<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/20/meta-and-google-opt-out-of-sydney-mardi-gras-2025-sponsorship-dei-us>
"Google and Meta do not meet the requirements to partner with the Sydney Gay
and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the organisation has said, after the two tech giants
ended their official involvement and ditched diversity obligations in the US.
At the 47th annual Mardi Gras parade up Oxford Street next Saturday, a notable
absence will be the two tech firms, previously event sponsors.
When Sydney hosted the biannual World Pride global event in 2023, Meta sent a
float to the parade. It was a media partner for last year’s Mardi Gras; Google
was a supporting partner.
The two companies have this year curtailed their spending on Mardi Gras,
Guardian Australia has confirmed, and are not sponsoring the event in any
capacity.
Neither company would comment on the shift but it is understood that the costs
of sponsorship were a factor for at least one of them – rather than the move
away from diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the US since Donald
Trump’s return to the White House.
Mardi Gras disputed the level of funding that
Guardian Australia was told
would be required for companies to sponsor a float and partner with the
festival.
Last year Mardi Gras received $3.5m in sponsorship income, organisers said –
about $464,000 less than expected, which was blamed on a slowing economy and
the cancellation of the Fair Day cultural event in Victoria Park amid concerns
about asbestos in mulch.
Though Meta and Google have withdrawn of their own accord, a spokesperson for
Mardi Gras said the companies would not now meet the festival’s criteria for
partners.
“Partnership values are assessed based on the scale of the festival and an
organisation’s commitment to the community,” the spokesperson said. “They are
not always monetary in value and are underpinned by the ethical charter process
– one that neither Google nor Meta currently meets the requirements of.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
