Pride Festivals 2025

[EddMarkStarr]

‪Judd Legum‬ ‪@juddlegum.bsky.social‬
· 4h
19 companies that have pulled support of Pride parades, in whole or in part, this year:
Lowe's
Dyson
Nivea
Tiffany & Co.
Toyota
Capital One
UPS
Disney
DoorDash
Live Nation
Anheuser-Busch
Diageo
PepsiCo
Nissan
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Citi
Mastercard
Booz Allen Hamilton

Amazing how fast Pride organizers accepted corporate money, knowing how fickle corporations are on long-term commitments.

 

[Thad1527]

^Diageo includes Smirnoff, who was at Jersey Pride.

No trace of any of those others. But big Pharma was there: Merck, Roche, Bristol Myers Squibb, Gilead.

 

[Kahaih]

Just a reminder;

For many years, gays have been making accusations/bitching that large corporations only horn in on gay pride events to line their own pockets--- to make money off the gays.

Shall we take a look back at past years' posts?

 

[EddMarkStarr]

Just a reminder;

For many years, gays have been making accusations/bitching that large corporations only horn in on gay pride events to line their own pockets--- to make money off the gays.

Shall we take a look back at past years' posts?

Good call Kahaih. Corporations only want consumers and their money. No money . . . see ya later sucka!

 

[unloadonme]

Good call Kahaih. Corporations only want consumers and their money. No money . . . see ya later sucka!

That really should go without saying. Corporations are only going to support a community activity, whether that's Pride or the local dog show, if they think it's going to be to their commercial advantage. It's just a form of advertising after all. Anyone who thinks the support is altruistic needs a healthy dose of reality.

 

[Dargelos]

Let me tell you about London Pride in 1998. According to some sources, there was no pride that year, no pride officialy that is.
There was a plan to make it a ticket only event, £5 in advance please. This idea went down very badly and the financing collapsed, so sorry, no pride this year. No sponsors, no money, no show. We the people had different ideas, everybody turned up and marched anyway. It was so good. No advertising, no floats blaring loud music, just a real march. With zero budget there was no concert at the end, no washed up pop act promoting their new record, no stalls selling tat, no festival at all. Instead the end of the march became a giant street party. We owned the centre of London, the police didnt know what to do. It was brilliant.
But that pride has been expunged from history, only those who were there know it happened.
Point being, dont worry about fair-weather supporters, we can live without them, sometimes we can be better off without them.

 

[me203]

For many years, gays have been making accusations/bitching that large corporations only horn in on gay pride events to line their own pockets--- to make money off the gays.

Good call Kahaih. Corporations only want consumers and their money. No money . . . see ya later sucka!

I don't recall such discussions, but this has been one of my thoughts.

Earlier in this thread, I mentioned my experience with the one pride event I've been to:

I went to one not too far from me for a couple of years in the early 2010s. But it wasn't much--it seemed like it was mostly booths selling crap (e.g., a cheap T-shirt, with a rainbow surcharge that makes Trump's worst tarrifs look like nothing). There were various groups there with their palms outstretched, hoping to get withdrawals from all the walking gay ATMs. The one that really pissed me off was a local organization that claimed to do all sorts of wonderful things for LGBT people, but was uninterested/unable to help me with one issue. Someone in my age range, also gay, told me he thought they were only really interested in certain demographics, which didn't include me.

There was also a booth from the local Congress critter, who represented my district. I didn't see him--but maybe he had a more important appointment with a big dollar donor, whose interests he was more interested in representing than mine

I don't remember major commercial interests, but I'm sure there were at least ones listed as "sponsors."

As a gay guy whose finances could be more robust, I'd rather see Target forgo sponsorship in lieu of having lower prices. That would be far more beneficial to me.

 

[rareboy]

 

[TickTockMan]

^ True.

But I'm pleased to see business support for LGBT events. Even if this year's corporate sponsorship is less, it still sends a message.

Target is still a premiere sponsor of Jersey Pride, despite DEI cutbacks. NJ healthcare providers, insurers, and pharmaceutical companies are still in. Burlington stores is a sponsor, and they're soon opening a new store near my home.

I saw no sponsorship from banks this year.

Maybe prides are doing the right thing.

 

[Thad1527]

Yesterday I went to the Haddon Township Pride parade in Westmont, NJ. It's one of my favorite celebrations.

I can't post pictures, because parents and kids were EVERYWHERE. Watching the parade and participating both!

Lots of candy was given out. And lots of goodies.

It was mostly community groups and small businesses, but so many of them! School groups. Dance and yoga studios.

Some corporate presence: 2 banks (Bank of Ameruca and M&T).. 3 businesses with local HQs (Campbell's, Subaru, NFL Films). All three local hospital systems.

I love this family-friendly event. It leaves me feeling happy.

 

[unloadonme]

I see that World Pride is currently taking place in Washington DC. Seems that overseas visitors are predictably down and that the organisers have reduced estimated visitor numbers from three to one million.

