Donald Trump’s campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is being directly cited as the reason behind major corporate sponsors abandoning Pride Toronto. Google and Home Depot are the latest to pull their support, joining Nissan, Adidas, and Clorox, in a move that has left the festival’s executive director deeply concerned about its future.
Kojo Modeste described the notifications from Google and Home Depot as terse, one-line emails, underscoring the sudden nature of their decisions. The loss of these significant financial contributions poses a substantial threat to Pride Toronto’s operations, especially considering its role in paying staff, supporting hundreds of local artists, and maintaining free access for its three million annual attendees.
Modeste’s apprehension about the upcoming years is evident. He expressed a strong desire to avoid having to “drastically cut what the festival looks like for 2026,” a decision that would undoubtedly impact the community’s ability to celebrate openly and freely. The festival’s reliance on corporate backing is now starkly apparent.
According to Professor Sui Sui of Toronto Metropolitan University, a specialist in DEI, the political pressure from the White House is indeed influencing corporate behavior. Sui suggests that companies are re-evaluating their affiliations in light of the anti-DEI push, indicating that previous sponsorships might have been less about genuine alignment and more about perceived public image or profitability.