Cincinnati Pride is sending a powerful message this year—you can’t celebrate us while abandoning us. The Ohio-based LGBTQ nonprofit announced it will no longer accept corporate sponsorships from companies that have backed away from diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, or DEI.
Instead, Cincinnati Pride is turning to the community, aiming to raise $50,000 to keep this June’s Pride Festival running strong—and safe. As of now, they’ve raised about 77% of that goal, with just over $38,000 collected. This shift comes in the wake of political pressure. Though a recent executive order signed by the president only targets DEI programs in federal agencies, it’s already making waves in corporate America. Many companies are now scaling back their DEI programs, and Pride organizers say the impact is immediate and dangerous.
Last month, Anheuser-Busch pulled out of sponsoring Pride St. Louis, leaving organizers nearly half a million dollars short. Similarly, TwinCities Pride in Minneapolis dropped Target over its rollback of DEI initiatives. Still, some companies are standing firm. Delta, Hilton, Kroger, Fifth Third Bank, Procter & Gamble, and local business Pure Romance remain committed to DEI—and to Cincinnati Pride.
