UPDATED: Corporations And DEI

If one ever wanted further proof of the near-absence of ethics and morality in the corporate world, one need look no further than their rapid dismantling of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs. Since the policy has been denounced by Trump and his MAGA cult, corporations seem to be in a race to prove their discriminatory bona fides to the Orangutan-in-Chief so as not to lose government contracts or, in the case of publicly-funded entities, operating grants.

Amongst the notable sellouts are Pepsi and Coca-Cola, Disney, Citygroup, Morgan Stanley, PBS, Amazon and Google. One of the notable holdouts, and I applaud them for their integrity, is Costco, which recently has been threatened with legal action for their refusal to bow to tyranny.

I am sorry to report, however, that the noxious reach of American authoritarianism and exclusion now extends into Canada. Irene Galea writes:

Nearly 400 technology leaders have signed an open letter that condemns Shopify Inc.  for cutting diversity programs and urges Canada’s tech ecosystem to protect equity, inclusion and diversity efforts amid a rollback of support for marginalized groups by influential companies and leaders.

The letter, published Monday morning, warns against the growing influence of unelected and unaccountable business leaders who “prioritize profit over people,” and calls on Canadians to uphold the values of inclusion that are being challenged in the United States.

Now comes word that the Pride Festival in Toronto  is being compromised, again as a result of corporate cowardice.

Pride Toronto says three large corporate sponsors have pulled their funding from the festival this year in a move it says is connected to a backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the U.S.

Kojo Modeste, executive director of Pride Toronto, said on Wednesday that the non-profit organization was given a range of reasons by the three companies for their decisions to end sponsorship. It was told in the last couple of weeks that the companies have either experienced a "shift in mandate" or they do not have the financial resources to continue to support the annual event.

"Every time we lose a sponsor, there is less money that is directed to the festival. And so, it will definitely have an impact on us being able to deliver on the festival," Modeste said.

Who the corporate cowards are is not being revealed, 

because Pride Toronto hopes to do business with them in the future, but said two can be described as "gold" sponsors, meaning they provide $150,000 in cash or in goods, and one as "silver," meaning it provides $100,000.

Now, one might say, "Since I never attend the Pride events, why should I care?" One obvious answer is the economic implications of any downsizing or  ultimate ending of the event, given what it contributes to the local economy. A 2023 report offers the following numbers:

• 4,700+ direct jobs created
• $500 million contribution to the GDP
• $230 million combined tax revenues generated

Beyond that, however, is the attempt to mute, even eliminate, diverse voices in society. The Benighted States, whence this repression emanates, has a long history of intolerance. Racism and bigotry are as American as Mom, apple pie, and baseball. One need only look at those whose voices are being muted by the war on DEI: women and minorities be they ethnic, racial, or sexual.

Canada can do nothing about the ease with which Americans so easily regress to deeply-ingrained, primitive patterns. However Canadians, despite our own often shameful past, now strive as a country for something better, meaning that inclusion and 'wokeness' are virtues, not sins against society. 

Corporate cowards supinely submitting to fiats from Don Trump and his disciples are without question unacceptable and truly, profoundly un-Canadian; they should be repugnant to us all.

UPDATE: According to a report in The Globe and Mail, one of the three withdrawing sponsors of Toronto Pride has been identified as Nissan Canada, which

confirmed Friday it is withdrawing, but the other two sponsors have not been identified.

 Nissan Canada spokesperson Didier Marsaud said in an e-mail the decision was based on changes to the company’s marketing priorities and budget evaluation for its new fiscal year, which starts April 1.

“Unfortunately, we will not be able to sponsor this year’s event in Toronto, a local decision solely due to a re-evaluation of all our marketing and media activations in a variety of activities to ensure we will efficiently support our new product launches and marketing campaigns coming in 2025,” he said.

Of the 14 companies listed as gold and silver sponsors on the Pride Toronto website, several have already confirmed to media that they will continue to fund the event. These include the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., Tim Hortons Inc., Air Canada, Rogers Communications Inc. and Smirnoff.

 The Globe contacted other companies that had not yet confirmed whether they will be sponsors this year. Law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP said it is still participating.

However, Manulife Financial Corp., Bud Light (owned by Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA), The Abnormal Beauty Co., Kenvue Inc., Bubbly sparkling water, Adidas AG and Trojan condoms did not respond to The Globe’s requests for comment.

Canadian observers fear the U.S. backlash against DEI initiatives that followed President Donald Trump’s orders to axe such programming in federal agencies could be seeping across the border.