LGBTQ Pride festivals see corporate funding dry up after conservative boycotts: 'Will we be able to keep the doors open?'



LGBTQ Pride festivals across the United States are facing major shortfalls in corporate funding this year following several successful conservative boycotts in recent years.

According to a new report from Bloomberg, LGBTQ leaders noted that the withdrawal of several corporate sponsors from this year's Pride Month festivities is "unprecedented."

'Conservative scrutiny is really the top driver of change.'

LGBTQ leaders have warned that Pride parades and festivals face severe funding gaps because corporate sponsorships are drying up.

San Francisco Pride Executive Director Suzanne Ford told Bloomberg, "Will we be able to keep the doors open? You know, that's what I'm most concerned about now."

Ford added, "We’ve all seen the culture wars playing out as far as how corporations respond, and I think this is part and parcel of that movement."

The San Francisco Pride celebration, which is scheduled for late June, is facing a $200,000 funding shortfall following the withdrawal of sponsors including Comcast, Anheuser-Busch, Benefit Cosmetics, and liquor giant Diageo.

With about a month before Pride Month, Twin Cities Pride faces an approximate $200,000 shortfall. The LGBTQ organization noted that it would use crowdfunding to try to compensate for Target ceasing its sponsorship of the event.

Pride St. Louis, which lost Anheuser-Busch as a sponsor, is confronted by a $150,000 budget shortfall.

Denver Pride revealed that returning sponsors have cut contributions by an average of 62%, leaving a $230,000 funding deficit.

According to Bloomberg, Dollar General Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. decided not to sponsor the June Pride event in Nashville, Tennessee.

“We are currently reviewing allmarketing and sales spending,” a Nissan spokesperson told Bloomberg.

CNBC reported that Seattle Pride and New York City Pride both face $350,000 deficits.

Ryan Bos, Capital Pride Alliance’s executive director, told CNBC, "The sad thing is corporations have long been the first to step into our corner. The fact that some are questioning their commitment now during this uncertain time is very disheartening, hurtful, and frustrating for many.”

Home improvement retailer Lowe's reportedly stopped sponsoring the Charlotte Pride festival after providing funding the previous nine years.

St. Pete Pride in Florida noted that it would focus more on community donations instead of corporate sponsors after only hitting 55% of its fundraising goal as of late March, compared with the typical 80% to 90% at this time of year.

“We are the people. This is about people power and being able to use your dollar to advocate,” said Byron Green-Calisch, president of St. Pete Pride.

Nearly two-fifths of corporations plan on rolling back engagement for LGBTQ Pride Month this June.

Some LGBTQ activists are insisting that corporations continue to funnel money to Pride festivities.

“We spend our money as a community in these corporations, and I want them to give back,” demanded Andi Otto, executive director of Twin Cities Pride. “They should give back.”

According to a recent survey of 49 executives from Fortune 1000 companies by Gravity Research, nearly two-fifths of corporations plan on rolling back engagement for LGBTQ Pride Month this June. In last year's survey, only 9% of companies told Gravity Research they would alter their Pride Month engagement plans.

Forbes reported, "Of the 39% of companies who said they would reduce Pride Month engagement this year, 43% said they would reduce external shows of support, which includes having a visual presence at or financially sponsoring Pride marches, offering a Pride merchandise line, updating social media branding, and partnering with influencers for Pride-themed sponsorships."

Many of the executives who said they were scaling back Pride sponsorships noted they were retreating because of possible conservative boycotts, pressure from President Donald Trump's administration, and the backlash against DEI initiatives.

“Conservative scrutiny is really the top driver of change,” said Luke Hartig, president of Gravity Research.

Hartig noted that some of the companies had already begun pulling back in LGBTQ support as early as 2023.

In April 2023, conservatives started to wage a successful brand boycott after Bud Light partnered with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney. Bud Light's parent company, Anheuser-Busch, lost millions in market share due to the conservative boycott.

In May 2023, Target lost billions in market value after conservatives boycotted the retail behemoth for rolling out eyebrow-raising LGBTQ Pride products.

