20 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Trump's anti-diversity measures blamed for Dublin Pride march withdrawals
Trump's attack on DEI has prompted several companies to pull sponsorships from Pride festivals, leading to funding difficulties at events around the world. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that three-quarters of more than 100 Pride organisers in the UK have seen a decline in corporate partnerships this year. According to Pride in London, withdrawals were particularly pronounced from American businesses.
Jamie Kenny, co-CEO of Dublin LGBTQ+ Pride, said 'a small number of companies' had decided not to participate in this month's festival. This was partly due to the 'high values' the organisation expects from those joining the parade and the 'anti-DEI policies of the Trump administration".
'Thankfully, the vast majority of companies who join the parade each year have renewed their commitment to diversity and inclusion and will be with us on O'Connell Street at the end of June, and we've even seen a few Irish companies join us for the first time,' he said.
'While it's disappointing to see some companies withdraw from Pride, our focus will be on supporting workers who may up to now have had their connection to the community facilitated by their employers. We would like to send a clear message to any workers impacted that you are always welcome at Dublin Pride.'
Kara McGann, head of skills and social policy at business lobby group Ibec, said she had not seen a rowing back on DEI policies or Pride.
'Overall, I'm really heartened that companies are staying the course,' she said. 'Maybe some, because of other constraints, are not doing it as publicly.
'DEI terminology was getting weaponised before the executive orders happened, so it was probably due for a reset. We are looking at this as an opportunity to say what was working well, what wasn't working well, how can we do better and how can we make sure everyone's voice is included in the conversation, because maybe we didn't do that as fully as we should have done previously.'
Trump has consistently denounced DEI practices across the US, especially in government offices, claiming they were discriminatory. His efforts to curb DEI resulted in him issuing an executive order early in his presidency seeking to curb such policies in companies dealing with the federal government.
