This piece was originally published on March 31 and has been updated to reflect Cincinnati Pride’s fundraising progress.
Cincinnati Pride – the LGBTQ+ nonprofit that organizes an annual Pride Festival and Parade – has announced it will sever ties with some corporate sponsors following widespread rollbacks in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) programs.
In a written statement posted to their website and via verified social media accounts, the non-profit organization announced it will no longer accept money from corporate funders that have rolled back DEI initiatives:
“[We] cannot in good conscience continue to collaborate with organizations that work against our mission of providing the greater Cincinnati LGBTQ+ community with resources to positively impact the lives of all individuals regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression,” the statement read.
“To ensure alignment with our values and mission, Cincinnati Pride prioritizes financial support from organizations that share our commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Effective for 2025, Cincinnati Pride seeks partnerships with organizations that are committed to honor and celebrate LGBTQIA+ voices.”
Ultimately, Cincinnati Pride said its decision to shift corporate sponsorship guidelines has cost them “tens of thousands of dollars.”
In place of larger corporate funders, the group will pivot to a community-based funding model that better serves its mission and values, mostly depending on small, personal donations from thousands of supporters.
As of May 28, the organization has received over $47,000 in individual donations toward its $50,000 goal.
Cincinnati Pride’s move comes as other Pride festivals are similarly pivoting to community support in response to the announcements made by many corporations that they are backing away from their DEI initiatives.
Twin Cities Pride in Minneapolis dropped Target as a sponsor of their 2025 celebration after the retail giant rolled back DEI initiatives. The Minnesotan LGBTQ+ community then raised more than double Target’s $50,000 pledge to cover the gap.
Some sponsors still committed to DEI
Previous Cincinnati Pride Festival and Parade corporate sponsors include grocery store chain Kroger, Fifth Third Bank, Delta Airlines, Proctor & Gamble and Cincinnati-based sexual health and wellness company Pure Romance – along with Hard Rock, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and Graduate Cincinnati, part of the massive Hilton hotel franchise.
The group has not released a list of sponsors they have rejected, or the names of former sponsors that may no longer meet sponsorship guidelines.
However, it appears that several major funders for the group’s Pride Festival and Parade are still in compliance with the new guidelines, including Hilton, Kroger, Delta Airlines and Proctor & Gamble, which have all announced they plan to keep DEI programs intact.
According to a separate statement the group released last June, Cincinnati Pride board members have long faced criticism from attendees objecting to corporate sponsorships, but the outcry escalated last year and included threats to board members’ safety.
“Every year, we receive feedback from a few community members who object to specific sponsors or organizations participating in the Cincinnati Pride Festival and Parade for a variety of reasons,” the group said in a written statement posted to social media.
“Previously, this type of criticism would be in the form of emails or social media posts. This year is different,” the statement read. “Individuals and organizations have targeted our board members, including threats of violence. Threatening violence to end violence is not the answer.”
Community members asked to step up
In a rapidly changing social and political landscape for LGBTQ+ Americans, board members asked for help from the community to cover the gap in funding.
“With your help, we can continue to provide spaces and resources as we continue to fight for full equality for all people,” the group said. “This isn’t only our identity on the day of our festival and parade – our rainbow shines every day, every month, every year.
“Financial investments from individual donors within our local community will supplement the dollars given to us from corporate sponsorships,” the group said, noting the money will also be used to help provide year-round programming, including “continued financial support to local community organizations through our community grants.”
In a statement via his personal Facebook account, Cincinnati Pride Director of Development Jake Hitch said he hopes the new guidelines and fundraising mode generate ongoing community support for the organization.
“While the focus is around cutting sponsorship ties, the more important piece of this is that we need our community to support organizations like us to keep them around,” Hitch said. “It’s about being part of the solution.” 🔥
IGNITE ACTION
- To learn more about Cincinnati Pride’s new sponsorship guidelines and funding model, click here.
- If you are a young LGBTQ+ person in crisis, please contact the Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor.
- If you are an transgender adult in need of immediate help, contact the National Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
- To register to vote or to check your voter eligibility status in the state of Ohio, click here.
- To find contact information for your Ohio state representative, click here.
- To find contact information for your Ohio state senator, click here.
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