Pride organisers warn Trump’s DEI purge directly hitting UK events as corporate sponsorships drop
Pride events are facing a funding crisis. Here’s why
- UK Pride events are facing a "critical" funding crisis, with 75 per cent experiencing a decline in corporate sponsorships this year.
- This drop in funding, with a quarter seeing cuts over 50 per cent, is attributed to the impact of Donald Trump’s assault on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in the US, affecting global corporations.
- As a result, many Pride organisers are increasingly relying on crowdfunding, with GoFundMe reporting an 82 per cent increase in such efforts, while some major events like Liverpool Pride have been cancelled.
- Experts suggest that "the golden era of corporate sponsorship might be over" for LGBTQ+ organisations, noting that corporate involvement was often a "marriage of convenience".
- Despite the financial challenges, organisers say that Pride, rooted in protest, will persist as an essential safe space for the LGBTQ+ community.