The Cost of DEI: Pride Toronto Loses Major Backers Amidst Political Pressure

The true cost of the ongoing “DEI war” is becoming apparent for Pride Toronto, as major corporate backers like Google and Home Depot have pulled their sponsorships. This follows earlier withdrawals from Nissan, Adidas, and Clorox, leaving the festival facing a significant financial shortfall attributed to political pressure.
Kojo Modeste, executive director of Pride Toronto, noted the abruptness of the decisions from Google and Home Depot, communicated via terse, one-line emails. These sponsorships are paramount for the festival’s operations, covering essential costs such as staff salaries, artist fees, and ensuring the event remains free for its three million annual attendees.
Modeste is deeply concerned about the future of the festival, expressing anxiety about potentially having to “drastically cut what the festival looks like for 2026.” He emphasized the importance of maintaining the festival’s scope and accessibility, particularly for younger generations who rely on Pride as a welcoming and inclusive space.
Professor Sui Sui of Toronto Metropolitan University, an expert in DEI, explains that the White House’s anti-DEI push is causing corporations to reconsider their support for LGBTQ+ events. She suggests that past corporate commitments might have been driven more by perceived profitability than genuine support, and that the current political climate is revealing the fragility of those alignments.