fleming, July 3). Instead of using his fame and money to make a difference and enrich the lives of others, Combs wielded his power to demean women with predatory behavior that bordered on inhumane. There are no winners in this trial. All it did was showcase how an individual with power and influence, but lacking any real humanity, used people in a bad manner and got away with it. Michael D'Auria Bronxville Those people who predict that Diddy's career will suffer as a result of the trial obviously have not seen the crowd of morons outside the courthouse cheering his 'victory.' He is now a social-justice icon to some, and he will continue to prosper. The government's attempt to score an attention-grabbing victory was an utter failure, a true O.J. Simpson moment. Please do not waste any more of our tax money on prosecutions of celebrities who are above the law. Robert Mangi Garden City Now that Combs has been found guilty of prostitution, the big question is how much a pardon from President Trump will cost him. Even though he was only found guilty on the lesser charges, this pardon would still be costly, but Combs has the money. Kreg Ramone Manhattan Diddy is a very powerful person. Even if he does time, it won't make a difference in his operations and power. The fact is that the operation he was responsible for will continue and prosper because everyone involved knows that they will not suffer any consequences. The corruption runs very deep. Unfortunately, we the public pay the price for this unbelievable immoral debauchery. Jean Cole Juno Beach, Fla. In 1991, Combs promoted a concert at City College which killed nine people in a stampede because Combs oversold the concert tickets. Combs was never charged. Now he sits brooding in the Metropolitan Correctional Center, as his lawyers spew garbage about the lack of opportunity for black people. I believe O.J. murdered Nicole Simpson and Ronald Brown and got away with it by playing the race card. Combs contemptuously continues that tradition. Ron Spurga Manhattan The Issue: The New York City Pride March banning LGBT police offers from participating in uniform. The leaders of the Pride March refused to let gay NYPD officers march in their parade with their uniforms and their firearms on, but as soon as there was a problem when someone was shot and assaulted, who came to help ('The Shame of Pride,' Editorial, July 2)? Everybody had better wake up, because when you are in a bad situation, the only help is the NYPD. Without them, imagine what more could have happened. John Wilde Massapequa Park I've marched in New York City Pride for years. It's one of the most moving, joyful days of the year — full of love, defiance and belonging. But this year, as I cheered for floats and families, drag queens and dancers, I couldn't shake the bitter truth that some of our own were missing: LGBTQIA+ officers were banned from marching in uniform. I get the history — I really do. Law enforcement has caused deep, lasting harm to our community. But Pride was born from protest and from the belief that we all deserve to live and love out loud. It's appalling that queer officers — people who risk their lives for this city every day — are allowed to guard the parade but not walk in it. L.C. Walton Manhattan Want to weigh in on today's stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to letters@ Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy, and style.
Business Insider
26-06-2025
- Business
- 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.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The era of Corporate Pride is over
This is going to be a "strange" year for Pride, Kevin Kilbride says, given everything that's going on. About one-third of New York City Pride's corporate partners are still holding back their sponsorship dollars this year, with just a couple of months to go before the event, explains Kilbride, who handles media and marketing for the organization. "That is unusual," he says. "We've seen folks moving a little bit more cautiously, what they would say is strategically." Some sponsors have expressed political concerns, pointing to the White House's antagonistic stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion and the current climate more broadly. Others are gesturing at tariffs or general economic instability as the cause for their hesitation in committing big money, which organizers have to take at face value, even if it's hard to imagine the politics aren't part of the calculation. Case in point: Kilbride says that a "pretty significant" corporate sponsor has asked to be a silent partner of this year's New York Pride, though it hasn't scaled back its funding. "Our businesses have long been a leader in trying to support this community and push this movement forward and more into the spotlight," Kilbride said. "And it's unfortunate that that not across the board seems to be shared by all of the former partners." LGBTQ+ Pride month is close on the horizon, in June, and organizers of events, marches, and celebrations across the country are in the final stages of securing funding and sponsorships. In contrast to years past, when, if anything, the complaint was that Pride had become too corporate, planners are encountering a much different, colder scenario. This year, businesses are anxious about their involvement. While some are sticking to it, others are scaling back donations or declining to participate entirely. They're scared of the Trump administration's anti-DEI stance and threats of retribution. They're worried about the potential social media backlash. And they're reacting accordingly. "There's a variety of