Activists, NGOs dominate Canal Parade as corporate boats fall to 32%

The 30th edition of the Canal Parade on Saturday will mark a major shift in Pride Amsterdam's makeup, with a growing number of nonprofit organizations, grassroots groups, and private individuals replacing the corporate presence that once dominated the iconic event, Het Parool reports.

This year, only 32 percent of the participating boats are sponsored by businesses—down from 44 percent in 2022, the first edition after the COVID-19 pandemic. Boats from large multinationals now make up just 15 percent, compared to 30 percent three years ago.

The change has reportedly created new space for organizations like LGBT Asylum Support, which defends the rights of queer asylum seekers. The foundation will sail for the second time this year, stepping in after luxury gym Saints & Stars withdrew its debut boat following a Parool investigation into the alleged exploitation of Filipino and Indonesian cleaners.

“That’s a huge amount of planning,” director Sandro Kortekaas of LGBT Asylum Support told Het Parool. “We have a lot of people, but the boat only fits eighty, so I’ll have to disappoint some. And the COA (Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers) doesn’t always cover train tickets.”

Organizations like the Rainbow Salute Foundation, which supports HIV-positive queer people, and the drag queen collective Kittylicious by Kittana are now more visible thanks to financial support and fewer multinationals taking part. Government institutions have also gained more visibility at Pride.

Large companies are retreating, and some blame goes to global politics. The concept of pinkwashing—when companies use LGBTQ+ events to appear inclusive—has reportedly gained new layers since the rise of the Trump administration. Multinationals with American branches have allegedly pulled back from public diversity efforts to avoid conflict with the U.S. president, who has shown hostility toward sexual and gender minorities.

Twenty-five organizations that joined the parade at least once over the past four years are absent this year. Many declined to give a reason; half are large corporations. Het Parool analysis shows this trend began even before Trump returned to office.

Among the absentees is Deloitte, which had participated in the past four editions. HR director Mariëtte Los claimed the company is still involved—just not with a boat. “We’re offering a floating pontoon dockside this year due to growing interest, so more employees can join this important event,” she told Het Parool.

When asked whether U.S. politics played a role, Deloitte spokesperson Wilma Bontes said, “Developments in the United States have no impact on our visibility at Pride Amsterdam. Our participation is entirely driven by our own policy.”

Law firm Allen & Overy, which merged with U.S.-based Shearman last year, last sailed a boat in 2022 and has since participated only with dockside events. Spokesperson Michèle Zwarts said, “It’s a large project in terms of time and costs to have a boat.” She added that the firm wants to “give other companies and offices a chance.”

But in the U.S., the firm allegedly agreed to reduce its diversity policies in exchange for access to federal contracts—after the Trump administration labeled the policies “discriminatory toward white men.” That decision reportedly stirred discomfort at the firm’s Dutch offices. Zwarts emphasized that “our diversity policy in the Netherlands remains unchanged. That includes our commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion.”

Still, many big companies were already stepping back before Trump’s second term. In 2019, firms like Netflix and Uber joined the parade. Neither responded to Het Parool's inquiries.

Pride Amsterdam spokesperson Martijn Albers said the broader economic climate plays a role: “A lot of companies are cutting costs, and Pride is one of the first things to go.”

Amazon, which participated in 2022 and 2023, said its focus had shifted to other marketing initiatives. TikTok gave a similar explanation. “We’ve chosen to support the community in other ways,” spokesperson Simone Schiefke told Het Parool. Asked whether Trump’s reversal of the U.S. TikTok ban influenced the company’s decision, she said, “That has nothing to do with it. Each country makes its own decisions, including our U.S. branch.”

Sometimes the reasons are entirely different. Odido, formerly T-Mobile, said the topic simply “fell off the table” after the brand’s reorganization. “Thanks for reminding us—maybe we’ll do something with it.”

Among nonprofit absentees is healthcare provider Cordaan, which sailed in three of the past four years. “Trump hasn’t infiltrated us yet,” joked spokesperson Sjoerd Beumer. This year, some clients are joining with HvO-Querido, and the organization is reportedly saving for WorldPride next year.

Albers noted that many government boats also have corporate-like motives. “They want to show they’re inclusive employers—like the military or fire department. Those can be seen as quite commercial. On the other hand, Rabobank, clearly commercial, is donating its boat for the second year in a row to Trans Pride so trans people are visible during Pride,” Albers told Het Parool.

Albers dismissed the Trump narrative as a distraction. “It scapegoats companies and takes the focus away from what truly matters,” he told the newspaper.

Still, he acknowledged the potential influence. “Maybe companies with U.S. ties, like A&O Shearman and Deloitte, feel more comfortable being less visible. It’s like underground resistance again.”

Kortekaas sees signs of increasing pressure in the United States. His foundation has begun assisting LGBTQ+ asylum seekers from the U.S., nearly all of them transgender. “It used to be rare to find an American in Ter Apel. But since the inauguration, we’ve seen a big increase in people asking us how to apply for asylum in the Netherlands,” he told the newspaper.

So far, twenty Americans have contacted LGBT Asylum Support. Several spoke at the Pride Walk on Dam Square two weeks ago. Kortekaas had to arrange 150 train tickets for that event, and the same number again for the Pride March one week later.

He had one last message for organizers: “They really need to merge those marches into one. It’s financially unsustainable for us like this.”