Gay Life in Canadian Cities

[Chadillaccc]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

2019 Edmonton Pride Festival cancelled due to 'political, social climate'

BY KAYLA BUTLER

Posted Apr 10, 2019

EDMONTON (CITYNEWS) – A colourful festival celebrating the LGBTQ2S+ community won’t be returning to Edmonton this year.

The Edmonton Pride Festival Society (EPFS) says its board of directors has decided to cancel the 2019 parade and party due to the “current political and social environment”, but there has been criticism from other groups about whether or not that’s the real reason.

A CityNews viewer sent us a copy of the email the EPFS sent to its members informing them of the cancellation.

In it, the society says “It has always been the goal of the Edmonton Pride Festival Society to host a safe and enjoyable event that is reflective and encompassing of the entire community as possible; however, given current events, we do not feel that this is attainable for this year.”

...

https://www.citynews1130.com/2019/04...val-cancelled/

That is ludicrous. There are brave badass bitches getting beaten in the streets just for marching in pride in Sofia Bulgaria and Bucharest Romania and a ton of other places, yet Edmonton somehow can't do pride because some little f*ckwit puke like Kenney might be getting elected? Completely ridiculous. I've marched in Edmonton pride before, and this is shameful to hear. There has got to be a real reason behind this, cause I'm not buying it. Pride literally only exists to tell garbage people like Kenney that they can eat shit and die if they don't want us to exist.

[youngregina]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

That is ludicrous. There are brave badass bitches getting beaten in the streets just for marching in pride in Sofia Bulgaria and Bucharest Romania and a ton of other places, yet Edmonton somehow can't do pride because some little f*ckwit puke like Kenney might be getting elected? Completely ridiculous. I've marched in Edmonton pride before, and this is shameful to hear. There has got to be a real reason behind this, cause I'm not buying it. Pride literally only exists to tell garbage people like Kenney that they can eat shit and die if they don't want us to exist.

So it’s apparently not about Kenney, rather there exists infighting within the community, and the primarily white board of directors is unwilling to accommodate concerns that LGBTQ-POC have with the festivities. Basically, the political climate is a weird excuse for the them to get away with pressuring the community to allow the events to remain as-is, etc. It’s the boards way of punishing those who are seeking meaningful and appropriate change with respect to how our community is represented. It’s nuanced, and entirely fucked up. (White) Gay Pride is apparently being threatened by BLM and POC and other intersectional movements, which are perceived to be dangerous to the operation of pride as a cultural commodity. I think it’s ridiculous that room isn’t easily being made for those marginalized that want representation under our incredibly diverse umbrella, as it used to be, and as it should continue.

[Chadillaccc]

Yikes, that's worse than I could have imagined. Christ almighty... what a fiasco. This would be the first time in what? 30 years that Edmonton wouldn't have a pride?

[someone123]

Originally Posted by youngregina

So it’s apparently not about Kenney, rather there exists infighting within the community, and the primarily white board of directors is unwilling to accommodate concerns that LGBTQ-POC have with the festivities.

Do you know what the demands were?

I heard that they are unreasonable (presumably similar to Black Lives Matter demands in cities like Toronto, though it would be interesting to see the list), and that last year the group making these demands disrupted the parade.

This is what the Black Lives Matter group in Toronto said Pride Toronto had to do if they didn't want their next parade to be blockaded by protesters (from here - https://blacklivesmatter.ca/demands/):

PRIDE TORONTO

Continued space, including stage and tents, funding and logistical support for Black Queer Youth.

Self-determination for all community spaces at Pride, allowing community groups full control over hiring, content and structure of their stages.

Full and adequate funding for community stages, including logistical, technical and personnel support.

Doubling of funding for Blockorama to $13,000.

Reinstatement of the South Asian stage.

Prioritizing of the hiring of Black transwomen, Indigenous people and others from vulnerable communities at Pride Toronto.

More Black deaf and hearing sign language interpreters for the festival.

Removal of police floats in the Pride marches and parades.