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Woke Boise mayor tosses Appeal to Heaven flag aside like trash, raises LGBTQ flag in defiance of state law



The radical mayor of Boise, Lauren McLean, took time on Easter Sunday to crumple up an Appeal to Heaven flag like trash so she could hoist an LGBTQ flag unobstructed at city hall in direct defiance of a new Idaho law.

Earlier this month, Republican Gov. Brad Little signed into law H.B. 96, which strictly regulates the flags that counties, municipalities, and other governmental entities in Idaho may fly on public property. The law mainly permits only those flags representing the U.S., the military, the state of Idaho, schools, and Indian tribes.

Despite this new law, Boise has continued to fly the "Progressive Pride" flag, depicting the rainbow associated with non-heterosexual identities, the colors affiliated with so-called transgenderism, and black and brown stripes that pay fealty to non-white skin colors.

"We will continue flying it because we are a safe and welcoming city that values all comers," McLean said in a statement.

'Now this is a mayor. We gotta re-elect her. She stands for all the people.'

Early Sunday morning, some area activists attempted to beat McLean at her own game. They brought a ladder, positioned it on the city flagpole, then proceeded to make some changes to the flags blazing there, video showed.

For one thing, the two men placed black trash bags over the Pride flag and a flag promoting organ donation.

They also clipped to the pole an Appeal to Heaven flag made famous during the American Revolution. Because of its official association with the state of Massachusetts, the Appeal to Heaven flag does not violate H.B. 96, the Idaho statesman said.

Later that morning, undeterred by the attempts to bring Boise into compliance with the new state law, Mayor McLean and an assistant went to the flagpole and restored the flags to the way they were.

Far from passively rearranging the flags, McLean took a knife of sorts and cut part of the Appeal to Heaven flag before her assistant finished the job, tearing away the flag and the black bags covering the Pride and organ-donation flags. McLean then balled the flag up into one of the black trash bags and tossed it on the ground like garbage.

Their actions were so politically charged that the Idaho statesman criticized McLean's lack of "respect" for a flag "which has a lot of historical significance for Americans." Yet McLean was so nonchalant about it all that at one point, she paused and wished some passersby a "happy Easter."

Pam Hemphill — a rabid leftist who claims to have previously supported President Donald Trump and the MAGA agenda but who now takes every opportunity to excoriate MAGA and trumpet Democratic talking points — filmed McLean and her assistant and could barely contain her enthusiasm for their woke flag stunt.

"I am so happy. ... This is wonderful," Hemphill gushed.

"Now this is a mayor. We gotta re-elect her. She stands for all the people," Hemphill continued, even as McLean and the assistant basically ignored her.

Hemphill also characterized her detractors as "idiots" and "haters." "All you know is propaganda and hate," she said.

Mayor McLean has managed to flout H.B. 96 so brazenly because the law is basically toothless. Even Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford, whose office has been bombarded with complaints about the flag mess in Boise, has admitted there's little he can do.

"The law, as it stands, doesn’t provide any enforcement mechanism," Clifford said in a statement posted to social media.

Clifford further noted that criminal laws generally "apply to individuals, not institutions," but H.B. 96 applies mainly to local governments and government bodies.

Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, a Republican, also acknowledged that "the law does not allow for criminal prosecution in this situation."

"I cannot prosecute conduct that is not a crime, and I will not distort or stretch Idaho law to invent one. What I can do — and am actively doing — is reviewing every available civil legal option under Idaho law in response to this situation," he added.

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Leftist mayor ignores deep-red state law, flies racial LGBTQ flag



A leftist mayor has opted to defy a new law in her deep-red state by flying a flag that represents the woke racial and sexual agenda.

Less than two weeks ago, Idaho Republican Gov. Brad Little signed into law H.B. 96, which strictly regulates the flags that counties, municipalities, and other governmental entities may fly on public property. Introduced by state Rep. Heather Scott (R-Blanchard), the bill basically restricts public flags to those representing the U.S. and its military, the state of Idaho, local cities, schools, and Indian tribes.

