Please disseminate this information as far and wide as possible throughout your own networks. Raising as much awareness to this issue as possible is of the utmost importance.
Thank you.
Queer Youth Network
PRESS RELEASE
FRIDAY 17TH OCTOBER 2008
Trans Youth Response to Stonewall Awards
The Queer Youth Network would like to express its concern and disappointment at the nomination of Guardian Journalist Julie Bindel for a Stonewall Award.
Young queer protesters gatecrashed the opening event of Manchester Pride 2008 in Albert Square. Pride had organised a balloon release by a group of 18 year olds, in recognition of it being 18 years since the first August Bank Holiday event.
However, as officials, the city’s tourist chief and Manchester’s Lord Mayor looked on, protesters surrounded the balloons, unfurled banners and waved placards in protest at the commercialisation of the city’s Pride, high ticket prices, low charity amounts and Pride’s lack of inclusion.
After the feedback from everyone, I sent the following message to the Pride organisers, and have recieved their response, shown below. They make their position pretty clear and I think it will be hard to have our ‘pride is a protest’ ideology if we are part of the march itself. What do people think we should do?
Hi Katy,
The placcards/banners will have messages such as ‘Pride not profit’,
‘pride is a protest’, ‘queer is not a dirty word’, ‘in 7 countries it
is punishable by death to be gay’ and lotss about how we shouldn’t be
Info-sharing, skillsharing, help + advice for setting up your own DIY pride events wherever you live; queer food for though...
Thinking about taking part in the parade but wish it was like old times where marching for our rights came before entering as walking advertisements for greedy corporate sponsors and boistrous self-publisist gay charities?
Join us in declaring “Pride IS a Protest”!
Taking inspiration from Birmingham’s amazing Pride is a protest event, there is now an organised group of queer activists working to ensure a similar event takes place during the Manchester Pride Parade on Saturday 23 August 2008.
Our first demo! We played outside the Waterside Reporting Centre in Leeds (where asylum seekers and refugees have to ‘report’ every week. Demo organised by Leeds No Borders.