A town hall organized in conjunction with groups from marginalized communities, including but not limited to Black Lives Matter – Toronto, Blackness Yes and Black Queer Youth, in six months, where Pride Toronto will present an update and action plan on BLM-TO’s demands

Without knowing the full story it's irresponsible to say that it's the pride organizers who are at fault. In fact the attitude that the organizers must be at fault or racist is probably a big contributing factor to why they are washing their hands of this.

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

That is ludicrous. There are brave badass bitches getting beaten in the streets just for marching in pride in Sofia Bulgaria and Bucharest Romania and a ton of other places, yet Edmonton somehow can't do pride because some little f*ckwit puke like Kenney might be getting elected? Completely ridiculous. I've marched in Edmonton pride before, and this is shameful to hear. There has got to be a real reason behind this, cause I'm not buying it. Pride literally only exists to tell garbage people like Kenney that they can eat shit and die if they don't want us to exist.

Its also inner politics that have had an impact. As Much as I dislike Kenny. the inner politics is getting just as bad. I look at TOs pride and how that has changed over the years. The I'm more gay than you. I am more at risk than you because I am a ............

The pride festivals were a celebration of inclusion. now there is a need to exclude anyone that as much as said a bad thing.

[240glt]

I’m a bit torn on this. On one hand it’s definitely disappointing that the idea of inclusion has led to such division. I know a number of people on the Pride committee, they’re good people and along with the owner of the ONLY gay bar in Edmonton have done a lot for the community in organizing not only this event but events throughout the year. Having said that the whole concept has been “rainbow-washed” over the past few years. Big corporate sponsors like TD provide much needed resources but also detract from what the history of the event is. I would probably welcome a more grass-roots type of event. The removal of uniformed police officers and millitary personnel whas a point of division, Edmonton is a millitary town and there are lots of LGBT folks who serve. My S.O. was an Alberta Sheriff for a number of years and my in-laws were both EPS officers, and the demands by some groups seem like a bit of a slap in the face. Even if the event were going to happen this year we probably wouldn’t go.

At the end of it though the demands by these groups were unreasonable and uncalled for in my opinion. I hate to stoop to calling them professional victims but that’s what they come across as. They want their agenda pushed to the forefront and for it to be the dominant theme of the event, but that’s not what this event has morphed into. Maybe hitting the reset button is the best option here.

And finally I will say that some of the comments in the Edmonton Journal about this are vile and disgusting and prove that while significant strides have been made there is still a long ways to go

[ciudad_del_norte]

Yeah, I was disappointed at first, but overall I'm actually okay with it. Given the direction things are headed in much of the world right now pride as it has become feels a bit out of touch to me.

It's become a party for straight people and (mostly white) gay men. Which, to be honest is fine - parties are fun. But it doesn't serve or represent a substantial section of the community. The party is more interested in being politically paletable to the masses than it is to being truly inclusive, so its probably time for rethink.

Also, the vague reference to "political and social climate" was pretty abhorrent imo. If I had any respect for the organizers, its gone now. It a dishonest copout. Also, cancelling the festival outright is a childish yanking back of the financial and organizational structure that keeps it going. Basically to me it was a "if we can't do this our way - nobody can".

Overall though, I think it will at least drive forward a discussion that pride celebrations accross north america have been trying to stave off for years. If it means some us lose a beer garden in the summer...meh.

[Chadillaccc]

Really good points Ciudad. I agree.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by ciudad_del_norte

(mostly white) gay men

I hate to say it but the view that an event is less worth having if it's mostly full of white people is racist.

Canada is about 78% non-visible minority, i.e. "white" according to the census: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demogr...ity_population

This means that if an event is attracting attendees from a wide spectrum of Canadian society, there is a good chance that it will be majority white.

If a pride parade in Tokyo were 90%+ Asian, would people use that to question its value or relevance?

[Jammon]

Originally Posted by ciudad_del_norte

Yeah, I was disappointed at first, but overall I'm actually okay with it. Given the direction things are headed in much of the world right now pride as it has become feels a bit out of touch to me.

It's become a party for straight people and (mostly white) gay men. Which, to be honest is fine - parties are fun. But it doesn't serve or represent a substantial section of the community. The party is more interested in being politically paletable to the masses than it is to being truly inclusive, so its probably time for rethink.

