Boycott dropped after the largest LGBTQ+ student event parts ways with Airbus, HSBC, Disney, Deutsche Bank, and Amazon as sponsors

This weekend, National Student Pride, the UK’s largest LGBTQ+ student event, returns to London. National Student Pride (NSP) is hosting their annual festival of celebration, activism, panel discussions, an LGBTQ+ careers fair, and a community marketplace.

National Student Pride accepts sponsorship from companies exhibiting at their LGBTQ+ careers fair. A boycott was set up against them on social media this week.

NSP has listened and responded to various calls from the LGBTQ+ community. National Student Pride has decided to end partnerships with Airbus, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Amazon, and Disney as sponsors, and return all sponsorship.

Drag Race UK S1’s Crystal, who recently successfully sued Laurence Fox for LGBTQ+ hate speech –  among other performers and stall holders, has returned to the line-up following these important changes and community conversations. Crystal pulled out of the event on Wednesday, in support of the boycott led by Queers for Palestine. Student Pride is excited to welcome her back to DJ the Friday night Launch Party.

Crystal today [Thursday] made a statement via Instagram, «we’re seeing the power of conversations and learning in public and collective action».

NSP remains committed to making the Pride community the safest and most inclusive space possible. They have also committed to holding a full review of their sponsorship policy after the event this weekend. The 2024 sponsorship policy is available here: www.studentpride.co.uk/sponsor-policy

The #StudentPride Awards will take place during the Launch Party, hosted by Drag Race UK’s Tia Kofi and Juno Dawson. Student Pride is proud to provide a platform and celebrate the achievements of student changemakers from across the country.

Student Pride will also host an LGBTQ+ academic research conference to platform students’ LGBTQ+ specific research, an LGBTQ+ craft zone, and a therapy puppies session.

As the first staple event of the UK Pride calendar, these changes, conversations, and learnings open opportunities to discuss how Pride events navigate funding, sponsorships and organising in the current political environment. Being queer in the current national and international landscape is prompting crucial political conversation, and National Student Pride looks forward to platforming these debates in their Queer Question Time panel of politicians. Questions can be submitted here.