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How UMG is Promoting Pride Month

June is Pride Month, and Universal Music Group (UMG) is marking the occasion by selling items to benefit

How UMG is Promoting Pride Month

By External Source

June is Pride Month, and Universal Music Group (UMG) is marking the occasion by selling items to benefit GLAAD and  The Dru Project, as well as promoting a mental health content series, artist listening parties and curated playlists.


GLADD is a media monitoring group for LGBTQ+ persons and The Dru Project an LGBTQ advocacy organization promoting gay-straight alliances.

Pride Month is celebrated in June in honour of the 1969 “Stonewall Uprising” in New York City. Homosexuality was still considered a criminal offence at that time and the Stonewall Inn was a popular gay bar. A police raid of the venue resulted in clashes and six days of protests that became known as the “Stonewall Uprising.”

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The first Pride march was held in New York City on June 28, 1970, the one-year anniversary of the event.

UMG is seeking to create a societal sense of belonging for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community through its initiatives.

“Music is a unifying force in the world and has the power to uplift every voice, intersectionality and identity,” UMG executive vice-president and chief people and inclusion officer Eric Hutcherson said in a media release.

“We believe that all people should feel that they belong, and our hope is that our Pride celebration gives that sense of belonging to all members of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies, as well as supports the organizations and people doing the critical work of advocating for the community – not just during Pride Month but throughout the year.” – Continue reading Steve McLean’s feature on the Samaritanmag website.

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EMPIRE's Tina Davis (left) and Girl Connected's Lola Plaku at Conversations with the Pros at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto on March 28, 2025.
Courtesy of Girl Connected

EMPIRE's Tina Davis (left) and Girl Connected's Lola Plaku at Conversations with the Pros at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto on March 28, 2025.

Record Labels

EMPIRE President Tina Davis Gives Strategic Advice to Women in Music at Girl Connected's New Speaker Series

On Friday (March 28), the president of EMPIRE, the Bay Area-independent label and music company, came to Toronto for Conversation with the Pros offering tangible advice to the mentorship program's community. Davis also spoke to Billboard Canada about her impressive journey in the industry.

Girl Connected has launched a new series that connects the next generation of women in Canadian music with powerhouse executives for the global industry.

On Friday (March 28), Tina Davis, president of EMPIRE, sat down with Girl Connected founder and music industry veteran Lola Plaku at Toronto Metropolitan University for the first in-person Canadian edition of Conversations with the Pros (Billboard Canada was a supporting partner). The series brings in inspiring music industry figures from Girl Connected's international network to talk about their journeys and offer actionable information and advice to help the budding music professionals develop their skills and reach the next level of their careers.

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