Pride Month 2025: The Silence Is Loud
By Molly Smith
Tate Smith is an external DEI consultant and activist who has supported corporations including Clifford Chance and Anglo American in developing transgender policies. He has also worked with Linklaters, Arnold & Porter and Freshfields in the past.
He says demand for his services this year has plummeted and that during Pride Month he is usually fully booked for consultancy work. He has been told that this year there is either no budget for his services, or work is being handled ‘internally’.
Smith said: "Its surprising to hear firms have no budget because my speaking rates are industry standard and law firms often pay thousands of pounds to book celebrities. My background is in law and I know they can pay it. The only thing that has changed is Trump's attack and the U.K. Supreme Court ruling in April. To say they can’t afford me after months of negotiation is really disheartening."
According to Smith, some firms have to get budgets signed off by U.S. offices now, even for a London talk because it pertains to DEI.
He consults professional services as well as law firms, but usually during Pride Month works with around five firms. This year, he has one booking that was made last year before it became "controversial".
Smith added that he was booked to speak at a U.S. law firm in London in the Spring, and the firm told him it couldn't post on LinkedIn that he was there because they were worried about backlash. "I'm just too controversial to be posted about... I don't feel seen," he said.
A person familiar with the matter said a top U.K. firm had planned some video content for social media for Pride Month but has had second thoughts about posting it. "The firm is scared of getting an executive order from Trump" they said.
They explained that although the firm, internally, is still upholding its values, and is "one of the good ones" externally they are not prepared to risk being on Trump's radar. The person added that the same firm will also be scaling down its planned presence at London Pride.