Also, the vague reference to "political and social climate" was pretty abhorrent imo. If I had any respect for the organizers, its gone now. It a dishonest copout. Also, cancelling the festival outright is a childish yanking back of the financial and organizational structure that keeps it going. Basically to me it was a "if we can't do this our way - nobody can".

Overall though, I think it will at least drive forward a discussion that pride celebrations accross north america have been trying to stave off for years. If it means some us lose a beer garden in the summer...meh.

Well, Pride Winnipeg continues to go strong: https://www.pridewinnipeg.com/

There seems to be a lot of support for it in this city. I think a lot of people have seen this as a huge tourist attraction and many of the businesses (and even the local sports organizations, i.e. the Blue Bombers) have really come to support it. I know some of these discussions have also taken place here surrounding inclusion and diversity and everything else that has become so divisive, but good that there is still some appetite to keep it going.

I've been to Edmonton Pride and it was enjoyable- it's a shame that it had to be cancelled. I do agree with your point that it has become one big party, but for me, there still is this undercurrent of remembering what it was like for me coming out and having faced discrimination and homophobia for being gay. This is the 50th anniversary of Stonewall and a constant reminder that homophobia still exists in Canada and around the world.

[240glt]

Originally Posted by ciudad_del_norte

Yeah, I was disappointed at first, but overall I'm actually okay with it. Given the direction things are headed in much of the world right now pride as it has become feels a bit out of touch to me.

It's become a party for straight people and (mostly white) gay men. Which, to be honest is fine - parties are fun. But it doesn't serve or represent a substantial section of the community. The party is more interested in being politically paletable to the masses than it is to being truly inclusive, so its probably time for rethink.

Also, the vague reference to "political and social climate" was pretty abhorrent imo. If I had any respect for the organizers, its gone now. It a dishonest copout. Also, cancelling the festival outright is a childish yanking back of the financial and organizational structure that keeps it going. Basically to me it was a "if we can't do this our way - nobody can".

Overall though, I think it will at least drive forward a discussion that pride celebrations accross north america have been trying to stave off for years. If it means some us lose a beer garden in the summer...meh.

I agree with your comments here. One thing though is that while you're right, it's become a party for mostly white gay guys (and girls... and lots of straight folks) there's a lot of those gay white folks who are really upset that the work that they've done in the past is being marginalized by current activists. My partner was at those marches back in the late 80's/early 90's when it was not a parade, when a lot of participants wore paper bags over their heads and had to dodge ashtrays and beer bottles being thrown at them from the bars on Whyte Ave. It turned into a parade because for the most part that doesn't commonly happen any more. I feel bad that some people feel excluded though. Like I said maybe the whole thing needs a reset.

[ciudad_del_norte]

Originally Posted by 240glt

I agree with your comments here. One thing though is that while you're right, it's become a party for mostly white gay guys (and girls... and lots of straight folks) there's a lot of those gay white folks who are really upset that the work that they've done in the past is being marginalized by current activists. My partner was at those marches back in the late 80's/early 90's when it was not a parade, when a lot of participants wore paper bags over their heads and had to dodge ashtrays and beer bottles being thrown at them from the bars on Whyte Ave. It turned into a parade because for the most part that doesn't commonly happen any more. I feel bad that some people feel excluded though. Like I said maybe the whole thing needs a reset.

I think there is some fairness in that. There is a balance somewhere of celebrating what has gotten better while also acknowledging that things haven't improved as much for everyone. I personally think pride has become very much on the side of celebration almost exclusively.

I'm just a gay guy, I'm cis and for the most part I comply to gender norms to an extent that I don't get much negative attention. In that sense I can't even pretend to really understand what many trans people, for example, have to deal with. I'm also not white though...although I grew up in Edmonton and I do typically feel like I have a slightly different perspective on things like police relationships and the racism in the gay community.

My first reaction to these things is a bit torn, because part of me does identify with the side that is pretty lucky and relishes the chance to celebrate that. But then it does also nag at me that there are lot of issues that seem to get swept under the rug to enable the celebration. It often feels like a substantial part of the community has the attitude of "things have gotten so much better for me - stop complaining" whether they intend to or not.

