by Joe Siegel

Some of this year’s Pride celebrations were impacted by various controversies, including a lawsuit, anti-LGBTQ police harassment, and declining advertiser support.

Philadelphia Gay Pride was marred by an incident on June 7, as reported by Mark Segal, publisher of Philadelphia Gay News.

“Philadelphia police officers, some wearing masks, confronted and attacked members of the LGBTQ+ community gathered in the Gayborhood,” Segal wrote. “Other officers deployed Tasers, while mounted officers and motorcycle units pushed community members into areas already confined by fencing erected by the city itself. Much of what occurred was captured on video and is readily available on social media.”

“The police response was, at best, unprepared,” he continued. “At worst, some officers appeared completely out of control,” Segal continued. “The actions of a number of officers discredited their own department and undermined years of work by the Police Commissioner and many dedicated officers who have worked hard to build trust with the LGBTQ+ community. In a single afternoon, some of that trust was damaged.”

The Dallas Voice’s Pride coverage featured conflict involving a Pride organization.

“A former Dallas Pride volunteer … filed a lawsuit in Dallas County’s 192nd Civil District Court alleging that Dallas Pride board officers have covered up the embezzlement of donated funds and has mismanaged the organization’s finances over the course of several years, and demanding that Dallas Pride release financial records and other information that he first asked for in June and August of last year,” Tammye Nash, the newspaper’s managing editor, wrote in a June 17 story.

On a positive note, OutSFL published a story on June 18 about the City of Wilton Manors issuing a proclamation in support of Pride.

“Wilton Manors officially recognized Pride Month during the June 9 city commission meeting. While this day is a happy occasion, dark clouds are following,” reporter John Hayden wrote. “A new anti-DEI passed by the Republicans in Tallahassee takes effect next year.” As a result, Wilton Manors Mayor Scott Newton said that this might be the last year that the city contributes funding for the annual parade.

San Francisco’s Bay Area Reporter (B.A.R.) ran a story by John Ferrannini, the newspaper’s assistant editor, about the backlash when three members of the Giants baseball team spoke out against Pride.

“San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie weighed in on the San Francisco Giants’ Pride Night imbroglio, exclusively telling the Bay Area Reporter on June 17 that he was ‘personally really upset, and disappointed.’

“I think a few people made it about themselves and not about the community, and here in San Francisco, the LGBTQ+ community is what makes this city so special,” Mayor Lurie said in an interview with the B.A.R. in his City Hall office. “My first thought is, ‘This is why we need Pride Month. We still have a long way to go.’”

“The remarks were the first time the city’s popular mayor commented after three Giants pitchers — Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker — protested the ball club’s Pride Night Friday by wearing the special night’s rainbow-themed hats, but adding a Bible verse taken from the Book of Genesis, when God sets the rainbow over the world as a sign of his covenant with Noah, after the world was destroyed for its wickedness in the great flood. Another pitcher, Sam Hentges, opted not to wear the Pride hat at all, donning the team’s standard cap,” Ferrannini wrote.

There has also been a backlash against Pride from major companies that have previously provided financial support to the LGBTQ community.

The Washington Blade reported, “Across the country, Pride groups report declining sponsorship revenue, fewer corporate partners, and increased difficulty securing the commitments that have helped fund modern Pride celebrations for decades.”

Mike Alexander, director of development for Capital Pride Alliance, which organizes D.C.’s Pride events, said the shift became noticeable almost immediately after President Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office.

“As soon as the inauguration happened and the immediate swift attacks on DEI began, we started seeing a downturn in sponsorships. We probably had close to $10 million in pledges, and that was pretty much cut in half last year,” Alexander told the Blade. “Even though WorldPride ended up being an overall success and we had incredible support from sponsors that were able to remain on, overall support has been down quite significantly from what we usually have. Between 2016 and 2024, we typically saw anywhere from 150 to 275 corporate sponsors. Now we’re looking at probably about half of that this year, so it’s quite a significant drop.”

IN THE NEWS
Volume 28
Issue 5