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New York Post
20 hours ago
- Business
- New York Post
Why there's no shame in corporate America boycotting LGBT Pride Month
'Private companies can do whatever they want,' leftists once snorted in defense of companies like Facebook banning conservative speech. But now the tables have turned, and LGBTQ activists have found themselves in a state between panicked and sulky as their fair-weather friends in corporate America are pulling sponsorships of Pride celebrations this month. As a result, Pride events across the nation are facing budget shortfalls, and activists are blaming everyone but themselves. Advertisement 8 LGBT Pride events across America have seen millions of dollars in sponsorship deals dry up since President Trump returned to the White House, according to reports. lazyllama – At least 14 companies — including Pepsi, Citi, MasterCard, Nissan, Garnier, and US defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp. — have dropped or greatly scaled back their financial contributions to annual Pride events nationwide. Anheuser-Busch, makers of Bud Light, has also backtracked on Pride sponsorship — and for good reason. The company lost an estimated $395 million after its botched partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney led to a nationwide boycott in 2023. Advertisement Ever since, Bud Light has struggled to reposition itself as the good ol' boys, God 'n' guns beverage, to lukewarm reception. The numbers are grim: Heritage of Pride, organizers of New York City's festivities, by far the largest in the nation, faces a $750,000 shortfall this year after nearly a quarter of corporate donations dried up. This follows years of operating at a loss: In 2022, the group was $2.7 million in the hole, and another $1.2 million the following year. 8 At least 14 companies, including MasterCard, have scaled back on their financial contributions to annual Pride events nationwide. 8 Pepsi has also decreased its financial contributions to Pride events around the country. Advertisement 8 Nissan is also including in the group of companies that have either scaled back or dropped their contributions for national Pride events. Christopher Sadowski In California, longtime corporate donors ran for the hills when San Francisco Pride executive director Suzanne Ford reached out begging for money. Twin Cities Pride has seen longtime corporate sponsors in Minnesota shift into retreat mode, and now the group is scrambling to meet a $200,000 goal. Organizers in Washington, DC, Milwaukee, and St. Louis all have reported being ghosted by big companies they once relied upon. All of this is occurring at a time when a dozen companies have withdrawn participation from the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, a shakedown scheme used by the LGBT nonprofit behemoth to enforce woke capitalism. For LGBTQAI2S+ activists, the reason for all this is simple: It's Trump's fault. Advertisement 8 Trans-influencer Dylan Mulvaney set off a billion-dollar backlash against her 2023 sponsorship program with Bud Light Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA 8 'There's a lot of fear of repercussions for aligning with our festival,' Wes Shaver, president of Milwaukee Pride, said. Wes Shaver 'There's a lot of fear of repercussions for aligning with our festival,' Wes Shaver, president of Milwaukee Pride, told The New York Times, joining others who believe companies fear they may be penalized by the White House if they donate to Pride events, citing the administration's effort to curtail DEI initiatives. (When asked about this, the White House didn't respond to multiple requests for comment from The Post.) What's equally likely is that everyone just has gay fatigue — a collective eye roll at the oversaturation of LGBT themes in culture, combined with all the negative connotations now associated with Pride. Once a niche event of subculture fun and revelry, it's devolved into a mainstream, month-long orgy of far-leftism that looks more like a tent revival beckoning an impending open-borders transgender race war. Rage-hungry conservative influencers have latched on to videos of public nudity and shameless parents forcing Pride spectacles onto their children. Transgender insanity has swallowed the entire movement and, in doing so, repelled middle-of-the-road Americans. Simply put, it's exhausting. Advertisement And what company, in its right mind, wants to be tied to all that? While activists say companies are afraid of Trump, the same could have been true about Biden. Businesses certainly felt the Democrat gun in their back to start coughing up their woke bona fides during his term. Overall, the corporate retreat from Pride is a good thing for everyone, and it ought to continue. The grotesque parade of political and corporate pandering that's defined Pride over the last two decades is embarrassing, as any honest gay person will admit. 8 Trump has set his sights on banning identity-based initiatives and organizations, according to reports. AP After all, who wants their sex life validated by junk food companies and bomb-makers? Advertisement It's also alienated plenty of old-timers. 