Scott indicated the purpose behind the law was to keep flag-flying from becoming too "political."

"I believe this bill is necessary for government to be neutral and unified and that government buildings should represent all Idahoans and not be used for political movements or social movements," she said, according to KIVI-TV.

The law took effect immediately. However, Lauren McLean, the radical mayor of Boise, does not seem to care.

According to reports from over the weekend, Boise City Hall still flies a flag known as the "Progressive Pride" flag, depicting the rainbow associated with non-heterosexual identities, the colors affiliated with so-called transgenderism, and black and brown stripes that pay fealty to non-white skin colors.

The Idaho Dispatch reported that the flag was momentarily removed, but the mayor's administration raised it again.

McLean indicated in a statement that the sex- and race-based flag represents the inclusiveness of the Boise community. "We will continue flying it because we are a safe and welcoming city that values all comers," she said.

'I never looked at her as a law breaker, but I guess she is.'

McLean also claimed in her statement that flying the Pride flag has been a Boise tradition that dates back almost a decade. "For nearly ten years the city has been flying the Pride flag," she said.

However, keen observers at BoiseDev noticed that the flag that flies over the city currently appears in better condition than the one that flew as recently as February. The colors on the current flag "now appear more vibrant, and a small hole in the flag is no longer present," the outlet reported.

The city did not respond to questions from BoiseDev about whether a new flag had been used.

BoiseDev also noted that McLean and other city leaders quickly abided by another state law, S.B. 1141, that prohibits sleeping in outdoor public places or inside cars, even while they continue to ignore H.B. 96.

The difference may be that S.B. 1141 imposes penalties for noncompliance. Cities that fail to enforce S.B. 1141 can be hit with a $10,000 fine imposed by the state attorney general. Even McLean admitted that she would work with the police department to enforce S.B. 1141 "because we must."

H.B. 96 has no such enforcement mechanism. Still, Scott is shocked by McLean's defiance.

"I just assumed [McLean] would follow the law," Scott told BoiseDev. "It’s interesting that she’s not going to follow the law. I never looked at her as a law breaker, but I guess she is."

In a conversation with KIVI, state Rep. Monica Church, a Democrat who represents a district that includes Boise City Hall, seemed to relish the fact that there is no way to enforce H.B. 96 at the moment. She also views H.B. 96 as "an opportunity for political grandstanding," the outlet added.

Gov. Little and Attorney General Raul Labrador did not respond to a request for comment from the Idaho Dispatch.

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Idaho bill would ban Pride flags from classrooms, including all gender- and race-based banners



A Republican representative would like to ban Idaho public schools from displaying political banners and flags, but would still allow the flags of foreign nations to be flown.

State Rep. Edward Hill (R) earlier this week introduced House Bill 10, which would limit the kinds of flags and banners that would be allowed in public elementary and secondary schools.

The bill pertains to the display of such material on school property as a whole and would ban flags or banners "that represent a political viewpoint."

The list of flags or banners includes but is not limited to material relating to a political party, race, gender, or a "political ideology."

At the same time, an extensive list of what could be flown or displayed was also provided in the bill.

The American flag, the official state flag of Idaho, and the flags of any county, municipality, public university or community college, school district, special district, or "any other political subdivision" would be allowed.

School flags (including mascots and school colors), official flags of any military branches or units, and official flags of Indian tribes were also included.

Schools would also be allowed to display banners recognized by the Idaho Department of Education in relation to achievements.

Other state flags could also be flown, but so could the flags of other "recognized foreign nations."

'This a neutral environment conducive to education and learning.'

As reported by the Idaho Statesman, an identical version of the bill was submitted in 2024, but while it passed in the Senate, it was held up in the House Education Committee.

Former State Senator Chris Trakel (R) said at the time that his daughter was "extremely uncomfortable" with the flags due to her religious beliefs.

Trakel told a Senate committee hearing, "Somebody could take offense to the LGBTQ flag, and they might. Somebody of a religious origin would find that offensive to them, and they have to sit in the classroom and be offended the entire time."

