June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and in the past 50 years, it has grown
into a massive moneymaking machine with an estimated 1500 Pride
events globally. Even here in our hometown of Washington, D.C., Pride
brings in $50 million in economic impact of this city alone.
And it is almost $75 million in the Los Angeles area.
Denver, Colorado, $25 million.
It's become a month where big businesses can show their support for
their community and their employees and try to win over the support
of LGBTQ+ consumers by shelling out millions on pride-related ads,
sponsorships and merchandise.
June is also typically a boon for LGBTQ+ owned small businesses and
nonprofits. I would say that's probably their most lucrative week of
the year. In June of 2019, New York hosted World Pride, which honored
the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
Those events maxed out the city's hotel capacity in June, and while
an official report has not been published on how much money the event
made for businesses in the city, it's speculated to be in the
hundreds of millions.
But due to the global pandemic, June of 2020 is looking much
different. There are about close to 400 Pride organizations right now
around the globe who have had to cancel or postpone Pride.
Most Pride organizers have pivoted to virtual platforms.
InterPride, the overseeing body for World Pride, is co-producing an
international virtual event called Global Pride.
The idea was to have it over a 24 hour time frame on June 27th, and
start from the east and go all the way the west.
This is a first for Pride organizers, so many weren't exactly sure
what virtual Pride would look like.
As event producers, we all just want to be back to what it has been.
Despite hardships, many big corporate donors are still dedicated to
the cause and thinking of creative ways to be involved.
And some organizations are trying to make sure these corporations are
really walking the walk for the LGBTQ+ community, not just using
Pride as a marketing opportunity.
You look and you find out, you know, that they're doing lots of
really, really horrible stuff the other 364 days of the year.
How will these virtual events maintain their support of small LGBTQ+
owned businesses like restaurants, bars and brick-and-mortar stores,
as well as LGBTQ+ focused nonprofits, many of whom heavily rely on
the revenue spike in June to keep their doors open and services
running? When we don't see Pride as we're used to seeing it, the
reality is that some of what we're not seeing is because things
disappear. Things have actually gone away.
June is going to hurt.
It's going to hurt for a lot of businesses.
Pride events are traditionally scheduled in June in remembrance of the
Stonewall Riots in 1969, which is largely seen as the beginning of
the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.
The first Gay Pride march took place the next year in New York City.
Heritage of Pride, also known simply as NYC Pride is the organization
responsible for New York's largest Pride event and was founded in
1984 when it took over the planning of New York City's Pride march
and rally. And the movement has been building year after year.
Last year, 2019 had over five million people, according to NYPD,
attend. But this year, plans dramatically changed.
The coronavirus pandemic has led to the devastating cancellation of
one event after another, and Pride events have not been immune.
But some have decided to host their events online.
NYC Pride will be hosting a live broadcast event on June 28 that will
feature performances from Janelle Monae, Deborah Cox, Billy Porter
and more. That had an opportunity for partners to not only have their
advertising and some curated segments of their commitment to the
community, but support the nonprofits that will be a part of that
broadcast as well. There will also be an event called the Global
Pride. InterPride and the event's coproducer, the European Pride
Organizers Association, or EPOA, have teamed up with Pride
organizations around the world to develop a virtual event that will
span 24 hours on June 27th.
And with just a few months to put it all together, the organizers
have faced some unique challenges.
We don't have any historical information or data to really back up and
support, this is what can be done and this is what's going to happen.
The event will be streamed live on YouTube and other platforms,
according to the organizers, and 300 million viewers are expected to
tune in. Although we are in discussions with a lot of different
groups or organizations about wanting to come onboard and partner, we
are also hopefully looking at donations as a key way to raise funds.
The group is still not quite sure how much this virtual Pride will
cost, since they've never done it before.
But the majority of the money raised for Global Pride will go towards
the group's Solidarity Fund, which was created to support queer
events and nonprofits around the globe, especially those in
developing countries.
The goal is really to raise funds to support a lot of the
organizations that were affected by Covid-19.
In recent years, corporate sponsors have been the financial backbone
for many large Pride events.
For last year, for example, we were able to bring in a little over $8
million in corporate sponsorship.
This organization used to not even make more than a million dollars
in one year in 2019.
The cost to produce San Francisco Pride, one of the largest in the
United States, surpassed $3 million.
That includes permits, contractors, staff, and that bill is usually
covered, at least in part by corporate sponsors.
For San Francisco, that includes companies like Apple, Facebook, Uber
and Airbnb. T-mobile has been with us for the better part of a
decade. TD Bank, who has been with us, I want to say, going on
fifteen years now.
In 2015, the most recent data available on the subject, the LGBTQ+
community had an estimated buying power of $917 billion, so global
brands have been eager to position themselves with the community.
By working together, we're actually accelerating each other's
missions. So, of course, you're protecting each other's bottom lines.
But like most businesses right now, Pride 2020 has been hit hard.
Between ticket sales and just sponsors decreased ability, we are
losing out on millions and millions of dollars this year.
This year has been a unique struggle for all involved and Pride
organizers had to completely shift their business models.
One new offering this year is online ads and sponsorships.
Businesses and the travel industry have been some of the biggest
supporters of Pride events.
They usually have strategic partnerships with Pride organizations,
which might include ads, floats and parades and booths at other
events. But this year, some are forced to be a little less generous.
With the lack of foot traffic, Pride apparel won't be on display,
Pride flags won't be handed out, Pride merchandise won't be right in
front of participants.
But for NYC Pride, these corporate sponsors are still finding ways to
be involved. We haven't had any companies who just flat out said it
to us, "no, we can't support you anymore."
Until the 90s, corporate sponsorships weren't a thing for Pride
organizers. The marches and rallies were made up of nonprofits and
other members of the LGBTQ+ community.
