Cleveland Pride festival to take place amid Trump's DEI repeal
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Pride in the CLE will look to build on a record-breaking 2024 when the annual festival returns Saturday.
Why it matters: The event comes as the Trump administration repeals diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, which has contributed to an increasingly hostile climate for LGBTQ+ communities around the country.
State of play: Pride in the CLE kicks off at 11am with a parade downtown, followed immediately by a festival featuring food trucks, music and more on Malls B and C.
- The festival is free and open to all.
- Last year's festival drew a record of more than 25,000 people, up nearly 35% from 2023, according to the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland.
The big picture: LGBTQ+ communities are dealing with the ripple effects of state and federal Republicans rolling back gains made in recent years.
- This week, the White House announced it will not make a Pride Month proclamation for June, a reversal from the yearly proclamations and celebrations under former President Biden.
Between the lines: Meanwhile, some national companies have pulled back support for Pride events.
- Anheuser-Busch, Nissan, Lowe's and Walmart pulled sponsorship of Columbus Pride, while other corporations ended support in New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and elsewhere.
Zoom in: Cleveland's LGBT Community Center would not comment to Axios on the state of its sponsorships, but does list nearly 70 corporate "Partners" for this year's event.
- Packages can range from as little as $250 for smaller community partners to $30,000 for a presenting sponsor, according to the festival's 2024 Partnership Guide.
Yes, but: One 2024 partner noticeably absent this year is Target, which pulled back on some of its DEI efforts earlier this year. It's unclear who made the choice to end the partnership.
- Other Pride organizations in Cincinnati, Minneapolis and Philadelphia have rejected Target's sponsorship dollars this year.
What they're saying: "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 said in a statement to Axios.
- "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."
Go deeper: See the Buckeye Flame's 2025 LGBTQ+ Ohio Pride Guide for more events in and around Northeast Ohio.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comment from Target.