As Pride Month approaches, Toronto’s 2SLGBTQ+ community is preparing for one of its most important annual celebrations — but this year’s event comes with new financial challenges. Pride Toronto, the non-profit organization behind Canada’s largest Pride festival, has confirmed the loss of several key corporate sponsors for its 2025 edition, which is scheduled to begin in June.
Major Brands Pull Out, Funding Shrinks
Kojo Modeste, Executive Director of Pride Toronto, announced that both Home Depot and Google have ended their sponsorships of this year’s festival, while Merck Canada has reduced its contribution. In addition, other longstanding sponsors such as Nissan Canada, Adidas, Tim Hortons, and The Abnormal Beauty Company have either withdrawn or scaled back their financial involvement.
Modeste emphasized that these changes will have a tangible impact on the organization’s resources and its ability to deliver the festival at its typical scale. With more than 300 artists — many of them Canadian — already committed, the festival will still go ahead in full, but the loss of funding will require internal adjustments.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Modeste shared. “We’ve counted on these partners year after year. Their departure affects not only our organization but the artists and communities who rely on Pride as a platform of visibility, expression, and empowerment.”
Shifting Corporate Priorities
Statements from departing sponsors cite marketing budget realignments and strategic focus shifts as reasons for pulling out. Nissan Canada, for instance, said its decision was rooted in a re-evaluation of fiscal priorities for 2025 marketing campaigns. Home Depot stated that it regularly reassesses its charitable giving portfolio and opted not to contribute this year. Google confirmed that while it will not sponsor the festival officially, a group of employees will still march in the parade.
Community Concerns and Cultural Impact
The decrease in corporate sponsorship is being interpreted by some community members as part of a larger pattern of retreat from public commitments to equity, inclusion, and support for marginalized groups. In February, Modeste had already signaled concerns about a growing backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, particularly in the United States — a trend that may now be influencing Canadian corporate behavior.
Artin Avaznia, a solo dance performer producing “Underground Pride” at the Drake Hotel Underground, expressed frustration with the optics of corporate exits. “It often feels like these companies were more interested in boosting their image than elevating queer voices,” he said. “They can take away their funding, but they can’t erase our cultural presence. Our community has survived much worse.”
Call to Action: Community Support Needed
Despite the financial setbacks, Pride Toronto remains committed to delivering a festival that is vibrant, inclusive, and impactful. Modeste has called on individuals, grassroots donors, Canadian companies, and government bodies to step forward and help bridge the funding gap.
“We’re not scaling down the festival,” Modeste reassured. “We have contingency plans, and we have faith in our community. Now more than ever, we need supporters who truly stand behind the 2SLGBTQ+ community to help us move forward.”
Pride Toronto will be placing a particular focus this year on elevating transgender and non-binary voices, highlighting the diversity within the queer community. The 2025 festival’s theme, “All In,” is described as a rallying cry for unity and unwavering solidarity.
Looking Ahead: Pride Will Persist
While corporate support may have waned, the spirit of Pride remains strong. Modeste closed his remarks with a hopeful message: “We’ve seen hard times before, and we’ve never stayed down. Canadians care. We believe they’ll show up — for Pride Toronto and for every Pride across this country facing similar pressures.”
As June approaches, the community is mobilizing to ensure that Pride Month in Toronto remains a moment of celebration, resistance, and connection. Despite funding challenges, the festival promises to remain a powerful expression of identity, belonging, and resilience — exactly what Pride has always stood for.
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