"'Trump effect' hits Pride marches in Europe as sponsors pull out"

[...]  Spooked by President Donald Trump's crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), some corporate sponsors have shunned Pride marches across the United States this year, and European LGBTQ+ campaigners say they are also taking a hit.

Pride organisers from Greece and Bulgaria, to Estonia and Denmark told Context they had also lost financial support, at a time when LGBTQ+ rights are increasingly under attack across the continent.

This year has been more difficult than usual as many major businesses have chosen to pull back from Pride," said Benjamin Hansen, chairperson of Copenhagen Pride.

In Athens, campaigners said they had lost about 30% of their sponsorship revenue.

"We are deeply concerned about what this means for LGBTQI+ communities in Europe, not just this year, but in the years to come," said Amalia Marketou, communications officer at Athens Pride. [...]

Organisers of Berlin's Pride march, also known as Christopher Street Day (CSD), said in April the budget was 200,000 euros ($228,660) short. Counterparts in Cologne and Munich have voiced similar concerns. 

"We can certainly speak of a 'Trump effect' - as part of a global culture war against minority rights," said Marcel Voges, a board member at CSD. [...]

The loss of corporate support comes at a time when Pride organisers are also facing increased security costs, said Conrad Breyer, spokesman at Munich's CSD. Last year, far-right groups tried to disrupt LGBTQ+ marches in Berlin and Leipzig. [...]