'The cold corporations are more important to the rotating Heritage of Pride than the actual surviving Stonewall veterans. Plenty are still alive and kicking,' former New York City Pride Grand Marshall Williamson Henderson, of the Stonewall Veterans Association, and who participated in the original Stonewall rebellion in June 1969 (the reason Pride Month exists), told The Post. 8 NYC Pride alone has seen nearly a million dollars in funding losses. Some community observers, however, suggest the Pride event has become over-commercialized. Getty Images Corporate America is a shallow and skittish place, and only the most destructive HR managers want their businesses butting in on the culture wars. Advertisement Rather than blaming Republicans for a long-deserved pushback against Rainbow Totalitarianism, LGBT activists ought to do a better job policing themselves, embark on a little soul searching as to how they became so toxic, and maybe even re-examine their unbridled love of money. That last one might be a tough sell. Free Love? Not anymore. It's just about free stuff.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Beware: The Human Rights Campaign is just a scam to push lefty issues
Why does Uber make videos where people say, 'I'm non-binary or genderqueer'? And why does Lockheed Martin fund floats at Pride parades? Because companies want to raise their score on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. Equality is a good thing. I support human rights. But the Human Rights Campaign? That's something else. 'They have nothing to do with actual human rights,' says Robby Starbuck. 'They're an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization that pushes topics about transgenderism into the workplace.' Starbuck uses his social-media following to criticize the many companies that partner with the Human Rights Campaign. The campaign 'does great harm,' he says, because companies that want a high score must do things like pay for trans employees' gender reassignment surgery and fund puberty blockers for employees' kids. I push back, 'I know people who've had the surgery, and they seem happier!' 'If you're an adult and you make a set of decisions I disagree with, that's your prerogative,' replies Starbuck. 'I don't want to give my money to a company that's going to use it to fund any sex changes of any child.' People can debate the age when you're considered competent to medically change your gender. What surprises me is how many companies suck up to the Human Rights Campaign by paying for it. Google even brags about providing a 'trans liaison' to help people transition. Even some of your Amtrak tax subsidy goes to pay for this stuff. Amtrak's 'Lead Environmental Specialist' touts 'education on personal pronouns.' To raise their Corporate Equality Index scores, companies are encouraged to donate to LGBTQ+ groups — like the Human Rights Campaign! That helps the campaign collect millions in tax-free money. The more I looked at the organization, the less it seems to be about human rights, and the more it seems to be about left-wing advocacy. Its homepage features protesters holding signs saying, 'I will aid and abet abortion.' When I point that out to Starbuck, he says, 'Yeah, which humans? Which rights? Apparently, if you're a small enough human, you don't have rights.' The campaign's president says its Corporate Equality Index is 'about partnership with businesses to make workplaces as inclusive as possible for LGBTQ+ people.' But today, most businesses are inclusive, and in America, LGBT people are more accepted than ever. Twenty years ago, 37% of Americans supported gay marriage; 45% said gay relationships are moral. Today, support for gay marriage is at 69% and 64% consider gay relationships moral. Yet, as life gets better for LGBT people, the Human Rights Campaign declared a 'national state of emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans!' 'This is a crisis right now!' said HRC president Kelley Robinson. I think I know why she said that. If activists acknowledge that Americans have come to accept LGBT people, the campaign might go out of business. One HRC executive says, 'We are never going to reach a destination.' Of course not. There's money to be made and leftist propaganda that needs spreading. Starbuck, by pointing out what the HRC really does, has persuaded some companies to stop sucking up. Ford, Harley-Davidson, Lowe's, Molson Coors, Toyota, Tractor Supply, Walmart and others announced that they will no longer participate in the Index. 'We came along and told people the story and they backtracking began,' says Starbuck. The campaign's president says, 'What we're seeing from these companies is short-sighted.' Maybe. Businesses can join whatever lists they want, but they ought to do what's good for their business. That means listening to customers, not progressive activists. 'At the end of the day,' says Starbuck, 'that's all people want, is for businesses to do their business. Not to virtue signal . . . or to perpetuate a political ideology.' John Stossel is the author of 'Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
These 14 corporations have stopped or scaled back sponsorship of LGBTQ+ Pride events
