2025 has been a difficult year for Calgary Pride and for Pride organizations across Canada. Hate, fear, and ignorance are on the rise, while financial and social support have declined. Yet our mission remains unchanged: to create spaces for queer joy, visibility, and belonging.
In Alberta and beyond, trans and non-binary youth have faced attacks on their rights, dignity, and access to care. These policies cause real harm and they demand a united response. That’s why the Calgary Pride Parade & Festival matters more than ever: it’s where our community comes together, in full colour, to stand up and be seen.
This year, political polarization, economic uncertainty, and corporate risk-aversion have cost us over $300,000 in lost sponsorships and reduced grants. Volunteer hours and in-kind donations have also declined. These pressures forced us to postpone Alphabet Mafia, our groundbreaking QTBIPOC arts and culture festival, which last year provided over 100 paid opportunities for local artists and creators.
Despite these setbacks, we are moving forward with integrity. Guided by community consultation, we adopted a new framework for ethical sponsorship. Under our Ethical Sponsorship Commitments, we created a Sponsorship Advisory Committee and pledged to work toward a future where we only accept partners that reflect our values. This means saying no to some sponsorships even in a year when funding is scarce and inviting our allies to step up in meaningful ways.
Pride thrives through perseverance, and we have never stopped growing.
Even in the face of lost funding and fewer volunteer hands, our roots run deep. We will continue cultivating this vibrant garden of community, art, and activism. But to keep it flourishing, we need bold support from our community and allies – now more than ever.
If there was ever a year to stand with us, this is it. Donate. Volunteer. Partner with us. Help keep Calgary Pride strong for the next 35 years. When you support Calgary Pride, you’re not just backing an event, you’re backing people, programs, and progress.
If you would like to help, here’s where you can start:
- Link to Volunteer Sign-Up
- Link to our Donations Page
- Link to our Sponsorship Page
- Link to Skip the Depot bottle donation – select “Calgary Pride” to donate!
Because Pride started as a protest.
Because queer struggle demands queer joy.
And because together, we set the pace for the change we want to see in the world.
