Americans are skeptical of corporate Pride support
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Many Americans say companies support Pride Month more for profit or pressure than principle, according to Pew Research Center data.
Why it matters: Some companies are pulling support for Pride and related events as they roll back diversity and inclusion initiatives amid pressure from the Trump administration and broader skepticism of corporate Pride.
By the numbers: Among LGBTQ adults surveyed in mid-January, 68% said all or most companies promoting Pride do so because they think it's good for business, 35% because they feel pressured to do so, and 16% out of genuine desire, per Pew's findings.
- Among non-LGBTQ adults surveyed in mid-February, those shares were 54%, 45% and 13%, respectively.
Zoom in: There's a notable partisan split here.
- Some 61% of non-LGBTQ Republicans say all or most companies promoting Pride do so because they feel pressured, compared to 30% of non-LGBTQ Democrats.
- Non-LGBTQ Republicans are also far more likely to say that among companies promoting Pride, few or none do so out of genuine beliefs (63% vs. 37%).
The fine print: These findings are based on separate surveys of 3,959 LGBTQ adults conducted Jan. 8-19 and 4,740 non-LGBTQ adults conducted Feb. 10-17.
- Attitudes may have changed over the following months as some companies rolled back their DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) efforts while others doubled down on them.
The big picture: The last few months have been a major test for corporate America, with some companies sticking to their advertised core tenets and others bending to political or consumer pressure.
- Nearly 40% of companies are scaling back Pride Month engagement this year, Axios' Eleanor Hawkins reports based on Gravity Research data.
- Corporate sponsors have pulled out of Pride events in New York City, D.C., Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Columbus, Virginia and elsewhere as the Trump administration pressures businesses to drop their DEI initiatives.
- That also comes amid increased skepticism of "rainbow capitalism," a term describing companies using Pride imagery and language to appeal to LGBTQ shoppers each June.
The bottom line: While many Pride events benefit from companies' financial support, Pew's findings show that people often view corporate Pride as superficial rather than wholehearted allyship.