“The whole point of this isn’t to discriminate against anybody. [It] is to make this a neutral environment conducive to education and learning," Trakel added.

Flags have become a hot-button issue in recent years given the rise in political ideology pushed in classrooms.

For example, in 2024 an Oklahoma teen was told he wasn't allowed to fly a giant American flag on his truck on school property. More than 50 cars arrived at the school the next Monday morning at 7 a.m. sporting American flags in protest.

Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters eventually stepped in and created a mandate that required schools to allow U.S. flags to be "flown and displayed on all school campuses without infringement."

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Pride or punishment? Canada fines town for refusing to celebrate Pride Month



As America takes a step in the right direction with a Donald Trump victory, under Justin Trudeau, Canada is only getting worse.

And by worse, we mean the country is now pushing for mandatory Pride celebrations. One town, Emo, Ontario, was even fined $10,000 for declining to proclaim June as Pride Month and refusing to fly the LGBTQ2 rainbow flag, despite lacking a flag pole.

These transgressions left the town accused of violating the Ontario Human Rights Code by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. In addition to the $10,000 fine, officials from the town were ordered to complete mandatory human rights training.

“First of all, I’m shocked that a town in Canada even refused to fly the flag,” Pat Gray of “Pat Gray Unleashed” comments. “But then to get fined for it, that’s just asinine.”

“You’re not an ally, by the way, if you’re forced,” he adds.


The decision to cite the town began in 2020, when the town was approached by a group called Borderland Pride. The group requested that Emo declare June as Pride Month and included a draft proclamation that contained clauses such as "pride is necessary to show community support and belonging for LGBTQ2 individuals" and "the diversity of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression represents a positive contribution to society."

“They’re not asking you not to discriminate against them. They’re asking you to embrace them, to promote them,” Gray comments, disturbed.

Mayor Harold McQuaker has stood firm in his refusal to celebrate Pride Month, which has now landed him with a $5,000 fine as well.

“You’re influence peddling,” Keith Malinak says. “You’re saying that they have to vote the way you want or else you’re going to see monetary damages. Go to hell.”

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English soccer star warned by officials for writing 'I love Jesus' over Pride armband



Soccer player Marc Guéhi and his team received an official warning from league officials after he wrote a religious message on his arm band.

Guéhi is the captain for Crystal Palace, a team in England's top division, the Premier League. Each team has one player on the field wear a designated captain's armband, with teams all assigned a rainbow armband to show "support for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport" last weekend.

However, Guéhi, a devout Christian, decided to write "I love Jesus" on his armband. This prompted a warning from England's Football Association about wearing religious messages on a jersey.

'He's no child, he's an adult, he has his opinion and we respect it.'

According to ESPN, the FA's uniform rules state that "the appearance on, or incorporation in, any item of clothing ... any political or religious message" is forbidden and "disciplinary action may be taken" for any breach of the rules.

The rules also state that "for any offence the player and/or the team will be sanctioned by the competition organizer, national football association or by FIFA."

While Guéhi will avoid a fine, his Crystal Palace manager was quick to reaffirm that his team stands for "integration" not "discrimination."

"Everyone now is about integration, no discrimination and Marc as well," Oliver Glasner said. "We spoke about it. He's no child, he's an adult, he has his opinion, and we respect it."

Specific rules surrounding the armbands also exist, and the guidelines state players must "wear an armband, which is simple and conforms to the requirements ... relating to slogans, statements, images and advertising."

The rainbow armband campaign comes from Stonewall, a gay English charity that says it stands for "lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, questioning and ace (LGBTQ+) people everywhere."

While it is indeed odd that the sexuality-driven campaign is not considered political or religious, Guéhi was not the only player to take a stand during the set of weekend games.

Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy, a practicing Muslim, refused to wear the rainbow armband and instead wore a typical plain black version.

Ipswich Town's Sam Morsey refused to wear a rainbow armband, while Crystal Palace's Marc Guéhi wrote 'I love Jesus' on his.Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Shockingly for Morsy's decision, the FA claimed it was a club matter and did not issue a warning.

