CW: TERF crap
There will be a fluffier post about London's Pride event, especially if I can find any images of the bi float, but once again they have managed to fuck up badly.
In 2015, after having been dragged kicking and screaming into rightly refusing the racist UKIP a place in the parade, the organisers let them be part of it anyway. The Chair of the organisers, Michael Salter, then told the BBC's Daily Politics that it was "great that they were able to participate".
In 2017, having any bisexual involvement in the parade was a close run thing after the organisation shifted the goalposts.
In 2018, a few TERFs were allowed to hijack the parade. There are several pictures of the people on Twitter posted by TERFy accounts, but the Pink News photo very clearly shows event staff with 'event manager' and 'director' t-shirts in front of them..
Pride in London allow TERFs to hijack its biggest event of the year, the parade
.. before allowing them to continue at the head of the parade.
What. The. Fuck.
Especially as the excuse given is basically 'it was sunny':
Given the hot weather and in the interest of the safety for everyone attending today’s event, the parade group was allowed to move ahead.
– Pride in London spokesperson
Once again, a bunch that treats its BME members badly has proved willing and able to treat other minority groups badly too. At some point, more people will listen when BME people kick up a fuss: they're almost always the first to get the crap and usually not the last.
1. Everyone involved in the decision to let TERFs hijack the parade needs to explain clearly what happened
That includes the event's stewards, the people who set up the systems, and the people who were in charge of the whole event.
Who was consulted about this? The Mayor's office? The police? Trans groups?
2. Everyone involved in the decision to let TERFs hijack the parade needs to apologise
Properly, and not in a 'sorry for any upset' way.
3. Everyone involved in the decision to let TERFs hijack the parade needs to resign
There is no coming back from this one.
If London LGBT+ Community Pride CIC is prepared to throw trans people under the bus at the very start of its main event, what the fuck are they for?
The company's objects are 'in particular' to 'benefit the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community'. Each director is morally and legally responsible for doing this.
In what possible sense has allowing this to happen benefited the community?
Incredibly the Michael La Roche Salter who was pleased that UKIP took part in 2015 is still a director and one of only two people with between 25% and 50% of the voting rights of the company. He must go if the organisation is to have any credibility whatsoever.
The only other person with this level of voting rights is Alison Louise Camps who is also a director. She must go.
The other directors who need to resign for failure to stop this happening are: David John Bloomfield, Asad Dhunna, Christopher Dwayne Joell-Deshields, Simon Philip Jones, Siobhan Denise Sarah Linard, Polly Anne Shute, Alexandra Clare Talcer, and Iain Alexander Walters, who as a 'head of marketing' should be able to explain to the others what a complete disaster this is for the event's reputation.
Ironically, Asad Dhunna runs a PR agency called 'The Unmistakeables'. Well Asad, you've all unmistakably made a mistake fucked up this time and the sooner you all follow the three steps above the better…
