Pittsburgh LGBTQ Pride parade in jeopardy after corporate sponsors pull funding
Pittsburgh's annual LGBTQ Pride parade is facing financial challenges this year after major corporate sponsors withdrew their funds.
The organization Pittsburgh Pride informed local news last week that it is falling short of its $500,000 fundraising goal, raising only $150,000 so far with less than two months until the event.
Dena Stanley, director of Pittsburgh Pride, told Pittsburgh Magazine that organizers typically raise half of their funds by this time, but this year, a mass exodus of corporate sponsors has put the event's future in jeopardy.
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"Last year, we were able to get to a point where we were able to pay everything that we needed to pay," Stanley said. "We didn’t have anything over or extra, but this year, I don’t know what we’re going to do."
So far, six corporations, including Macy's and American Eagle Outfitters Inc., have offered financial support, while others, like Walmart and Tito’s Handmade Vodka, have not yet donated to the event despite supporting the parade in the past.
In statements to WTAE, Walmart and Tito's confirmed their support for the LGBTQ community but added that they were unable to support the event at that time.
"Unfortunately, we are not always able to continue sponsoring the same events in perpetuity, as we try to spread love to as many organizations as possible," a Tito's spokesperson said.
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Members of Pittsburgh Pride are hoping to raise at least $200,000 to pull off the event with the help of vendors and grant money and will begin to make decisions about what to cut in May. The event is still scheduled for June 5-7.
"Just for stages is over $100,000. That's not including lighting, electric, insurance, security," board member Lyndsey Sickler said. "Pride is happening one way or another, but to do it the way we’ve been doing it, we need to make sure that we can pay the insurance, that we can pay the electric, we can pay for the stages, and the artists, and all that stuff, because we pay our artists."
Pittsburgh Pride, Walmart and Tito's did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Pittsburgh Pride saw similar setbacks in its 2025 event after several companies pulled their sponsorship despite supporting the organization in previous years. At the time, Stanley suggested President Donald Trump's re-election and pushback on woke initiatives was a factor.
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"Many of these corporations didn't want to support us, and Trump just made it easier for them to say, well, now we don't have to. That's how I feel," Stanley told Axios. "It's not just about us, what message does it send to their (LGBTQ+) employees?"