• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

3

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

3

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
Politics

Major corporations are going all in for Pride Month while also supporting anti-LGBTQ+ legislators

By
Colin Lodewick
Colin Lodewick
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Colin Lodewick
Colin Lodewick
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 1, 2022, 3:12 PM ET

Every year on June 1, major corporations cloak their social media icons and homepages in rainbow colors in recognition of Pride Month, purportedly to show support for their queer employees and consumers.

But many of those companies are doing harm to that same community by actively supporting lawmakers that advance anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, according to a new report.

Last week, the progressive think tank and advocacy group Data for Progress published its Corporate Accountability Project, which provides research on Fortune 500 companies’ political donations to anti-LGBTQ+ politicians. The report documents spending from 2019 through March 2022—the most recent month for which data is available. 

“These companies don’t wait a second to profit off of and capitalize on Pride branding,” Marcela Mulholland, Data for Progress’s political director, told Fortune. “But when it actually comes to supporting those values with their political contributions, a lot of them are falling short.”

Over the nearly three-year period it looked at, those companies donated almost $3 million to lawmakers whose agendas include legislation ranging from bills that ban the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools to those restricting trans youths from playing on sports teams. Even companies that sponsor Pride events are implicated, including Toyota, AT&T, Comcast, and State Farm.

“Most consumers don’t sift through hundreds of pages of campaign finance documents,” said Mulholland. “Our objective was to equip the consumers and employees of these companies with the knowledge of where they actually stand when it comes to values and supporting the LGBTQ community.”

Data for Progress also found through public polling in early May that a majority of likely voters—54%—disapprove of corporations that donate to politicians who sponsor anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. Once those voters were made aware of specific companies’ contributions, the organization found that those companies’ approval ratings decreased.

The report suggests that associations with anti-LGBTQ+ politicians can ultimately be bad for corporate brands, something that’s also the case outside of Pride Month. Earlier this year, Disney consumers and employees expressed disappointment in the company for its response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill as it was going through the state’s legislature. Opponents to the bill were quick to note that the company had donated to conservative politicians who had helped advance the bill. 

The debacle tested the fragile line that companies try to toe between business interests and consumer values. In response to criticism, Disney publicly came out against the bill, which prompted swift backlash from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. In a move viewed as punitive, DeSantis moved to revoke special land use privileges that Disney had enjoyed in the state for half a century.

Mulholland sees the debacle in Florida as evidence of what consumers and employees can do once they’re aware of companies’ political interests. “I think the situation with Disney shows the power that employees can have when they realize that something unjust is happening and they demand that their companies do better,” she said.

Other states around the country have followed Florida’s path in enacting legislation that limits discussion around LGBTQ+ issues in school settings. In a political ecosystem marked by a growing wave of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, what does it mean for a company to actively support its queer employees and consumers?

“Truly the baseline thing is if you are profiting off of Pride, don’t also support legislative leaders that are making the lives of queer people worse in this country,” said Mulholland. “That feels like the most basic level of allyship.”

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Author
By Colin Lodewick
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Politics

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Politics

cassidy
PoliticsElections
Anti-Trump Republicans are dead pols walking. Call them the ‘YOLO caucus’
By Steven Sloan, Joey Cappelletti and The Associated PressMay 20, 2026
2 hours ago
soros
Politicsphilanthropy
‘We will not be intimidated into silence’: George Soros foundation pledges $300 million toward democratic rights
By Thalia Beaty and The Associated PressMay 20, 2026
2 hours ago
massie
PoliticsElections
Trump gets revenge on Epstein rebel Thomas Massie in Kentucky GOP primary
By Jesse Bedayn, Dylan Lovan and The Associated PressMay 20, 2026
2 hours ago
Dr. Bernice A. King
Workplace CultureWorkplace Innovation Summit
Dr. Bernice King on why companies that walked back DEI were never truly committed: ‘If you retreat that quick…that reveals who you really are’
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
23 hours ago
Photo of Donald Trump (left) with Mark Cuban
PoliticsDonald Trump
Trump and Mark Cuban end war of words to tag-team America’s drug pricing crisis: ‘Democrats want cheaper medications, too’
By Catherina GioinoMay 19, 2026
23 hours ago
U.S. President Donald Trump speaking at a podium flanked by signs that say "Winning the AI Race."
NewslettersEye on AI
The times they are a-changin’: Washington suddenly warms to regulating AI
By Jeremy KahnMay 19, 2026
23 hours ago

Most Popular

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
21 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
8 days ago
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
Future of Work
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
By Mike Householder and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 19, 2026
1 day ago
Spirit Airlines apologizes to all the Americans who can't afford any summer vacation flights as it shuts down
Travel & Leisure
Spirit Airlines apologizes to all the Americans who can't afford any summer vacation flights as it shuts down
By Rio Yamat and The Associated PressMay 18, 2026
2 days ago
Employers are quietly pausing 401(k) matches again. The last time this happened was the 2008 recession and Covid
Personal Finance
Employers are quietly pausing 401(k) matches again. The last time this happened was the 2008 recession and Covid
By Courtney Vinopal and HR BrewMay 18, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.