That being said, efforts to have that conversation aren't always productive and while I support speaking truth to power the tactics do often feel a but antagonistic and accusatory. But in many cases that is because attempts at calm dialogue haven't been successful.

I do think things are getting better, and the LG is starting to be a bit more open to listening to the BTQ but its a challenging discussion.

To be honest, I think the root of the problem is more economic than anything. I think society has found a lucrative market in a certain kind of relatively well off gay men - so the culture has evolved to embrace them. I think this is the problem with the corporatization of pride. The success of the events becomes dependent on money, but the money comes with strings, implicitly or explicit. TD bank is all about getting involved with nice gay families -but I bet they start to get a bit nervous when BLM gets involved. This stagnates the celebration and ties it to the current socio-economic-political norms that the sponsors feel are in their best interest.

I don't see a need for pride to reject sponsorship or corporate participation, but I think where things get tough is risking that sponsorship to align with movements that are consistent with pride's history. Without that money, the party may have to scale back. This is putting festivals in an awkward position when realistically, they typically signed up to run a party - not to stage a political protest. But I think its going to become harder to toe that line as the overall tone politics and obsession with "otherness" heightens. So that is why I think the cancellation is okay. Maybe taking a step back and trying to figure out what the whole thing is about isn't a bad idea.

This wasn't intended to an argue against you btw...your response just prompted me to take a moment and think through where my opinions are coming from.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by 240glt

My partner was at those marches back in the late 80's/early 90's when it was not a parade, when a lot of participants wore paper bags over their heads and had to dodge ashtrays and beer bottles being thrown at them from the bars on Whyte Ave. It turned into a parade because for the most part that doesn't commonly happen any more. I feel bad that some people feel excluded though. Like I said maybe the whole thing needs a reset.

One change that doesn't get much attention is that many cities have been charging the pride organizations more and more in fees to cover street closures, cleanup, and security.

Last year the Davie Street party in Vancouver was cancelled because the city wanted approximately $80,000 in fees. I don't know the exact current amount they pay but it's probably well north of $100,000, and it was closer to $50,000 in 2010.

When you charge $100,000 to hold a parade the organizers need to look for revenue sources, and this is where the TD and Bud Light floats come in. The root cause is not that the parade organizers love corporations and hate small community groups, it's that they are being charged high fees and need to balance the books to keep the event going.

[SpongeG]

Vancouver's gay community is really split. There is an East Van pride held in June around the stonewall date for those who don't want to be part of the west end event. They didn't like that the main pride fest as it had become too corporate and promoted the mainly white men in skimpy swimwear ideal. They started a back to their roots community event. But It seems they now have TD as a sponsor.

[kel]

The in fighting in the Alberta gay community is worst than first thought if people are now blaming Kenney. So much for inclusiveness.

[vid]

The whole gay pride movement started as an anti-police protest by non-white LGBT people, and it's ending because of an anti-police protest by non-white LGBT people. Irony.

[SignalHillHiker]

Pride schedule is out. Bonfire is always my fave. This year they've expanded to include two weekends.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by vid

The whole gay pride movement started as an anti-police protest by non-white LGBT people

News to me.

[ssiguy]

I can't believe people even go to these things anymore.

Certainly when they began 40 years ago they were pertinent and had a political reason for their being but today Pride parades have as much to do about gay rights as the Santa Claus parade does about the birth of Christ. They are nothing more than business ventures and a place for the city to make money on the tourist trade.

[SignalHillHiker]

It's fun - and there's always an issue to push. This year, here, for example, the parade will include a push for gender-related surgeries to be covered by MCP.

And then the rest is great. The bonfire is always a fantastic time - dozens of little fires on the beach, live music, lots of people you don't otherwise see. It's a great way to meet your niche in the LGBT community. For example, there's a religious event for that crowd, a Dungeons and Dragons event for that crowd, a trans picnic, etc. And there's unofficial events too - the gay curling league will be doing stuff, etc.

If an LGBT person moved here, Pride would probably the best possible way for them to make friends and have a great time.