Brand Values Are Showing When They Stay Silent

By David R. Morse

When I came out and moved to San Francisco in the late ’80s, most gay bars wouldn’t serve Coors. Not because it didn’t sell—but because we remembered. Coors had spent years using lie detectors to screen out gay employees. They funneled money into right-wing causes and built their brand in direct opposition to ours.

So we pushed back. Labor unions and the LGBTQ+ community formed an unlikely alliance, and together we launched one of the most effective corporate boycotts in American history. Coors became a cautionary tale of what happens when you pick the wrong side.

It took decades to repair the damage. They changed policies. Hired openly gay executives. Partnered with LGBTQ+ organizations. Sponsored Pride. They worked to earn back trust because they’d lost it—and because they knew what it was worth.

Fast forward to 2025, and here we are again.

This June, a third of corporate sponsors have pulled out of NYC Pride. World Pride—held this year in Washington, D.C.—is seeing major sponsors disappear or quietly donate without attribution. Even companies that have been loud and proud in years past are now choosing silence over solidarity.

The excuses? “Budget concerns.” “Strategic realignment.” 

But let’s be honest: it’s fear. Since January, Trump’s administration has resumed efforts to ban transgender girls from sports, block gender-affirming care, remove trans troops from the military, and strip funding from any institution that supports them. Drag shows have been targeted. DEI offices dismantled. Companies that once waved the rainbow now worry they'll be audited, subpoenaed, or punished if they dare to do it again. So they go quietly. 

But here’s what they don’t understand: We're watching. And it matters. And it will matter more and more.

Take Gen Z. According to Gallup, nearly one in four Gen Z adults identifies as LGBTQ+. That’s not a niche. That’s the future. They’re your next customer, your next hire, your next creator, your next critic. And they don’t separate values from value. They know when you’re showing up—and when you’re selling out.

Backing down now doesn’t protect your brand. It redefines it. And not in a good way. Pride was never about profit. It was never just a parade.

For me, for so many of us, Pride isn’t “woke.” It’s not about sex. It’s not even really about politics. It’s about family. It’s about my husband. Our daughters. It’s chaperoning theater rehearsals and after-school basketball. It’s packing lunches, making dinner, and arguing about screen time. It’s the life we’ve built—and the right to live it out in the open.

So, every brand needs to answer the question: If you only show up when it’s easy, why should we trust you when it’s hard?.