Denys_UA / Rukuta Project / calimedia / Pamela Brick / Garnier micellar water bottle; Stack of Mastercard credit cards; Skyy Vodka bottle; Target store When corporations got rid of their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, many also axed their commitments to LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Even before Donald Trump's executive orders terminating all DEI positions in the federal government, dozens of major companies had already abandoned their practices. Many made their decisions after conservatives online specifically targeted them for their policies and threatened boycotts, with failed filmmaker turned failed congressional candidate Robby Starbuck taking credit for spearheading the movement. This withdrawal didn't just encompass inclusive work environments and hiring practices, or participation in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index — in abandoning DEI, companies also ceased many of their community partnerships. This included small businesses, minority- and women-owned businesses, and organizations supporting underserved groups: veterans, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people. As a result, many of the companies abandoning DEI have stopped sponsoring Pride Month events. Here are the companies that have walked back their support, some of them after decades of allyship. ImagineerInc / Anheuser-Busch products in store fridge The brewer behind brands such as Bud Light, Budweiser, Corona, and Stella Artois declined to sponsor Pride in its home city of St. Louis after a partnership of over 30 years. DEI and outreach director, Jordan Braxton, told NBC News that St. Louis Pride was left $150,000 short of its goal, until donations from the community made up the difference within days. The company also withdrew from San Francisco Pride and Columbus Pride. Anheuser-Busch, which was the target of a conservative boycott after simply sending a free beer to a transgender influencer, has not yet commented publicly on its backing out of Pride events. DCStockPhotography / Booz Allen Hamilton building in Washington D.C. U.S. government defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp. dropped its sponsorship of WorldPride, which is being hosted in Washington, D.C. from May 17 to June 8., shortly after it ended its DEI programs. Chief People Officer Aimee George Leary said during a virtual company town hall first viewed by Bloomberg : 'While our existing people programs comply with law, it is clear from [Trump's] executive orders and other public statements, that the definition of what's allowed is changing, so we must make changes. If we don't, we could be ineligible for contracts with the federal government. This would put our ability to operate and our company at risk.' Below the Sky / Citi building in Warsaw, Poland Banking giant Citi was one of the low-level donors that withdrew or scaled back its sponsorship of NYC Pride. Spokesperson Kevin Kilbride told The New York Times that 'the vast majority of what we have heard is that folks are treading carefully from an economic perspective." Tada Images / Comcast Xfinity car in neighborhood Comcast was another major company that withdrew from San Francisco Pride, according to Ford. A spokesperson for the corporation would not comment on why it backed out, but noted to NBC that it is sponsoring other Pride celebrations in its home state of California, including Silicon Valley Pride, Oakland Pride, and some events at San Francisco Pride that are hosted by other nonprofits. Patcharaporn Puttipon4289 / Smirnoff vodka bottles in ice Diageo, the company behind alcohol brands such as Baileys, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, and Smirnoff among others also withdrew from San Francisco Pride. A spokesperson told NBC that the company backed out due to some changes in the sponsorships budget for California, but that it would still be active in the city during June, and would be involved in Pride events around the country through its Smirnoff vodka brand. darksoul72 / Garnier body wash bottle Heritage of Pride, the organization that produces New York City's annual Pride events, previously had five "Platinum" donors — those who had donated $175,000. This year, it has just one. Hair care company Garnier was one of the four "Platinum" donors that has withdrawn its support in 2025 after several years of sponsorship. refrina / Lowe's Home Improvement store Lowe's Home Improvement withdrew its support for Pride Month events this year in Columbus, Ohio. Stonewall Columbus Executive Director Densil Porteous told The Columbus Dispatch that the $125,000 in lost donations was made up for by the community and their other partners. "Those [companies] who probably only saw this opportunity as a marketing moment have backed down, and we are sorry to see them go," Porteous said. "But we are thankful for those partners who continue to support us." hodim / Mastercard logo on card Mastercard was another one of NYC Pride's four "Platinum" donors that withdrew support after several years of sponsoring the celebration. However, the company will still be participating in the march and other events. 