The production company of RuPaul’s Drag Race, World of Wonder, helped make Pride happen for a few small towns in the United States. These sponsorships came in response to corporations pulling funding from LGBTQ+ initiatives and events. While larger Prides like New York City and San Francisco can still manage without the contributions from large corporations, small-town Prides needed more support, and that’s where World of Wonder came in.
During the month of June, World of Wonder sponsored Pride for three small towns in the US: Buffalo Grove, Illinois; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and Augusta, Georgia. In addition, it hosted a Pride Parade Lounge in Los Angeles, California, and is set to sponsor Mid-Missouri PrideFest in October. In a post on June 20, World of Wonder declared that even more events are to be announced.
View this post on Instagram
Each event in June had a special appearance by a drag queen, including Kahmora Hall in Buffalo Grove, Mariah Balenciaga in Los Angeles, Robin Fierce in Portsmouth, and A’keria Chanel Davenport in Augusta.
In a conversation with USA Today, World of Wonder co-founder Fenton Bailey said, “This year, we’re seeing a big walking back of support for Pride from corporations, probably because they’re afraid of the current political climate. We realized that while we don’t have the reach or deep pockets of those companies, we could still make a difference. Small is beautiful, and these local Prides matter deeply.”
Randy Barbato, the other co-founder of World of Wonder, added, “Pride is a time to celebrate our community and our allies, but it’s also a time to resist. The LGBTQ+ community is under attack, and a lot of corporate America is buckling under pressure. We felt a responsibility to step in, even in a small way, to support local Pride events.”
The small towns expressed their gratitude and appreciation to the Drag Race production company on social media, with Buffalo Grove Pride shouting out the $10,000 sponsorship and Augusta Pride highlighting World of Wonder as their ‘Diamond Sponsor’. The Prides also seem to have gone well, with the towns sharing images on social media.
View this post on Instagram
© 2025 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity - Charity Number: 20034580.
GCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.
Supporting GCN for as little as €1.99 per month will help us continue our work as Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.
comments. Please sign in to comment.