San Francisco’s 2025 Pride celebration is facing a $300,000 shortfall after major corporate sponsors, including Anheuser-Busch, withdrew their support. The brewing giant, alongside La Crema, Diageo, and Comcast, blamed the decision on financial constraints, but Pride organizers suspect a deeper motive. Suzanne Ford, executive director of San Francisco Pride, called the move “very abnormal,” noting that long-term sponsors typically discuss funding concerns before pulling out. She added, “I just interpreted that companies are making decisions that at this time it’s not good to be sponsoring Pride.”
However, despite the funding loss, Ford says Pride will go on as too many people rely on it. It is not the first time Anheuser-Busch has let the community down. In the 2023 controversy, the company faced right-wing backlash over a Bud Light promotion featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. As a response to the backlash, it chose to distance itself from the community.
Our nonprofit LGBTQ media company Hotspots Happening Out produces three pride events in South Florida including the June Stonewall Pride, August PrideFete and next February’s Pride Fort Lauderdale. We are just days away from Palm Beach, Tampa and Miami Beach Pride and sources have relayed concerns about anti-DEI initiatives and how they will affect the basics of celebrating LGBTQ pride. As we move toward June Pride Month this story is evolving.
