ST. LOUIS – Anheuser-Busch has withdrawn its sponsorship of St. Louis PrideFest after 30 years. Event organizers say they have no plans to cancel.

“Canceling Pride is not an option,” Jordan Braxton, Pride St. Louis board member, said. “We will always be here. Like we said in the 80s, ‘We’re here, we’re queer; we’re not going anywhere, so get used to it.’”

But PrideFest 2025, slated to take place around Soldiers Memorial Park in downtown St. Louis on June 28 and 29, is going for a grassroots effort this year.

Pride St. Louis members were saddened to lose such a historic supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community. A-B’s withdrawal is especially painful at a time when many sponsors are reducing their contributions.

A-B suffered a decline in sales in 2023 amid controversy over a partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

“I think that was the catalyst that started everything,” Braxton said. “We’ve seen since then that their support of pride organizations has gone down. What we want to say to AB is we’re hurt by this. You’re not only hurting Pride St. Louis, but you’re also hurting the entire [LGBTQIA+] community.”

At present, Pride St. Louis is more than $150,000 short of last year’s funding total. The board of directors are working to modify the budget for the event. The organization has launched a fundraising campaign commemorating what it calls 45 years of advocacy for the community.

FOX 2 News reached out to Anheuser-Busch management for comment on its decision, but we have not heard back.