Many Pride organizers across the country say high-profile brand backlashes, restrictive legislation and heightened threats against LGBTQ people have fueled record crowd turnout this year.
Most of the Pride organizers NBC News spoke with, including Snider, declined to identify corporate sponsors that shrunk their involvement or visibility, concerned about alienating important financial backers.
Like Indy Pride, Pride organizations are typically nonprofit organizations that also offer year-round services to the LGBTQ community, such as grants, educational events and support for political activism.
Josh Coleman, president of Central Alabama Pride in Birmingham, said some longtime corporate sponsors dropped out this year, including Wells Fargo.
Kendra Johnson, executive director of Equality NC, said threats against the community and Pride events have risen dramatically throughout North Carolina.
Persons:
InterPride, Shelly Snider, Snider, We've, Bud Light, Josh Coleman, Wells Fargo, It's, Coleman, we've, hasn't, Vanessa Rodley, didn't, Charles Schwab, Wells, Bruce Starr, Pride, Seth McCollough, McCollough, haven't, they've, Kendra Johnson, I've, Johnson, Ron deHarte, deHarte
Organizations:
Boston Red Sox, Pride, Fenway, Indy, NBC, Indy Pride, Central Alabama Pride, Memphis's, Kroger, Terminix, South Pride, Nike, Ford, Equality, United States Association of
Locations:
Boston, U.S, Indianapolis, Birmingham, Wells, Tennessee, Memphis, Auburn , Alabama, Plains, Midwest, South, bluer, New York City, Charleston , South Carolina, North Carolina