Durham leader raising money for Pride, LGBTQ center after county ends sponsorship

Durham County is not a sponsor for this weekend’s Pride celebration, but the chair of the Board of Commissioners is still supporting the annual event.

Nida Allam announced on her Facebook page Monday evening that she is raising $10,000 to support Pride: Durham, NC and the LGBTQ Center of Durham, the event’s organizer. The money, if raised from grassroots contributions, will be doubled up to $20,000, Allam said.

“Pride has never been about the government. It’s never belonged to the government,” Allam said in a video. “It’s never belonged to elected officials, and it definitely doesn’t belong to Trump.”

For years, Durham County has been a sponsor of Pride: Durham, NC, contributing over $10,000. County officials chose not to financially support the event this year for fear of losing necessary federal funding to the county’s programs. The Trump administration has threatened to pull federal dollars from institutions and municipalities over diversity issues and violations of executive orders.

Funding Pride could risk the loss of the over $100 million the county receives to support several services like mental health, testing and Durham Public Schools, which gets $43 million a year from the federal government, county officials have said.

“No administration can silence us or tell us how to love and how to celebrate,” Allam said. “We are the ones who know how to stand with Durham and stand with our neighbors and show our love.”

Allam said friends, including “American Idol” singer Clay Aiken, and other supporters have already chipped in to help raise the money to match the contribution the county would have made.

According to the fundraiser page linked to the LGBTQ Center of Durham, $1,755 has been raised as of Tuesday afternoon.

Contributors include Allam, Durham City Council candidate Diana Medoff and former Durham City Councilman Charlie Reece.

Pride: Durham, NC begins Friday with a concert at CCB Plaza. The weekend of celebrations will conclude on Sunday in Durham Central Park.

While the county is not a listed sponsor, the City of Durham still is, along with other groups like Equality NC, Democracy NC, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina.

“The City of Durham is supporting Pride: Durham, NC 2025 to recognize our LGBTQ+ residents and reaffirm our commitment to fostering an inclusive, welcoming community,” said Amy Blalock, the city’s communications director.

For more information about Pride: Durham, NC go to lgbtqcenterofdurham.org.

This story was originally published September 23, 2025 at 4:05 PM.

Kristen Johnson

The News & Observer

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Kristen Johnson is a local government reporter covering Durham for The News & Observer. She previously covered Cary and western Wake County. Prior to coming home to the Triangle, she reported for The Fayetteville Observer and spent time covering politics and culture in Washington, D.C. She is an alumna of UNC at Charlotte and American University.