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On Saturday, local Bay Area Fox affiliate KTVUreported that San Francisco Pride lost five corporate sponsors that had previously supported the event for years, including Comcast, Anheuser-Busch, Diageo, and La Crema, which is owned by Jackson Family Wines.
Suzanne Ford, the executive director of SF Pride, the nonprofit that runs the celebration, told KTVU that the loss of these sponsors totals $300,000 out of a total $1.2 million needed for the event. She told the outlet that she was “very concerned” and that there was “pressure from the federal government,” sharing her belief that the Trump administration’s policies against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs may have been the reason why those sponsors pulled out.
“The tone has changed in this country,” Ford told KTVU. “Businesses already hedge their bets, and I think people who, this isn’t their hard core value of their corporation, maybe they’re rethinking their investment.” Though the city’s Pride celebration will still take place June 28 to 29, it’s unclear what it will entail.
When reached for comment, Janel Lubanski, the public relations director for La Crema stressed that the decision “was not politically influenced.” She said that the company had told SF Pride that they “wouldn’t be able to activate like we did the past few years and have our larger pop-up tasting room there more due to logistical reasons,” but that “it was still our hope to partner and be part of the event in some capacity.” We’re not stepping away from our support of the LGBTQ+ community,” Lubanski said via email. “However, as is the case for many in the wine industry, we’re facing some headwinds and have had to make difficult decisions about where and how we can show up. Our goal is to continue doing as much as we can while being mindful of these challenges."
Though it’s only March, a number of corporations have made moves to roll back their various DEI programs and initiatives since Donald Trump returned to the presidential office, including Target and Paramount. But that trend has been present over the past few years as the right wing has attempted to make it an increasing liability to support LGBTQ+ people.
As an example, Anheuser-Busch may have just pulled out of SF Pride, but the company infamously lost business over its relationship to the LGBTQ+ community; in 2023, the beverage company, which owns Bud Light, partnered with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney for a promotional post. In response, the right wing descended upon Mulvaney and Bud Light with a fury, with musician Kid Rock going so far as to post a video of himself repeatedly shooting a case of the beer with a gun. In a video posted at the end of Pride month (which, she recently revealed, she posted in order to clear her head before traveling to Peru to do ayahuasca) Mulvaney later claimed that she never heard from Bud Light in the wake of the controversy.
Them has also reached out to Comcast, Anheuser-Busch, and Diageo for comment.
San Francisco Pride Loses $300,000 After Sponsors Drop Out: “The Tone Has Changed in This Country”
San Francisco Pride, one of the largest pride celebrations in the world, is seeking alternate funding after a number of recurring corporate sponsors have pulled out.On Saturday, local Bay Area Fox affiliate KTVUreported that San Francisco Pride lost five corporate sponsors that had previously supported the event for years, including Comcast, Anheuser-Busch, Diageo, and La Crema, which is owned by Jackson Family Wines.
Suzanne Ford, the executive director of SF Pride, the nonprofit that runs the celebration, told KTVU that the loss of these sponsors totals $300,000 out of a total $1.2 million needed for the event. She told the outlet that she was “very concerned” and that there was “pressure from the federal government,” sharing her belief that the Trump administration’s policies against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs may have been the reason why those sponsors pulled out.
“The tone has changed in this country,” Ford told KTVU. “Businesses already hedge their bets, and I think people who, this isn’t their hard core value of their corporation, maybe they’re rethinking their investment.” Though the city’s Pride celebration will still take place June 28 to 29, it’s unclear what it will entail.
When reached for comment, Janel Lubanski, the public relations director for La Crema stressed that the decision “was not politically influenced.” She said that the company had told SF Pride that they “wouldn’t be able to activate like we did the past few years and have our larger pop-up tasting room there more due to logistical reasons,” but that “it was still our hope to partner and be part of the event in some capacity.” We’re not stepping away from our support of the LGBTQ+ community,” Lubanski said via email. “However, as is the case for many in the wine industry, we’re facing some headwinds and have had to make difficult decisions about where and how we can show up. Our goal is to continue doing as much as we can while being mindful of these challenges."
Though it’s only March, a number of corporations have made moves to roll back their various DEI programs and initiatives since Donald Trump returned to the presidential office, including Target and Paramount. But that trend has been present over the past few years as the right wing has attempted to make it an increasing liability to support LGBTQ+ people.
As an example, Anheuser-Busch may have just pulled out of SF Pride, but the company infamously lost business over its relationship to the LGBTQ+ community; in 2023, the beverage company, which owns Bud Light, partnered with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney for a promotional post. In response, the right wing descended upon Mulvaney and Bud Light with a fury, with musician Kid Rock going so far as to post a video of himself repeatedly shooting a case of the beer with a gun. In a video posted at the end of Pride month (which, she recently revealed, she posted in order to clear her head before traveling to Peru to do ayahuasca) Mulvaney later claimed that she never heard from Bud Light in the wake of the controversy.
Them has also reached out to Comcast, Anheuser-Busch, and Diageo for comment.