responses. One is there is obviously retreat," said Bob Witeck, a communications strategist focused on the LGBT business community. "A number of companies have made the decision that this is a fraught environment in which to take part." San Francisco Pride has had several big sponsors back away this year, including Anheuser-Busch, Comcast, Diageo, and Nissan. It may be on track for a $200,000 shortfall in its anticipated $4.1 million budget. Suzanne Ford, the executive director of San Francisco Pride, said the companies backing away have been wishy-washy about why. "Obviously, the Trump administration and the war on diversity, equity, and inclusion, I think, has affected some corporations' decisions about who they sponsor," she said. "Some corporations are hedging their bets, not trying to inflame one side or the other and trying to just stay out of the fray." The public attention on the dropouts has helped inspire other sponsors to jump in and fill the gap, Ford said, including Levi's, which is returning after a three-year hiatus, Benefit Cosmetics, and La Crema wines. As news about withdrawals trickled out, San Francisco Pride also brought in $30,000 in donations from individuals last month, and organizers believe some companies could still make donations even if they choose not to officially sponsor. Pride is a boon for San Francisco: A 2015 economic impact study found it injected $350 million into the local economy every year, thanks to more than half a million visitors attending the two-day celebration. Ten years later, Ford thinks that number could be $1 billion as crowds have continued to grow. "Pride, over its history, has faced difficult times, and we've always found a way, and we'll find a way now," she said. A Diageo spokesperson said that Diageo plans to participate in events around Pride in San Francisco, such as offering promotions at bars through its Smirnoff brand. Comcast, Anheuser-Busch, and Nissan did not respond to requests for comment. Ryan Bos, the executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance in Washington, DC, said a number of sponsors have dropped out of this year's event, including Booz Allen Hamilton, a consulting firm and major federal contractor that could, in theory, find itself in the crosshairs of some of Trump's DEI-related executive actions. "As you can imagine, being in the nation's capital, a lot of advocates we work with either have federal contracts or definitely receive federal funding," he said. In an email, a Booz Allen spokesperson said the company is committed to supporting all of its employee communities and celebrating tribute months. They said the decision not to be a headline sponsor this year "does not reflect any pullback of support to this community." I think there is a level of fear. Denver Pride has seen a decrease in funding for its events, which include a festival, parade, and 5K race. Natalie Zanoni, the organization's interim CEO, said in an email that among those who sponsored Denver's 2024 Pride and are coming back this year, average contributions have decreased by 62%. Other sponsors aren't coming back at all. She noted that Denver's Pride is unique in that it doubles as an annual fundraiser for Denver's local LGBTQ+ community center, The Center on Colfax, meaning the decline in sponsorship money will affect more than the size of parade floats. "The decrease in funding we are experiencing puts these critical services at risk, such as mental health support, programming for our trans and gender diverse community, youth, older adults, and more," she said. While they are "disappointed" by the situation, the group doesn't want to call out specific funders. "We also recognize that these decisions do not reflect the views and opinions of everyone within the organizations in question," Zazoni said. Kojo Modeste, the executive director of Pride Toronto, said that Nissan Canada is the only company that's publicly announced its exit from the city's event. The company said in an email that it was a "local decision solely due to a reevaluation" of its marketing and media activations in a "variety of activities." However, Modeste said "quite a few" other sponsors have quietly pulled out. Many of the corporations haven't provided a detailed justification, though most are based in the US, which, given the current economic headbutting between the two countries, adds another element. "It sends a message without sending the message, without them telling us exactly that they're pulling out for these reasons," Modeste said. "I think there is a level of fear." Some smaller Canadian sponsors are trying to step in to help fill the gap, which Modeste is grateful for, but their generosity will still leave the organizers with a shortfall. "The cost of doing the festival year after year keeps going up," Modeste said. "Even if we were to gain back 50% of that loss, it is not going to cover that big gap that is left." We're really back to, in a sense, what Pride was originally intended to be. It's not just the large Pride events that are seeing pullbacks. Jessica Laney, the president of Pikes Peak Pride in Colorado Springs, said the event has never really had large corporate sponsors. It's generally relied on grassroots support and smaller entities, but they've scaled back this year, too. Pikes Peak is seeing fewer sponsors at their $5,000 and $10,000 tiers, which represent some of their highest levels of giving. Government grants have dried up, too. "Those are pretty much gone now," Laney said. On the more encouraging side, they've had an uptick in smaller contributors, say, at the $1,000 level. "It's kind of like a change off," she