Profits before people? Activist and business ethics expert on Pride Toronto sponsorship losses – News and Events

Corporate sponsorships and social legitimacy

The Black Lives Matter protests in the U.S. spurred by the death of George Floyd as a result of interactions with police in 2020, drew attention to the impacts of systemic racism in America and around the world. These protests set in motion calls to corporate America to show support for DEI beyond “performative” messages on social media by taking concrete, tangible actions.

In response, companies pledged support for equity and set benchmarks for progress. Corporate backing has historically provided validation for social causes while allowing brands to align with values important to  their consumers.

“In the 90s, when I was actively part of this process, we loved to get corporate sponsors because it was a little mark of legitimacy when we didn’t have very many,” recalls Kemper of early LGBTQ2S+ activism efforts in Canada. 

“Without anyone noticing, it evolved,” she says. “By 2015 or so, being a Pride sponsor enhanced the reputation of the corporation in the broader community, not just in the LGBTQ2S+ community.”

The end of corporate sponsorships, Kemper says, is only one small part of a worrying trend towards erasure of sexual minorities and other marginalized groups. She believes transgender youth are the most susceptible to the impacts of this trend including increased violence.

“For many years, we have thought that being queer was becoming an ordinary part of Canadian life,” said Kemper. “The end of corporate sponsorships makes it clear that for the foreseeable future, queer rights will need to continue to be part of the struggle.”

“These companies’ support of Pride was a small deterrent to dangerous forces arrayed against vulnerable people,” said Kemper.

Rethinking corporate sponsorships

Recently, Pride Toronto announced it had a $900K shortfall with the sudden loss of major sponsorships.

“I think we need to reconsider the relationship of queer movements and corporate sponsors,” says Kemper. “We need to think carefully about how social movements are organized and remain successful.”

SEIU Healthcare, a union representing frontline health workers in Ontario, is a recent sponsor and expressed their belief that solidarity means action, not just words. Rethinking the role of sponsorship and inviting community groups, unions and other non-corporate forms of support can allow for more genuine, grassroots engagement.

In the struggle for equality, Kemper says, being queer has also meant being transgressive. Pride events serve both celebratory and advocacy purposes, she explains. They represent community resilience while continuing the work toward equality and recognition.