Stonewall Columbus Pride March by the numbers: See the 2025 turnout
The 2025 Stonewall Columbus Pride March had fewer marchers than in 2024, but more volunteers, according to Stonewall Columbus Executive Director Densil Porteous.
More than 18,000 people marched in the June 14 parade, around 2,000 people fewer than in 2024. At the same time, over 500 people volunteered for the event, around 100 more than did in 2024.
All told, over 650,000 people attended the weekend's Pride events, resulting in a $7.6 million economic impact for local businesses, Columbus and Franklin County, Porteous said in a June 16 press release.
"This weekend offered more than a festival—it was a statement. A mass declaration that LGBTQ+ lives matter, that we will not stay silent, and that in joy we find our collective strength," Porteous said in the release.
Porteous said certain companies backing out as sponsors this year contributed to the drop in marchers, but many of the volunteers were employees of companies that had chosen not to march.
Several companies, including Anheuser-Busch, Lowe's, Nissan, and Walmart, backed out of supporting Stonewall Columbus' 2025 pride celebrations amid a national backlash to diversity, equity and inclusion policies (DEI).
Retreats from businesses cost Stonewall Columbus around $125,000 in lost donations, about a fifth of its expected costs for Pride Month celebrations. Donations from the Columbus community and other partners filled the financial gap left by the companies, Porteous previously told The Dispatch.
The corporate retreat from supporting Pride events comes as the Trump administration has threatened companies that have DEI practices with investigations and prosecutions. DEI practices in the federal government were ended on day one of Trump's second term via an executive order, USA TODAY reported.
More: Pride fills streets of Columbus as No Kings rallies draw thousands across Ohio, nationwide
Breaking and Trending News Reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at NHart@dispatch.com and at @NathanRHart on X and at nathanhart.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Pride March: How many people showed up in 2025?
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