Sui Sui, a professor at Toronto Metropolitan University whose research focuses on DEI initiatives, said some companies are seeking to placate US investors who want to see cuts for short term savings, instead of understanding the long term benefit of these initiatives.
Pride Toronto, one of the largest celebrations of LGTBQ+ people in North America, is reeling from the loss of three major sponsors who have pulled funding after Donald Trump’s purge of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes in the US.
Ng said that corporations invest in such initiatives not due to purely altruistic motives, but also because they want to be seen as good corporate citizens – and they understand that diversity is good for business.
Eddy Ng, a professor at Queen’s University in Ontario, and a specialist of equity and inclusion in business warned that the Pride Toronto case is an indicator that Canada should also brace itself for cuts to DEI initiatives.
Kojo Modeste, the executive director of the Canadian event said that the sponsors who also do business in the US are seeking to avoidbeing seen as supporting LGBTQ+ rights.
