In a notable shift from recent years, a number of blue-chip corporations and sports organizations are quietly scaling back their public-facing support for LGBTQ+ Pride Month in 2025.
About 39 percent of corporate executives say their companies are reducing public Pride efforts this year, according to a recent survey from Gravity Research. That includes less frequent use of rainbow-themed logos, fewer social media posts and scaled-back sponsorships of Pride events.
The change comes as brands grapple with political pressure and the fallout from past controversies, including 2023's high-profile backlash against Bud Light and Target for LGBTQ-inclusive campaigns.
This pivot coincides with the Trump administration's scrutiny over both federal and private sector DEI programs. Multiple federal agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), have reportedly threatened investigations into corporate diversity practices.
The muted corporate response this year marks a break from recent traditions. BMW, for example, updated its logo across its global social media footprint last June to reflect Pride Month, even going so far as to defend the decision when a user on X questioned why the rainbow flag was conspicuously absent on its Middle East corporate logos.
But in 2025, the German carmaker has not repeated the gesture, according to a Newsweek analysis of the company's public-facing social media accounts.
Cisco, the Silicon Valley tech giant, also skipped updating its logo this year after incorporating the rainbow flag into its logo as recently as 2024.
Newsweek reached out to both Cisco and BMW for comment.
The NFL, too, has seen reduced visibility: Only four teams -- the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers -- have changed their logos to mark Pride this June.
Most others have remained silent, a departure from the broader participation seen in prior years. According to the ML Football account on X, 12 NFL teams haven't posted about Pride Month: the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys.
Recent public backlash to corporate Pride campaigns has cast a long shadow. Bud Light's partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney spurred boycotts, political outrage and a significant loss of revenue for parent company AB Inbev. Bud Light even lost its long-held position as America's top-selling beer in May 2023, when it was overtaken by Modelo. Target removed Pride merchandise from stores after staff received threats based on viral social media posts. This year, the retailer is limiting Pride products to select stores, with the full collection only available online.
Bank of America is also among the brands that appears to have abandoned much of their Pride marketing following the 2023 backlash, dropping the hashtag #BofAPride for the second consecutive year. The campaign had run uninterrupted from 2018 to 2023.
Longtime corporate sponsors are also backing away from public Pride involvement. NYC Pride lost support from Nissan and PepsiCo, while San Francisco Pride saw Comcast, Anheuser-Busch and Diageo withdraw sponsorships. Even defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton dropped its DEI division and abandoned its WorldPride 2025 commitment, despite the global event behind held in its backyard of Washington, D.C. this year.
The decisions reflects a broader cultural and political shift, with many executives citing the Trump administration's hostile stance toward diversity programs and transgender rights as a core reason for retreating. In January, shortly after Trump's return to the White House, the State Department enacted a "one flag policy," banning U.S. embassies and overseas missions from flying pride or Black Lives Matter flags.
Jeff Melnyk, founding partner at the corporate consulting firm Within People, on LinkedIn Pulse: "Pride was started as a riot by people shouting for change," he wrote. "Before our flag becomes part of your logo, consider what you are really standing for."
Sarah Kate Ellis, president of advocacy group GLAAD, to CNN: "I do see there's pivoting happening (for Pride Month). What I don't see is corporates walking away from the LGBTQ community."
A number of events and celebrations will take place in the U.S. during Pride Month. The annual WorldPride event is ongoing in D.C., and pride marches and parades will take place in cities including New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago in the weeks ahead. Those events are expected to have fewer high-profile corporate sponsors than in past years.
In New York, the organization behind NYC Pride reported a $750,000 budget shortfall after some sponsors scaled back or ended their support of the annual festivities.