Companies are spending on Pride again—but not like they used to

As companies slowed their DEI commitments over the last few years—at least publicly—many of them made noticeable cuts to one aspect of their diversity and inclusion programs. A number of companies, among them Walmart and Mc Donald’s, dropped out of the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, an annual ranking of workplace inclusion that employers once touted. Some employers also stopped sponsoring Pride events. In 2025, 39% of companies surveyed by the research insights firm Gravity Research said they intended to pull back on any engagements with Pride. Perhaps most notably, Target—which has long sold a wide variety of Pride merchandise—has culled its collection, changing the prominent placement of Pride items or only stocking them in certain stores. With Pride month well underway, however, corporate America seems to be showing a renewed interest in supporting LGBTQ+ workers. While companies are still hesitant to openly pledge their support for Pride events, corporate sponsorships seem to be making a comeback. Bloomberg reported this week that companies like Mastercard, which had previously been a major sponsor of the NYC Pride March, are now ramping up their spending, footing the bill for about a hundred employees to join Pride events. Target has returned as a platinum sponsor of NYC Pride, after opting to be a silent partner last year. The uptick in spending has been noted by Pride organizers, who have reported seeing increased investment from the business community. The organization behind the NYC Pride March has almost a dozen more sponsors than in 2025, according to Bloomberg—quite a turnaround from a year when there was a shortage of $750,000 after losing top-tier sponsors. In 2025, organizers around the country reportedly faced budget issues as donors dropped out. Some companies still provided funding, but asked not to be named publicly. Despite this resurgence, corporate spending on Pride is not what it used to be. While some companies have returned