As corporations retreat from Pride event sponsorships amid the current administrations efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, the co-founders ofRuPauls Drag Raceproduction company, World of Wonder, are helping some organizations across the country make up for the budget shortfalls theyve faced this summer.In June, WOW Presents Plus, World of Wonders subscription streaming platform, sponsored local events in Buffalo Grove, Illinois; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and Augusta, Georgia, along with a Pride Parade Lounge at Los Angeless June 8 celebration. The company will also sponsor Mid-Missouri PrideFest in October, and a June 20 Instagram post promises more sponsorships to be announced. Related European Pride celebrations see funding shortfalls because of the Trump effect Companies are withholding sponsorships in the US and abroad out of fear of retribution from the US president. Were seeing a big walking back of support for Pride from corporations, probably because theyre afraid of the current political climate, WOWs Fenton Bailey told USA Today recently, adding that he and co-founder Randy Barbato realized that while we dont have the reach or deep pockets of those companies, we could still make a difference. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today View this post on Instagram A post shared by WOW Presents Plus (@wowpresentsplus)To Baileys point, the presidents January executive order aimed at ending DEI efforts within the federal government also put pressure on private sector companies to follow suit. Even before he took office for his second term, major brands like McDonalds, Walmart, Ford, Harley-Davidson, John Deere, and Lowes all announced they would roll back or end their DEI initiatives, likely in response to right-wing pressure.Corporations have also been reassessing their contributions to Pride celebrations. In April, Gravity Research found that 39 percent of companies surveyed said they planned to reduce Pride-related engagement for 2025. Senior corporate leaders cited fear of potential investigations by the current administration over DEI as their top reason for pulling back on Pride marketing. Meanwhile, Pride celebrations across the country, including in major markets like New York and San Francisco, have reported significant budget shortfalls this year.The LGBTQ+ community is under attack, and a lot of corporate America is buckling under pressure, Barbato told USA Today. We felt a responsibility to step in, even in a small way, to support local Pride events. Bailey explained that since Pride events in big cities tend to get disproportionate attention, WOW chose to focus its support on celebrations in small towns. Local communities, thats where people really need to feel supported, he said. And many people at World of Wonder have ties to these towns, so it was personal.In a May 20 Instagram post, Buffalo Grove Pride organizers wrote that they were unspeakably grateful for WOWs $10,000 diamond-level sponsorship of its seventh annual Family Friendly Pride Parade. Notably, the company was the only diamond-level sponsor listed on the organizations website for 2025. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BG Pride (@bg_pride)Barbato added that small-town events are just as important, if not more, than their metropolitan counterparts. These towns are where values are shaped. Love, tolerance, non-judgment those start at home, he explained. Its about connection. These events are incredibly intimate and powerful When one community is under threat, we all are. Pride is celebration, but also a reminder that we must keep showing up. For ourselves, and for each other.Bailey pointed to the stark contrast between powerful American corporations disinvestment in Pride and the hundreds of thousands of people who were estimated to have turned out for Budapest Pride last month, despite Hungarys authoritarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn threatening severe legal consequences for anyone attending.I wish more companies would show up. Just look at Budapest Pride, Bailey said. That same spirit of resistance is needed here. This is not the time to run and hide. View this post on Instagram A post shared by New Hampshire Outright (@outright_pride) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Augusta Pride (@augustapride)Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.