Pride’s Spirit Persists
Photography Courtesy of Jonathan Calixto
Pride began as a march in 1970, following the Stonewall Riots and the injustices faced by the LGBTQ+ community. Over 50 years later, what evolved into a celebration of love has come full circle—returning to its roots as a protest amid rising anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. The growing negative sentiment toward the queer community has led some brands and companies to opt out of Pride events this year.
“We have lost continuous sponsors,” said Roman, BELLA contributor and founder of Babylon Village Pride, a nonprofit organization in Long Island that hosts an annual Pride Parade.
According to the latest Pride Pulse Poll by Gravity Research, 39% of companies plan to reduce Pride-related engagement this year.
Meanwhile, 61% of executives cited the Trump administration as a leading reason for rethinking their Pride strategies. A recent Wall Street Journal report also noted that Pride events across the nation have lost support from major sponsors, including MasterCard, Citi, and Nissan.
Roman has been organizing Babylon Pride since 2020, and they say the loss is very clear. “Whether it’s optics, whether it is finances, it is hurtful for small villages such as Babylon,” they said. The village’s first Pride had over 500 attendees, but in 2024 they counted over 5,000 attendees, marking its largest turnout to date.
“This is not for the faint of heart and not an easy task to get done, but the team and I love doing it every year,” said Roman.
Local celebrations like Babylon Pride are not the only festivals at risk. New York City Pride has alleged a loss of over $300,000 in sponsorships this year, according to an interview with The Independent. The loss of funds impacts NYC Pride’s scale of events and their grant programs. Pride Gives Back and community grants financially assist non-profits and local organizations in the New York metro area. Since 1984, NYC Pride has given back more than $25 million in grants to both individuals and non-profits.
The loss in funding has not factored into stopping the annual NYC Pride. In an Instagram post, they announced their theme “Rise Up: Pride in Protest.” In the caption, the organization shared, “As we face rising hostility and dangerous legislative attacks, we are reminded of our roots—Pride began as a protest.”
Despite the financial uncertainty, organizers like Roman are still moving forward, seeing an increase in community support. “Where we lacked in sponsors through businesses, we have picked up through the community,” they share. Roman adds that 75% of funding for this year’s Babylon Village Pride has come from donations.
“The community really made this Pride happen,” said Roman ahead of the 5th annual Babylon Village Pride, happening on Sunday, June 1st.
NYC Pride will also march on, with events throughout the month of June, ending with the NYC Pride March on Sunday, June 29th.
