NEW YORK CITY (LifeSiteNews) — “Heritage of Pride” – the LGBT group organizing the New York City “pride” parade – has lost 25 percent of its major donors ahead of the event.
In a May 21 interview with the New York Times, “Heritage of Pride” spokesperson Kevin Kilbride admitted that the group was nervous after losing the majority of its corporate sponsors this year.
“The vast majority of what we have heard is that folks are treading carefully from an economic perspective,” he said.
“Some folks have definitely mentioned the fear of potential blowback from the Trump administration if you are a big corporation and you are publicly supporting D.E.I. initiatives,” Kilbride continued.
The NYC “pride” parade, set to take place June 29, is well known for public nudity, explicit sexual content, and preying on minors.
“Heritage of Pride,” also known as “NYC Pride,” is currently facing financial shortfalls of $750,000. This year, 25 percent of the group’s sponsors have pulled funding from the “pride” event.
Additionally, four out of five last year’s platinum sponsors, including Garnier, Skyy Vodka, Target, and Mastercard, have pulled or reduced funding. Furthermore, according to a report by Axios, Pepsi and Nissan will not contribute funds this year.
As a result, “Heritage of Pride” is turning to private donors to meet their financial budget.
“That gap we’re trying to fill with a community fundraising campaign. So in the middle of May, we launched a peer-to-peer campaign so folks can start their own fundraiser online, share it with their friends, and then have folks donate to that,” Kilbride explained.
Mainstream media outlets have branded the corporations’ decision as a “fundraising shift,” which are attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI policies.
However, the lack of funding for LGBT groups has become more of a “cultural shift” than a fundraising one. This year, several “pride” events across the United States faced cancellations or significant challenges as Americans appear to have tired of the LGBT mob.
The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., canceled a week’s worth of “WorldPride” events scheduled for June 5–8, including performances by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and the International Pride Orchestra.
Additionally, corporate sponsors, such as Anheuser-Busch, Booz Allen Hamilton, Comcast, and Visa, withdrew funding from major “pride” events in cities like San Francisco, New York, and St. Louis.