At the time, it was really great that a big bank with a national
president is marching in the gay Pride parade.
But then at a certain point, it became less about inclusivity and
more about a marketing opportunity.
As Pride became more commercialized, some members of the LGBTQ+
community started to wonder if they were benefiting from corporate
involvement or if it was hurting the cause.
I will give Heritage a Pride the credit that, yes, they do feature
grand marshals and they do sometimes allow some queer organizations
that are, you know, fighting for the rights of homeless trans youth
and what have you.
They do allow them to have some place toward the front.
But the problem is those groups get so dwarfed by the presence and
the numbers of people on these corporate floats that they just sort
of get lost. Apparel brands like H&M, Nike and Adidas came out with
Pride related products in recent years.
H&M launched its first Pride collection in 2018 and donated 10
percent of the sales price from the collection to U.N.
Free and equal, whose aim is to build a world where no one has to be
afraid because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
But H&M was criticized for working with suppliers in countries that
criminalize homosexuality and transgender individuals.
Corporate sponsorships are always important, but there has to be a
balance and it's a balance of whose money you accept, but also, it's
a balance of what kind of Pride of place you put those corporations
that give you this sponsorship.
There are companies who sponsor Pride organizations around the country
that still deal with discrimination issues within their work
cultures. Starbucks has been accused of mistreating trans employees
with at least one former employee filing a lawsuit against the
company. Nike, who recently released a Pride wristband for the Apple
Watch, also had a lawsuit filed against it by a former contractor who
was reportedly mis gendered by co-workers with no action taken by
management to correct the issue or educate the staff.
Clothing brands Zara and computer company Dell have also been accused
of discrimination and are both sponsors of Pride organizations.
They sort of double down on tons of corporate presents and tons of
partying with very little meat about really important issues that all
of our communities are facing.
Seven members of San Francisco Pride voted to ban Google from this
year's events because of discriminatory ad policies and a lack of
protection against discrimination on YouTube.
In a letter to the San Francisco Pride Board calling for Google's
expulsion from the events, protesters wrote, "companies are no longer
scared to be seen as pro LGBTQ.
In fact, their participation is a great opportunity for them.
We believe that companies should earn that opportunity by proving
that they really do stand with our community." To address concerns,
YouTube updated its harassment policies to better protect creators
and the community, and San Francisco Pride ultimately decided not to
ban Google from participating.
There are ways to accept corporate sponsorships, but in a controlled
manner that doesn't distract from the purpose.
And that purpose is still vitally important to the LGBTQ+ rights
movement. In 28 states, transgender individuals can still be fired
from their jobs or kicked out of their homes without legal
ramifications.
Pride is global.
Pride can exist in a refugee camp.
This is more of an issue of stewardship.
Walker does recognize the importance of responsible corporate
sponsorships. These sponsorships allow for bigger, more economically
impactful events.
Last year, for example, we held our opening ceremony at the Barclays
Center where Whoopi Goldberg hosting, Chaka Khan and Billy Porter.
And you wouldn't be able to have that without corporate support.
But this downturn is not just a detriment to Pride events.
It's also a devastating blow to local businesses like restaurants,
bars and small shops.
This is especially true for LGBTQ+ owned businesses that rely on
Pride Month for a major spike in revenue.
I would say that's probably their most lucrative week of the year.
Justin Nelson, president of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce,
says Pride events bring in tens, if not hundreds of millions of
dollars for local businesses.
Thinking about the ma-and-ma and pa-and-pa shops that are in, you
know, bricks-and-mortar that depend on foot traffic that are looking
for reservations, that are offering drink specials.
It is going to really hurt those companies.
The NGLCC is helping small businesses shift their products or services
to better fit the Covid-19 economic landscape.
We've created a whole virtual Pride resource guide for communities,
for corporations, for small businesses or whomever wants to engage
and utilize businesses that will directly impact the LGBT community
in a positive way.
The nonprofits that support the community are perhaps taking the
hardest hit. Nonprofits rely on foot traffic and corporate
sponsorships, too, but they rely heavily on fundraising events.
Now they have to rethink their strategy.
We're looking at tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue for
organizations like LGBTQ community centers and each of the borough's
AIDS service organizations, lots of different advocacy groups and
smaller nonprofits, too, that fill really niche needs of people and
neighborhoods. Like so many others, nonprofits like the Stonewall
Community Foundation have had to switch up their fundraising efforts
in order to stay afloat.
We've had a few people do music videos, videos, concerts from their
home and direct the proceeds of those to Stonewall Community
Foundation. And I think we'll see a lot more of it in the weeks and
months ahead, especially in June. Nonprofits also face the difficult
challenge of contending with for-profit businesses for paycheck
protection loans, which have been criticized for not being equitable.
Nonprofits are where we turn when we need vital services.
It's where we go when we don't know where else to go, right.
When we, for whatever reason, have hit rock bottom.
And so the fact that that's in the same pool with the profiteers in
our society makes it really challenging.
And the services provided by nonprofits like the Stonewall Community
Foundation are very much needed.
Money is not naturally going to fall in the laps of those who need it
most. Right? There needs to be a really deliberate push and a lot of
organizing and a lot of educating to make sure that that can happen.
There is hope in the community that this new way to celebrate and
honor Pride Month will make Pride more accessible in the future.
How do we still have our March and some of our in-person events, but
offer those online programs for those who still maybe can get there
and want to be a part of the event?
Probably, you know, this year and even next year, people will be
celebrating virtually until there's a vaccine available.
We'll look back and think, you know what, you remember that Pride
Month in 2020, you know, when things were crazier than ever, what we
lived through and how we're stronger on this side of.