Slate Daily Feed What Next | Corporate America Retreats From Pride
Jun 10, 2025
Christina Cauterucci, a Slate senior writer and host of Outward, discusses the decline of corporate sponsorship for Pride Month. She humorously critiques the absurdity of corporate Pride marketing, questioning its authenticity. Cauterucci reflects on the tension between celebration and activism, shares her first Pride experience, and highlights the grassroots revival of local Pride events. With rising political pressures, she suggests that community-driven efforts are becoming essential for genuine LGBTQ+ representation.
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Corporate Pride Is Absurd Marketing
- Corporate Pride marketing often feels absurd and disconnected from queer experiences.
- Tessa highlights such corporate attempts as more for straight audiences than LGBTQ+ people themselves.
Pride's Roots Are Political
- Since the 1970s, there's been tension between Pride as political protest versus a commercial event.
- Activists originally criticized Pride becoming a glorified bar crawl rather than a protest against police harassment.
Protest at Pride Against Corporations
- Christina protested corporate floats like Lockheed Martin at Pride in 2017, blocking them from passing.
- She experienced hostility and realized different views on what Pride should represent.