'Mastercard is a longstanding supporter of the many communities of which our employees are members, including the LGBTQIA+ community globally,' a spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal. Jonathan Weiss / Nissan car at dealership Automaker Nissan was another one of the low-level donors that withdrew or scaled back its sponsorship of NYC Pride, while also withdrawing from San Francisco Pride and Columbus Pride. A spokesperson told NBC that the company is 'currently reviewing all marketing and sales spending, including auto shows, sports properties and other entertainment activations, to maximize both efficiency and breakthrough effectiveness," adding, 'Nissan remains committed to promoting an inclusive culture for employees, consumers, dealers and other key stakeholders.' MeSamong / Pepsi bottles on store shelf PepsiCo — which makes Aquafina, Cap'n Crunch, Cheetos, Doritos, Frito's, Gatorade, Lay's, Life, cereal, Lipton, Mountain Dew, Tostitos, and Quaker Oats among other snacks and drinks — was another one of the low-level donors that withdrew or scaled back its sponsorship of NYC Pride. William Barton / PricewaterhouseCoopers building Consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers was another one of the low-level donors that withdrew or scaled back its sponsorship of NYC Pride, as first reported by WSJ. calimedia / Skyy Vodka bottles and cases Skyy Vodka was another one of the four "Platinum" donors that either stopped or scaled back support, or asked for their involvement to go unpublicized, as first reported by The Times. ZikG / Target shopping cart in parking lot Target is the fourth "Platinum" donor to alter its commitment to Heritage of Pride. While the company is still "sponsoring NYC Pride at a level consistent with last year,' according to spokesperson Joe Unger, Kilbride told The Times that it is contributing as a 'silent partner' and requested not to be listed as a Platinum donor to avoid 'the publicity." Conversely, after Target made the decision to drop DEI initiatives, the largest Pride festival in the company's home state of Minnesota decided to drop them as a sponsor. Twin Cities Pride raised over twice the amount pledged by Target in less than 24 hours. Related: Target dropped DEI, so Minnesota's largest Pride festival dropped Target's sponsorship — and raised even more Framalicious / Walmart store Walmart withdrew its sponsorship from Stonewall Columbus' Pride Month Events. The company said that store employees in the Columbus area will still be volunteering with community organizations, including LGBTQ+ organizations. Spokesperson Jimmy Carter told The Dispatch that the company is focused on 'creating an environment where our associates and customers feel they belong.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DEI boycott 'played a role' in Target's Q1 sales slump as foot traffic declined
Target's (TGT) sluggish first quarter was partly due to consumers' protests to the retail giant's rollback on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. On Wednesday, shares of the retailer slid more than 7% after it posted a 3.8% year-over-year decline in same-store sales, compared to the 3.7% drop it saw last year. CEO Brian Cornell said during the earnings call that one headwind Target faced in the quarter was consumer reaction to "updates" it shared on belonging in January. Those reactions, Cornell said, compounded ongoing pressure on consumers' discretionary spending amid five months of declining consumer confidence and uncertainty about tariffs. "While we believe each of these factors played a role in our first quarter performance, we can't reliably estimate the impact of each one separately," Cornell said. The retailer announced in January it would scale back its "Belonging at the Bullseye" strategy that focused on hiring and supplier diversity goals. The changes also ended Target's participation in external diversity-focused surveys, including the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. Target was mentioned as a specific focal point for advocacy group Black Wall Street Ticker, which in February called for a 40-day "corporate fast" from spending any money at the chain between March 5 and April 17. Target is one of dozens of companies that announced recent about-faces on diversity, a list that also includes Walmart (WMT), Google (GOOG), Meta (META), McDonald's (MCD), Amazon (AMZN), and Tractor Supply (TSCO). For the week of March 3, Walmart's foot traffic was down 0.7% year over year, while Target's foot traffic was down 6.8%, according to They haven't seen a full recovery so far this year. Meanwhile, foot traffic at Costco (COST) — which has affirmed its support for DEI policies and was listed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) as part of a "Black Consumer Advisory" initiative — was up 7% year over year in the week of March 3. Walmart has faced some repudiation, including from its own investors. More than 30 shareholders representing $266 billion in assets sent a message earlier this year to CEO Doug McMillon that called the retailer's recent DEI policy changes "very disheartening." Yet, Walmart's US same-store sales jumped 4.5% year over year in its latest quarter, besting estimates of 3.85%. Roth Capital Partners senior research analyst Bill Kirk told Yahoo Finance that this is a larger narrative as Walmart outpaces Target's growth rate by four times. Target is "very far behind," he said, as the company struggles to figure out "what makes them unique in