As World Pride starts in Washington, some foreigners stay away

The global celebration of the LGBT culture takes place near the White House after big shifts in US policy under Trump.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[rareboy]

One of the shittiest moves by TrumpCo. was cancelling the performance of the Gay Men's Chorus at the Kennedy Center.

They found another venue, but....

I was happy to see that Canada gayed up its embassy on the Mall....hopefully to rub the US government's nose in all the rainbow colours and love.

Not surprised I suppose that the estimated attandance was reduced by 2/3rds. Who the fuck would take the chance of entering the US now? Particularly if border control might be pissy about
World Pride?

 

[TickTockMan]

Just got in from Salem's Pride Block Party and Parade.


I am beat. I took photos for about 6 hours. On the way home a doctor's office said it was 100F, but my laptop says the high was 88F. Either way too damn hot.

 

[TickTockMan]

Just got in from Salem's Pride Block Party and Parade.


I am beat. I took photos for about 6 hours. On the way home a doctor's office said it was 100F, but my laptop says the high was 88F. Either way too damn hot.

Forgot to mention only one big company took part in the parade and I didn't see them at the block party at all. T mobile had a lot of employees marching.

 

[Thad1527]

Delco Pride had a parade today on State Street in downtown Media, PA. It was drizzly.

It seemed to move quite slowly. It ended with a verrrrry long Rainbow flag.

There seemed to be NO corporate participation. Not even small local businesses.

There were lots of community organizations, religious groups, and political blocs. One state legislator was represented. There were some giveaways but not on the order of the parades I've attended earlier this month.

Media is home to one LGBT celebrity, comedian Wanda Sykes. I didn't see her.

Since it involved minimal travel for me, I was glad I went.

 

[72-Jay]

Boulder pride is June 15, I'm thinking about going but haven't decided yet. Been a number of years since I last went to one up there, so I'd deff like to go...though main thing is its a 1+ hour drive, and say spend a couple hours there, it ends up taking a good chunk out of the day which can make it hard...

While I actually like the big crowded pride events like Denver, the small ones with no crowds such as Boulder are nice too.

 

[72-Jay]

Boulder pride is June 15, I'm thinking about going but haven't decided yet.

And I went
Felt good being back there after so long (last time was pre-pandemic - 2019).
Still what I'd call a "small-town festival" in size, but it deff has grown some since 6 years ago.

 

[me203]

I actually have given some slight consideration to going to a local Pride event. It would be in a nearby small city (the same one that had the nearest No Kings Day event). It would certainly be a small event, which I like. But it's not convenient timing. I might also want to avoid certain people who might show up, although perhaps a disguise could fix that. But we'll see. I will at least check the final announcements of the event--there might be something that would compel me.

I also seriously doubt I'll do the event I did years back. I don't feel particularly safe in the city where that is held.

 

[72-Jay]

I actually have given some slight consideration to going to a local Pride event. It would be in a nearby small city (the same one that had the nearest No Kings Day event). It would certainly be a small event, which I like. But it's not convenient timing. I might also want to avoid certain people who might show up, although perhaps a disguise could fix that. But we'll see. I will at least check the final announcements of the event--there might be something that would compel me.

I also seriously doubt I'll do the event I did years back. I don't feel particularly safe in the city where that is held.

Timing being not convenient is a big part of the reason I hadn't made it back to Boulder ever since things opened back up after all that Covid crap in 2020/2021.
Back before that, the event used to be held in the fall, after they got going again it was moved to June. (And while June is more appropriate being it is Pride Month, I just always seem to end up be more busy that time of year..This year I decided I was going to my make it a point to go if I could, even if it meant putting aside other things.)

I like the feel of the smaller events, there's just a nice vibe or something-like-that to it. Though I also like the big one in Denver too...
They have a similar feeling all being 'pride events', but at the same time different due the sheer size & number of people attending.
The crowds don't bother me (though before I ever went to my 1st one, now a good number of years ago, that was one of the things that made me hesitant, the other was ofcourse "someone might see me there")
In a way I wish I could go to a pride event every weekend in June - thats how much I enjoy it (in theory doing so would be possible since there's more than enough...but in practicality its just not possible. .lol.)
(That all said, I've only gone to a parade once (in Denver) & probably won't again. Not that I dislike parades, its just too early in the day for me (and lasts almost too long - think it was like 3 hours). Plus I really prefer the festival part. Oh and the smaller prides don't have one as far as I know)

And yeah if there's a city/town you don't feel safe in, thats one to avoid! There's a couple prides here I won't consider because of where they are.

 

[TickTockMan]

Never heard of this happening. A local pride (Milwaukie, OR) is postponing their pride because of weather.

INTERESTING
Pride Event Postponed

“Due to the weather forecast for this weekend, the Milwaukie community Pride celebration, sponsored by Travel Oregon, originally scheduled for this Saturday, June 21, is postponed until July 26 from 11 AM to 2 PM in Scott Park. Hope to see you then!

The Riff at B-Side Records & Vintage will still host an indoor Pride celebration beginning at 11 AM.”
City of Milwaukie