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Toronto Sun
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Pride Toronto insists it's 'full steam ahead' after corporate sponsors jump ship
Toronto's Pride Parade winds its way through the city's streets on Sunday, June 25, 2023. Photo by Chris Young / THE CANADIAN PRESS Executive director Kojo Modeste said Pride Toronto is disappointing that two more sponsors — Google and Home Depot — have dropped out in the last month, but that the setback shouldn't affect this year's festivities that launched Monday night with the raising of the Pride Month flag at City Hall. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. 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Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 'We already have our commitments with our artists and so for 2025, we're full steam ahead and we do hope that we will able to recover some monies where the shortfall is,' said Modeste. 'At this time, there is no additional changes to the festival.' Next year, said Modeste, is still 'definitely up for debate right now in terms of what we can expect next year in terms of changes.' The non-profit first heard about Google's withdrawal May 1, while Home Depot's decision was disclosed to them May 28. Modeste said neither sponsor said why those decisions were made and queries to both companies from the Toronto Sun went unanswered by Monday evening. 'Just for these two, we're looking at $77,000 (less),' said Modeste. 'It's $47,000 for Google and $30,000 for Home Depot. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It was more disappointed (than surprised) with the timing of the withdrawal. We had a verbal commitment from Google, but we also had an email confirming Home Depot would be returning as a sponsor.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO Modeste said Pride Toronto is looking at a $700,000 overall shortfall due to other corporate sponsorship losses or funding reductions in recent months. He sees it as part of a trend with a lot of non-profits in North America fearing backlash from the Trump administration in the U.S. 'Speaking to some of my colleagues in the U.S., they're seeing the same thing,' said Modeste. 'I believe that a lot of this has to do with the decisions coming out of the White House, I think, with regard to the queer community. These American-based companies are strongly afraid of the backlash that they will receive from the current administration. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It also sends a very clear message as to who is with us genuinely versus those that are in just as a window dressing. You know, who are these corporate sponsors? Who are pink-washing? Who are those that are just there for the performance? It's a very performative act. They're only in it when it's 'pretty.' But now because it's less pretty in the U.S., folks are turning away.' Modeste confirmed the City of Toronto is providing a $90,000 grant for 2025 through its the Cultural Festivals Funding Program in addition to the $260,000 it already approved for a total of $350,000 to date. Pride Toronto is the largest festival of its kind in North America, second only in the world to Brazil with three million people expected to visit the city in June and the Pride Parade final weekend drawing about two million people. 'For individuals, corporations, Canadians who have not donated in the past, this is great opportunity and maybe they would like to support and can reach out,' said Modeste. Read More Toronto Maple Leafs Olympics Toronto Maple Leafs Canada Celebrity
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Pride Toronto says it's lost 2 more sponsors ahead of annual 2SLGBTQ+ festival
Pride Toronto says it has lost two more sponsors of its annual 2SLGBTQ+ festival beginning in June, while another sponsor has reduced its financial support. Home Depot and Google have told the non-profit organization they will no longer be sponsors of the Pride festival in Toronto this year, while pharmaceutical company Merck Canada said it will reduce its contribution, according to Kojo Modeste, executive director of Pride Toronto. Modeste said the loss of support will have a "significant impact" on how the organization will be able to deliver the festival. Pride Toronto has commitments with more than 300 artists, most of whom are Canadian. But Modeste added that the Pride festival will not be any smaller. "It is sad," Modeste said on Thursday. "We were relying heavily on a lot of these sponsors that have been showing up year after year. It is sad not just for us as an organization, but the artists and the community that look forward to everything that Pride has to offer." Pride Toronto amplifies the 2SLGBTQ+ community through its festival, but "this is bringing us back," Modeste said. Home Deport confirmed to CBC Toronto that it has withdrawn its sponsorship. Google has not responded to requests for comment. In a statement on Thursday, Home Depot said: "We work with an extensive network of non-profits made up of thousands of local and national organizations to amplify our support to the communities we serve. We continually review our non-profit giving and decided not to contribute to this event this year with no agreement in place to do so. "We continue to participate in Pride activities throughout Canada and look forward to working with Toronto Pride on future opportunities." 