National brands pull back from New Orleans Pride amid Trump-era pressure
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Pridefest is hosting its 10th annual event this year in the Marigny. Photo: Courtesy of Pridefest
Major corporations are scaling back support for New Orleans Pride events amid pressure from the Trump administration, organizers tells Axios.
Why it matters: The retreat signals a broader shift away from corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
The big picture: National sponsorships are down this year for Pridefest and Black Pride NOLA, organizers tell Axios New Orleans.
- "We have absolutely seen that trend continue locally," says Pridefest organizer Jack Browning.
- Potential sponsors have declined, saying they are cutting back on DEI spending or they are staying out of the political fray, he says. Others say their pot of money is just smaller this year.
- Nikki Alexander-Tumblin, the founder of Black Pride NOLA, says her organization has "had to figure it out" this year with fewer sponsors, but still put together a full slate of events.
By the numbers: 39% of corporations nationwide are scaling back on external Pride Month involvement this year, according to Gravity Research data.
- This is a sharp increase from last year, when only 9% said they were changing their external Pride engagement.
- Roughly 6 in 10 companies cite the Trump administration as the top reason for this change, while conservative activists and conservative policymakers come in second and third, per Gravity Research.
Zoom out: Corporate sponsors have pulled out of Pride events in New York City, D.C., Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Columbus, Virginia and elsewhere, too.
- The move also comes amid increased skepticism of "rainbow capitalism," a term describing companies using Pride imagery and language to appeal to LGBTQ+ shoppers each June. Go deeper.
Yes, but: Pridefest in New Orleans is making up the difference with community support, Browning says.
- New Orleans & Co., the city's tourism arm, kicked in $5,000 to pay for the event's headliner, and more than 20 community members donated to be ambassadors.
- Other sponsors include local businesses like the Phoenix, Entergy, Robért Fresh Market, Crescent Care and IV Waste.
- Shell, which has a large presence in New Orleans, is sponsoring this year's Pride parade.
- And Viiv Healthcare, Gilead, Yahoo, Cox, Operation Restoration and New Orleans & Co. are sponsoring New Orleans Black Pride Weekend, Alexander-Tumblin says.
Stunning stat: About 5% of adults in New Orleans identify as LGBTQ+, one of the highest percentages in the country.
The bottom line: "I think we as LGBTQ people have found that when our backs are against the wall and we need to find ways to do this on our own, we will find a way," Browning says.
Disclosure: Cox Enterprises is the owner of Axios Media, which has editorial independence.
Editor's note: The photo caption has been corrected to show that Pridefest is happening in the Marigny (not the French Quarter).