Pride STL kicks off June events amid sponsorship changes

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Pride STL started the month of June with a celebration of community and acceptance at a kickoff event Monday night.

The event drew in a lively crowd for music and food, a preview of the annual event that brings more than 300 thousand people downtown for the parade and other festivities.

But for many, this June has come with the weight of changing political tones, as well as many corporate sponsorship changes for pride events around the country.

Pride STL announced earlier this year that Anheuser Busch and several other corporate sponsors had declined to renew their financial support of the event, leaving them with a $150 thousand funding shortfall for 2025.

Jordan Braxton, an organizer with Pride STL, acknowledged the challenges of finding alternative funding sources for this year’s event.

“Cancelling pride was not an option, even after we lost AB as one of our sponsors,” Braxton said.

The Trump White House Administration has also not recognized pride month this year, which many LGBTQIA advocates have criticized as a targeting of the community.

“You can talk about us, hate on us, have legislators try and erase us. But you won’t get rid of us as a community,” Braxton said.

This year Pride STL will charge a $10 admission fee to help cover costs. The organization’s ticketing website also features a “pay it forward” option to help cover passes for people who cannot pay.