British companies are sharply lowering their public assist for Delight, mirroring a broader retreat from range, fairness and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that has gathered tempo in the US.
Evaluation of company social media exercise exhibits that references to Delight by a few of the UK’s largest corporations have fallen dramatically prior to now two years. Mentions are down by greater than 90 per cent since 2023, reflecting a shift in tone as corporations reply to political stress and a altering cultural local weather.
The pattern intently follows developments within the US, the place Donald Trump has led an aggressive pushback towards DEI programmes since returning to the White Home. Trump has signed a sequence of government orders geared toward dismantling what his administration describes as “unlawful DEI” initiatives inside federal establishments, prompting wider repercussions throughout the personal sector.
A number of multinational corporations have quietly lowered or withdrawn sponsorship of main Delight occasions this yr, opting as a substitute for lower-profile engagement or none in any respect. Organisers say the pullback has had a tangible monetary affect. Analysis by the UK Delight Organisers Community signifies that three-quarters of Delight organisers have skilled a decline in company partnerships in 2025, with 1 / 4 reporting sponsorship earnings falling by greater than half.
Delight occasions are historically held in June, commemorating the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York, extensively thought to be the place to begin of the trendy LGBTQ+ rights motion. Company backing has lengthy been a cornerstone of Delight’s visibility and funding, making the latest shift notably stark.
Within the US, political resistance has intensified at state degree as properly. Utah grew to become the primary state to ban the flying of LGBTQ+ flags on authorities buildings and colleges earlier this yr, whereas different states are contemplating related measures. These strikes have added to the sense of warning amongst massive employers, notably these with publicity to each US and UK markets.
The Guardian’s evaluation examined customer-facing social media accounts throughout Fb, Instagram and X for the ten largest corporations headquartered or listed within the UK and the ten largest US corporations by market capitalisation. It discovered that Delight-related posts fell to simply 4 in 2025, in contrast with 52 in 2023. The evaluation included posts referencing Delight occasions, Delight Month, related hashtags and inner LGBTQ+ worker networks.
Campaigners warn that the decline dangers undermining years of progress on office inclusion and visibility, whereas some enterprise leaders privately argue that corporations are trying to keep away from changing into embroiled in more and more polarised cultural debates.
For now, the information suggests a transparent shift in company behaviour on each side of the Atlantic, with Delight changing into an early casualty of a wider reassessment of how far companies are prepared to publicly align themselves with social and political causes.