Ipswich Town still issued a groveling statement.

"Ipswich Town Football Club is committed to being a fully inclusive club that welcomes everyone."

"At the same time, we respect the decision of our captain Sam Morsy, who has chosen not to wear the rainbow captain's armband due to his religious beliefs," the team continued.

"We will continue to grow an environment where all are valued and respected, both on and off the pitch."

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Classic game RuneScape removes gender options, replaces them with pronouns and 'body types'



A massively popular computer game has sparked confusion and outrage after it spontaneously added pronouns while removing gender options at the same time.

The game Old School RuneScape was launched in 2013 and was meant to maintain the 2007 version of the game. It is heralded as a classic by gaming fans and costs about $80 annually to play.

Peaking at 205,000 concurrent players as recently as November 2023, fans have rejoiced over how developers seek their opinion through polls then modify the game accordingly.

That is until recently when developers decided remove the option to choose male or female when creating a character in the game, and replaced it with "Body type A" and "Body type B."

'Body type A and body type B? Have you been living under a rock for the past decade?'

Furthermore, developers decided to add in pronoun selections, providing the options "He/him," "They/them," and "She/her."

"We didn’t vote on this!" a user said to the game's moderators on X. "I play RuneScape to escape from this bulls**t not to be forced to see it! This WILL cost you players... I'm debating on canceling my membership."

A moderator, who goes by the name Mod Ash and has over 140,000 followers on X, responded to the user and said he didn't expect players to see the text so often.

"Thanks for letting me know you no longer wish to play due to players having that text option. All the best with your future gaming," he added with a smiley face.

I wouldn't have expected you to see it very often unless you're switching up at the Makeover Mage really regularly, but thanks for letting me know you no longer wish to play due to players having that text option. All the best with your future gaming :)
— Mod Ash (@JagexAsh) August 14, 2024

'You poll this but not pronouns?'

Just hours before that moderator's response, a fan actually predicted that concerns about the change would be shrugged off by the RuneScape team:

"Body type A and body type B? Have you been living under a rock for the past decade? Gamers don't want this garbage," the irate user wrote. "Well I'm done: 18 years a player but I'm done," they continued.

"You're gonna say 'good riddance, no one forces you to play you fascist bigot.' but guess what: I don't think I'll be the only one. Good luck with this 'new and inclusive' direction you're going in."

More fans took issue with the fact that the inclusion of pronouns and removal of gender was not a topic that developers polled their customers about. This move by the game creators proved to be even more puzzling due to the fact that other polls are conducted for the most miniscule of details.

"You poll this but not pronouns?" one fan asked, attaching an image of a poll that asked ""Should the green pixel be removed from the Construction skill icon?"

Over 50,000 gamers responded to that particular pool showcasing just how responsive the fanbase is.

Another user who has an account that is over 8,200 days old (22 years) noted that he didn't think he would be renewing his membership due to the recent controversy.

"I'd been thinking about renewing my membership and playing OSRS again after taking a break for a year or so. I don't think I will be doing that any time soon."

I'd been thinking about renewing my membership and playing OSRS again after taking a break for a year or so. I don't think I will be doing that any time soon. https://t.co/pscg74avlI pic.twitter.com/I0LKNtH61f
— Dave Shrigley (@dshrig) August 15, 2024

Production company Jagex has a history of activism that has caused blowback in the past.

In 2017, a Pride update was widely mocked for its use of rainbows and has since become an infamous event in the game's history.

At the time, developers asked users in a poll whether they wanted a "gay pride event." Users overwhelmingly rejected the idea with 66% of the respondents saying "no." Over 20,000 people participated in that poll.

On its website, Jagex also gives an annual "gender pay gap report" that touts "the importance of a diverse workforce" and complains about the lack of "industry-wide female representation."

However, in its latest report, the company was only able to lower its own pay disparity by 0.1%.

The website reads, "In the report issued for 2022-2023, our expectations that our gender pay gap would decrease were met with a reduction in our Gender Pay Gap from 25.9% to 25.8%."

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