said. Pikes Peak Pride is still below where it was last year in terms of sponsorship dollars, but the group hopes more money will come in. It's being more proactive about outreach and doubling the number of fundraisers it hosts. Alexander Clark, the board president of 406 Pride, which hosts Billings Pride Fest in Montana, said they've had some new sponsors jump in, including a large local hotel chain, and as of now, one of its five major sponsors is returning — and increasing its donation. As for the other four major donors, Clark said the organizers are taking a cautiously optimistic approach. "As we're approaching some of the bigger sponsors, though, we're expecting to get some pushback, because some of the companies that have participated in the past may not have that same DEI focus," he said. 406 Pride is what Clark admits is a "unique" organization and location, given that it's in a deep-red county in a deep-red state. "Folks seem to have a 'keep to their own' mentality," he said. If they're part of the queer community, they'll come out, but if not, they "don't really bother with us." That means in terms of sponsors, it's always been a more thoughtful decision to participate. This year, Clark is hoping partners will come back and then some, because organizers are taking a number of new — and more expensive — safety measures. They're installing concrete barriers instead of wooden ones and are hiring a security firm to back up local police. "I'm not taking any chances this year," he said. These decisions to scale back Pride support aren't happening in a vacuum — they're taking place in a context when many corporations are afraid to engage in anything that might appear DEI-esque. The White House has pledged to root out what it's characterized as "illegal DEI" from the federal government, government contractors, and, where possible, private companies and is seeking to make examples out of specific entities it believes have gone too far. Some conservative social media influencers are on the hunt for targets to rile up their followers about. Businesses don't want to be caught up in whatever the controversy of the day is, or the one that pops up tomorrow, or the day after that. This has led a number of major companies to scale back their DEI practices. Some have eliminated or overhauled programs aimed at underrepresented consumers, vendors, and employees, including the LGBTQ+ community, and have scrubbed mention of certain diversity-related terms from their websites, financial filings, and other documentation. Take Target: It faced blowback last year over its Pride merchandise collection and wound up scaling it back, even though the collection wasn't markedly different from anything it had done in previous years. "If you and I were talking five years ago, the bigger issue was corporate exploitation," Witeck said. "So we're really back to, in a sense, what Pride was originally intended to be. It was sort of a civil rights activation." He added that some companies, instead of sponsoring celebrations or parades, are donating to community causes instead. "In some respects, that's a positive move," he said. Fabrice Houdart, a human rights advocate who focuses on LGBTQ+ rights and corporate social responsibility, pointed out that the Trump administration has not targeted Pride, including this year's World Pride, which will happen in Washington, DC. In Houdart's mind, companies may just be taking advantage of the opportunity to walk away from initiatives they were never really that attached to in the first place. "Right now, the wind is not very pro-LGBT and therefore they're thinking, 'Well, I'm just going to throw out the baby with the bathwater and run away from that community as quickly as I can,'" he said. "In many ways, what it shows is that there was some amateurism in the way the company expressed their values." It's very, very hard to make that happen without corporate support. All of the Pride organizers I spoke to expressed disappointment about former sponsors' handling of this year's events. Parades, festivals, and other gatherings cost money to put together, and less money may mean they could need to scale back their plans, though, in certain areas, such as security, medical services, and insurance, there's no compromising. "People are getting the message that Pride is fragile. It always has been and always be," Ford said. Historically, some corporations have been ahead of the curve on LGBTQ+ rights — General Motors, for example, extended marriage benefits to same-sex couples before same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide. Organizers also said they were starting to look for more grassroots, individual support going forward so that they won't be so reliant on big business and whatever cultural and political tides they're reacting to. "You've got a free event that we're trying to make as accessible to as many people as we can. It's very, very hard to make that happen without corporate support," Kilbride said. "It's still, I think, going to end up being on the queer community. In my opinion, we are our own sponsors during Pride Month, so I think that's kind of what the future is headed towards." In the meantime, New York City Pride is planning to get fundraising for this year wrapped by the beginning of May. Some of the attention on sponsors dropping out is bringing some of them back to the table, and there's hope additional visibility could inspire other companies to step up — corporate anxiety works both ways. Emily Stewart is a senior correspondent at Business Insider, writing about business and the economy. Read the original article on Business Insider