'We need resources at this point': executive director In an email on Friday, Merck Canada said it cannot comment on its sponsorship of Pride Toronto "as discussions with the organization are still ongoing." Modeste said the organization plans to appeal to individuals who may be able to donate, Canadian companies that support the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and the provincial and federal governments. "Let's talk because we need resources at this point," Modeste said. Modeste said other sponsors, namely Nissan Canada and Adidas, have also not renewed their sponsorships, while The Abnormal Beauty Company and Tim Hortons have lowered their contribution amounts. In a statement on Thursday, Nissan Canada said the decision was based on its marketing priorities and a budget evaluation for the new fiscal year that began April 1. "Nissan Canada has been a proud sponsor of Pride Toronto for 2023 and 2024, among other external and internal initiatives. Unfortunately, we will not be able to sponsor this year's event in Toronto, a local decision solely due to a reevaluation of all our marketing and media activations in a variety of activities to ensure we will efficiently support our new product launches and marketing campaigns coming in 2025," Nissan Canada said. "We look forward to finding new opportunities to collaborate and contribute in the future." In February, Pride Toronto said three large corporate sponsors pulled their funding from the festival this year in a move Modeste said at the time was connected to a backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the U.S. Modeste did not name the sponsors who withdrew at the time because Pride Toronto was hoping to do business with them in the future. Artin Avaznia, a solo dance artist who is producing a event called Underground Pride at the Drake Hotel Underground on June 28, said when sponsors pull out, it creates fewer opportunities for artists such as himself. He said he thinks the sponsors who dropped out were likely more interested in highlighting themselves than amplifying queer voices and visibility. "We're a very resilient community. A lot of us have had to deal with very real life scenarios, whether it's rejection from friends, family, dealing with a lot of housing issues, addiction issues. But we always rise." "So they could pull out their money, but... that won't erase our impact on culture." Festival will highlight transgender, non-binary community Modeste said the festival will go on, urging members of the public to come and show their support. "We do have a plan in place. So I would say to folks, don't be worried," Modeste said. "I believe we're going to survive. The 2SLGBTQ+ community has been in worse positions and we did not stay there. I believe Canadians will come forward and will show up for Pride Toronto and other Prides across Canada who are feeling the heat of of the backlash." Pride Month, which kicks off June 1 in Toronto, will highlight the transgender and non-binary community. The theme of the Pride Toronto festival this year is "All In." On its website, the organization says the theme is "a call to come together to stand together in unshakable solidarity. It's a promise to show up for one another every single day, united in our fight for a future where everyone can live unapologetically as they are."
Toronto Star
02-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
Pride Toronto organizers hopeful about funding at 2025 kickoff
Pride Toronto organizers said they're cautiously optimistic about funding challenges as they kicked off the 2025 festival reveal. Three top sponsors dropped their support earlier this year. But Pride Toronto executive director Kojo Modeste said four new Toronto-based sponsors and two unions have stepped up to fund the festival, providing over $300,000 in new sponsorship. Modeste didn't provide the names of these new funders, but said there's still a sponsorship shortfall.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Toronto Pride says sponsors bolting over Trump's anti-DEI push
The head of Canada's largest Pride festival said major corporate sponsors, which also do business in the United States, have withdrawn support to avoid being seen as favorable to LGBTQ initiatives. Kojo Modeste, the executive director of Toronto Pride, declined to name the companies that have severed ties with the festival since US President Donald Trump was elected. But Modeste said the trend was "100 percent" related to Trump's assault on programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). "We have seen major corporations withdraw their support from Pride," Modeste told AFP. "Organizations are fearful of being marginalized, fearful of being targeted for supporting DEI, supporting (LGBTQ), supporting anti-racism initiatives." Modeste said there is a "common thread" to the types of explanations offered by companies, citing "shifting mandates" and financial strain as reasons for ending their partnerships with Pride. The funding cuts "may have an impact in terms of how much we're able to offer to the community but we will survive this," Modeste added. The executive director of Fierte Montreal, Simon Gamache, voiced concern about the withdrawal of support for the Toronto festival but said Montreal's Pride event had not lost sponsors since Trump took office. Toronto Pride and Fierte Montreal are both major annual events celebrating a variety of groups, including members of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) community. Trump has demonized any recognition of gender diversity, attacking transgender people -- notably transgender women in sports -- and gender-affirming care for children -- in both his rhetoric and in executive orders. bs/bjt
CBC
27-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Pride Toronto loses 3 corporate sponsors in move it connects to attack on DEI programs in U.S.
