Pride Resilience and The Dance of the Corporate Sponsor

The main discussion about Pride in 2025 is not about less corporate support, but about the crucial role Jersey Pride is now playing in fighting the decline of diversity and inclusion, as well as the growing efforts to take away LGBTQ+ rights.

Jersey Pride started 33 years ago when New Jersey added sexual orientation and gender identity to its discrimination laws in 1991, becoming the fifth state to do so. Since then, there have been various efforts for progress, including new laws and greater acceptance. Laura Pople, President of Jersey Pride LLC, has been involved with the event from the start. She describes it like this.

“You know, I think that we…as a society, can feel very beat up by what’s going on. Right? And so, events like Pride events have the real advantage of both demonstrating our community to each other and standing tall in our visibility of who we are. So by their nature, they (pride events) are going to be doing that and reinforcing the resistance in that way…encouraging people to take that next step.”

When the new presidential administration began to act harshly against the LGBTQ+ community and push companies to comply, the Jersey Pride team chose to respond quickly.

They contacted their corporate sponsors and found that many were worried about how the attacks on diversity/inclusion were affecting their employees. They were concerned about finding a way to support their LGBTQ employees and not have them feel that they were left out or abandoned.

In 2025, the finances of Jersey Pride’s corporate sponsorship has shifted slightly. Some sponsors are not returning, while new ones have come onboard. Although some have smaller budgets, overall corporate support remains comparable to previous years.

According to Laura Pople, although Bank of America is again donating to Pride this year, it is doing so as a silent partner and foregoing the publicity of being named the Title Sponsor. Their team is also marching in the parade carrying The Names Project Memorial Quilt and Bank of America will provide an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) at the Pride Festival.

Walmart (a corporate sponsor for 2 years), Range Rover, and Verizon, which previously donated, have canceled or reduced their support this year, as noted in the sponsorship listings on njpride.org.

Walmart’s spokesperson Jimmy Carter issued a statement about their decision to change their charitable contributions to Jersey Pride:

“Our focus remains on creating an environment where our associates and customers feel they belong. In the New Jersey area, our associates are volunteering in June with community organizations, including those which support the LGBTQ+ community.”

Many sponsors rejected the idea of withdrawing their support due to the current political climate, viewing their contributions as charitable acts tied to their associates’ volunteer work.

The discussions with sponsors were successful for Jersey Pride as they addressed issues directly, strengthening their relationship with their corporate sponsors. Many key team members at Jersey Pride understand the importance of building connections with corporate sponsors who offer a dependable network of support.

After 33 years NJ Pride continues to offer the possibility of self advocacy and civil engagement on a grassroots level. Year round they reach out to others within the community giving them tools and resources to take action and by doing so take care of themselves and others within the community.

Happy Pride Asbury Park!