Pride Toronto faces another setback as Google, Home Depot pull sponsorship
Two more major corporate sponsors have pulled their funding for Pride Toronto. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Lahodynskyj)
Pride Toronto has faced another setback, losing two more major corporate sponsors — Google and Home Depot — just before Pride Month begins, Pride Toronto executive director Kojo Modeste told CP24 Saturday afternoon.
This latest setback follows several other sponsorship losses Pride Toronto experienced in recent months. Modeste spoke to CTV News about those earlier losses in February.
The non-profit in charge of the 2SLGBTQ+ festival is facing a loss of around $700,000 in corporate sponsorships as a result of all the withdrawals, he said.
Modeste and the Pride Toronto team first heard about Google's withdrawal on May 1, while Home Depot's decision was disclosed on Wednesday.
However, no reasons were provided for the termination of sponsorships by either company, he said.
'They both agreed that they were going to be part of the festival this year. They gave us a verbal commitment. In one case, they gave us a written commitment,' Modeste said.
'It was not a signed contract. So, it was very unfortunate to lose both these sponsors.'
Pride Toronto has numerous contracts with artists and vendors from across Canada, so there won't be any major changes in the planning of the 2025 festival. However, Modeste stated that things could look very different by next year if this trend continues.
'We do hope that we're going to be able to recover from the loss that we currently have,' he said.
Modeste attributes these changes to the influence of the political climate in the U.S. and the direction taken by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.
'Pride Toronto has been in other hard positions in the past, and they recover,' he said. 'And I can assure you, I want folks to know that they're coming and should expect nothing but the best from Pride Toronto.'
Google and Home Depot have not responded to CTV News' request for comment.
Pride Toronto will host festive activities beginning June 1, when Pride Month begins. The Pride Parade will take place on June 29.
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