National Student Pride to end after 21 years

"National Student Pride, a non-profit organisation created in 2005, said its income had reduced by about two-thirds in the last two years, "largely due to widespread cuts to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) budgets" by sponsors. It said other sponsors had to be dropped after it introduced an "ethical sponsorship" policy last year, following some LGBTQ+ groups' protests against sponsors' links to Israel and the fossil fuel industry. In 2024, the event had 24 sponsors, this year there are only eight."

"One of the original founders and a current trustee, Tom Guy, said the group was established as a "direct response" to a "homophobic and deeply divisive" talk at Oxford Brookes University which was hosted by its Christian Union. "We chose to respond by creating something constructive. "Our very first event intentionally centred on a welcoming and inclusive panel, which included both a vicar and a rabbi, to show that faith, identity and LGBTQ+ lives do not have to be in conflict.""

"Speaking to the BBC, he said international politics may also partly be behind why companies were reducing or cutting DEI budgets, and in turn their sponsorship of the event. Last year, it was reported that US embassies in Europe distributed letters to a number of EU-based corporations that provide services in some way to the US government, and ordered them to comply with the Trump administration's policies banning DEI programming."

National Student Pride is a non-profit established in 2005 to provide networking and community opportunities for LGBTQ+ students. The London event will end after 21 years because income fell by about two-thirds over two years. Sponsors largely cut Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) budgets, and an ethical sponsorship policy led to dropping other sponsors over links to Israel and the fossil fuel industry. Sponsorship fell from 24 sponsors in 2024 to eight this year. Founder Tom Guy said the organisation began as a response to a homophobic talk, creating inclusive events to show faith and LGBTQ+ identity need not conflict. The group says it cannot continue without corporate sponsorship, and international political pressures have been cited as a factor in reduced DEI spending.

Read at www.bbc.com