Pride becomes a minefield for big companies, but many continue their support
Dozens of big companies from Delta and Coca-Cola to Walmart are sponsoring LGBTQ+ Pride events and displaying racks of Pride-themed merchandise
Many big companies, including TGT" target="_blank">Target (TGT) and BUD" target="_blank">Bud Light's (BUD) parent, are still backing Pride events in June despite the minefield that the monthlong celebration has become for some of them.
Target and Bud Light recently came under fire for their efforts to appeal to the LGBTQ+ community, only to come under more fire when they tried to backpedal.
But even as they battle the negative publicity, Target and Bud Light haven’t pulled away from this year’s Pride celebrations. Target is a platinum sponsor of NYC Pride, which requires a $175,000 donation. And Bud Light’s parent Anheuser-Busch is a sponsor of Pride celebrations in Chicago, San Francisco, Charlotte and elsewhere.
Many other big companies are sticking to their sponsorships as well, including PEP" target="_blank">PepsiCo (PEP), Starbucks, GM" target="_blank">General Motors (GM), and Jeep parent Stellantis (STLAM) — all of which said they have been supporting Pride events for decades and aren’t hesitating to back them again this year.