Pride Toronto says three large corporate sponsors have pulled their funding from the festival this year in a move it says is connected to a backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the U.S. Kojo Modeste, executive director of Pride Toronto, said on Wednesday that the non-profit organization was given a range of reasons by the three companies for their decisions to end sponsorship. It was told in the last couple of weeks that the companies have either experienced a "shift in mandate" or they do not have the financial resources to continue to support the annual event. "Every time we lose a sponsor, there is less money that is directed to the festival. And so, it will definitely have an impact on us being able to deliver on the festival," Modeste said. "If I say I am surprised, I will be telling a lie because we have been there in the past. But I'm very disappointed because so much work has been done to get us where we are, in understanding and doing diversity, equity and inclusion work. And knowing that one or group of individuals can just cancel that, it really saddens my heart." All three companies that withdrew their corporate sponsorship do business on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border. Modeste did not name the sponsors because Pride Toronto hopes to do business with them in the future, but said two can be described as "gold" sponsors, meaning they provide $150,000 in cash or in goods, and one as "silver," meaning it provides $100,000. Both Rogers and Air Canada confirmed to CBC Toronto that they are sponsoring the event. Modeste believes the loss of support is connected to an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump in January that ordered an end to all DEI programs, mandates, policies, programs, preferences and activities in the U.S. government. Modeste said companies may be removing themselves from public support of LGBTQ organizations because they fear losing U.S. government support. "It does connect to some of the policies under the new administration in the U.S.," Modeste said. "I think it is fair to say that, as a result of some of the executive orders that the President of the United States has put out and some of the language used, that organizations are removing themselves for whatever reason from supporting DEI, which include supporting the 2LGBTQ+ community," Modeste said. Organization to cancel stage and signature event Modeste said the loss of the three sponsors means the organization will have to cancel one main stage and one signature event as well as seek other sources of funding. It will not set up the south stage, which is usually located close to Dundas Street East and Church Street, and will not hold its annual Beach Party, a ticketed event that is usually held at Cherry Beach for up to 1,000 people. "We will continue to work with our community and to make sure that they are fully aware of any changes that are coming, but this, by no means, means that Pride will be cancelled because we will not allow that to happen," Modeste said. "The parade will continue. Our dyke march will continue. Our trans rally will continue." Tom Hooper, an assistant professor in the department of human rights and equity studies at York University, said Modeste has worked hard to bring financial transparency to Pride Toronto, especially when it comes to sponsorships. It doesn't make sense that corporate sponsors, which have supported the organization in some cases for many years, would remove that sponsorship now other than political developments in the U.S., Hooper said. "There's no reason why any sponsor would withdraw from Pride Toronto at this stage but for this attack on diversity, equity and inclusion," Hooper said. Chance to return to festival's roots: professor Hooper said the loss, however, represents an opportunity for the organization because it could go back to its roots. "I think it's an important lesson for us, for our communities, that maybe we should never have relied on these corporate and government sponsorships in the first place. And maybe a downsizing of Pride and a returning of Pride back to its community, back to its roots wouldn't be such a bad thing. "We're going to need Pride Toronto and organizations like it to fight back against anti-trans sentiment and attacks on our communities, attacks on our rights. And so, a return to our community roots to me seems like the right way to go here," Hooper said. Aida Sijamic Wahid, a professor at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, said it's important to remember that sponsorship is seen by companies as something that generates publicity. "Companies usually sponsor events because they want their name associated or presented. It gives them the opportunity to market themselves as being socially friendly and in support of certain causes," Wahid said. "It may be that they simply do not want their name attached to an event that could be construed as something that's in support of the DEI policies more broadly. And so, just to avoid the spotlight, they have pulled out." Wahid said Pride Toronto may not be the only Canadian organization to be affected by the DEI backlash engineered by Trump. "If companies generally stop believing that this is a cause that they would like to associate themselves with, then we could see similar behaviour from companies that decide not to put their names on any social events that are associated with diversity in any form or shape," Wahid added. "I hope that there are still enough sponsors that are willing to support Pride. And perhaps this is an opportunity for companies that truly believe that diversity, equity, inclusion matters to step up and say we're going to pick up the tab."