this current environment." "Consumers aren't compelled to use Target in the same way they once were ... If you're not compelled to use Target for a particular reason, it makes a boycott far simpler to execute," he said. The backlash could persist. CFRA analyst Arun Sundaram told Yahoo Finance, "I don't think Target gave much assurance that the DEI-related boycotts were limited to this quarter." Sundaram noted that, unlike the backlash to Target's Pride merchandise in 2023, this time "management couldn't quantify the impact." Back then, Target "provided monthly sales cadence and reassured investors that the issue was mostly contained to that quarter." Meanwhile, Morningstar analyst Noah Rohr said the company is facing "several headwinds," making it "difficult to parse out" a direct factor. "Tough competition and a weak spending environment," he said, are "two factors likely to persist in coming quarters." Alexis Keenan is a legal reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow Alexis on X @alexiskweed. Brooke DiPalma is a senior reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on X at @BrookeDiPalma or email her at bdipalma@ Click here for all of the latest retail stock news and events to better inform your investing strategy Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DEI boycott 'played a role' in Target's Q1 sales slump as foot traffic declined
Target's (TGT) sluggish first quarter was partly due to consumers' protests to the retail giant's rollback on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. On Wednesday, shares of the retailer slid more than 7% after it posted a 3.8% year-over-year decline in same-store sales, compared to the 3.7% drop it saw last year. CEO Brian Cornell said during the earnings call that one headwind Target faced in the quarter was consumer reaction to "updates" it shared on belonging in January. Those reactions, Cornell said, compounded ongoing pressure on consumers' discretionary spending amid five months of declining consumer confidence and uncertainty about tariffs. "While we believe each of these factors played a role in our first quarter performance, we can't reliably estimate the impact of each one separately," Cornell said. The retailer announced in January it would scale back its "Belonging at the Bullseye" strategy that focused on hiring and supplier diversity goals. The changes also ended Target's participation in external diversity-focused surveys, including the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. Target was mentioned as a specific focal point for advocacy group Black Wall Street Ticker, which in February called for a 40-day "corporate fast" from spending any money at the chain between March 5 and April 17. Target is one of dozens of companies that announced recent about-faces on diversity, a list that also includes Walmart (WMT), Google (GOOG), Meta (META), McDonald's (MCD), Amazon (AMZN), and Tractor Supply (TSCO). For the week of March 3, Walmart's foot traffic was down 0.7% year over year, while Target's foot traffic was down 6.8%, according to They haven't seen a full recovery so far this year. Meanwhile, foot traffic at Costco (COST) — which has affirmed its support for DEI policies and was listed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) as part of a "Black Consumer Advisory" initiative — was up 7% year over year in the week of March 3. Walmart has faced some repudiation, including from its own investors. More than 30 shareholders representing $266 billion in assets sent a message earlier this year to CEO Doug McMillon that called the retailer's recent DEI policy changes "very disheartening." Yet, Walmart's US same-store sales jumped 4.5% year over year in its latest quarter, besting estimates of 3.85%. Roth Capital Partners senior research analyst Bill Kirk told Yahoo Finance that this is a larger narrative as Walmart outpaces Target's growth rate by four times. Target is "very far behind," he said, as the company struggles to figure out "what makes them unique in this current environment." "Consumers aren't compelled to use Target in the same way they once were ... If you're not compelled to use Target for a particular reason, it makes a boycott far simpler to execute," he said. The backlash could persist. CFRA analyst Arun Sundaram told Yahoo Finance, "I don't think Target gave much assurance that the DEI-related boycotts were limited to this quarter." Sundaram noted that, unlike the backlash to Target's Pride merchandise in 2023, this time "management couldn't quantify the impact." Back then, Target "provided monthly sales cadence and reassured investors that the issue was mostly contained to that quarter." Meanwhile, Morningstar analyst Noah Rohr said the company is facing "several headwinds," making it "difficult to parse out" a direct factor. "Tough competition and a weak spending environment," he said, are "two factors likely to persist in coming quarters." Alexis Keenan is a legal reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow Alexis on X @alexiskweed. Brooke DiPalma is a senior reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on X at @BrookeDiPalma or email her at bdipalma@ Click here for all of the latest retail stock news and events to better inform your investing strategy
