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Halifax’s Pride festival is finally here, but not everyone is celebrating.
The 11-day long festival kicks off today, arriving in the wake of the Pulse nightclub shooting last month that left 49 people murdered in Orlando, Florida, and a surge in protests across the United States and Canada against the use of police violence.
It’s also occurring about two weeks after demonstrators with Black Lives Matter Toronto temporarily paused that city’s parade, calling for increased representation of people from marginalized and vulnerable communities amongst Pride Toronto staff and asking for police floats to be banned at future parades in the hopes of bringing a greater inclusivity to Pride.
These instances have brought issues of marginalization at Pride to the forefront of the news cycle, and the calls aren’t going unheard here in Halifax.
One member of the Halifax group Queer Arabs knows the struggle of feeling unwelcome at Pride. George—a pseudonym, as they wished to protect their identity—has approached Halifax Pride’s board in the past with inclusivity concerns.
George says Queer Arabs won’t be celebrating Pride because of Tel Aviv Tourism’s anticipated presence at the community fair, promoting tourism to the Israeli capital city. In past years, the tourism promoters have been challenged by Halifax Rad Pride activists (amongst others) over Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
“For me as an Arab, I feel very unsafe being there…Because it’s government funded through a different government that oppresses people,” says George. [Ed: the tourism effort isn’t directly funded by Israel’s government, but by Size Doesn’t Matter, according to the Atlantic Jewish Council].
It’s an example, says George, of how easily queer voices of colour can be eliminated during Pride events.
“It feels very pink washed, and I haven’t felt safe attending Pride for that reason.”
Halifax Pride chair Willem Blois says “inclusivity for all” is a concern the society has been working to address over the past year, but recognizes there’s a lot of work to do.
“We’re happy this year that we’ve tried very hard to reach out to community groups and stake holders that make up the queer community here in Halifax, to hear their concerns,” says Blois. “We’re trying our hardest to start those conversations so that in turn, down the road, we can bring about change.”
Opinions differ about how that can best be achieved.
Toronto’s Black Lives Matter demonstration opposed police floats at future Pride parades because the presence of police officers can make members of the black and trans community feel unsafe.
This week, St. John’s Pride organizers in Newfoundland and Labrador posted on Facebook that any additional police presence, other then the already confirmed RCMP and RNC, would be encouraged to “attend as off-duty, community allies—ideally not in uniform—as to better showcase strong police support of the LGBTQ community as individuals, and make the Parade more accessible to all.”
Blois says concerns about police haven’t been brought to him locally, but he has discussed the concern with Pride’s board and cautions against making any radical decisions about whether Halifax police should be barred from marching in uniform at Pride.
“We’ve seen in Toronto and St. John’s that that decision has really split the community,” he says. “I don’t think it’s in anyone’s best interest to make a sweeping decision like that.”
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El Jones hasn’t heard local concerns about police presence at the parade either, but recognizes the weight of the matter. The activist, educator and poet who speaks out about issues of black marginalization says the mainstream corporatization of Pride over the years has resulted in oppressed groups being pushed out of events.
“How do you create a Pride space that’s inclusive when you’re allowing in groups that are actively oppressive to people that are supposed to be a part of their march?,” she asks.
“I think we need more intersectionality in these movements,” says Jones. “Those concerns that are about police brutality are not separate from Pride. They’re not a different issue, they’re not two issues… because that’s what intersectionality is.”
In pointing out these contentions, Jones highlights that Pride is not solely to blame.
“It’s not like gay people created anti-black racism, it’s not like Pride can be held uniquely responsible for racism in society,” she says. “But, to the extent that people in Pride feel a responsibility towards equality, I think that something to consider is, ‘how can this movement be anti-racist? How can the concerns of black people be listened to?’”
Blois says he isn’t surprised that marginalized people feel pushed away by Pride—an unfortunate trend that he says is happening in Pride events all over the world.
“I can’t speak for everyone, but I do know that we really made a point to address what’s happened, and put as much effort as possible to rebuild those contacts,” says Blois. “And…it’s proven to be a lot more work than perhaps we thought.”
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This article appears in Jul 21-27, 2016.
Pride in Halifax was cleansed years ago to better conform to heterosexual standards. Inclusivity issues extends beyond colour. It’s a shame they continue to sell out.
With the growing number of seemingly incompatible factions, that are allegedly united, under the rainbow these days it will not be long before we are back to being forced to wear paper bags as some once had to do. Just in order to march together in a parade that is suposed to express Pride not disharmony Ah, humankind – always ready to note any difference in others they can, even when they themselves may be marginalized. Very sad.
Perhaps at the head of the parade, there should be a torch carried to represent the start of the Oppression Olympics?
What snowflake is the most special, so special it cannot even be counted amongst the other special snowflakes?
Having been the only person of colour In Halifax Pride for many years I will say there is a large problem here. Unfortunately it is a common one in the maritimes that POC face daily, that of lack of inclusion in a social demographic that has always seemed to be a bit behind in grasping the intersectionality of its greater population.
People calling for a dismissal of QBIPOC issues do not really understand that the LGBTQ community in large part has just as many hurdles for POC to deal with as any hetro one. I have found over my years here in Halifax that it was ok to be queer not so much to be a colour and queer. For along while it has been seen as more favourable to only fill in one check box. I do not think the white washing of Pride here is an intentional one on behalf of the Queer community but more so an issue of the larger systemic problems we have in the maritimes in regards to acceptance of POC in anything. I will cation though that statements of of the inclusivity between the Queer community and local police is one that is a little presumptuous and very, very new in its actuality and for the most part is only reflective towards queer non-POC. When I am followed by police they really do not care if I am queer all they see is my colour, something that my non -POC queer counterparts usually do not have to deal with.
So Halifax yes you do have the same issues as other cities within the queer community and POC.
Setting limits on who should be allowed to participate in an “inclusivity” event is somewhat akin to bare-poling to increase HIV awareness. It may have a certain atavistic joy but it will hardly lead to the anticipated results.
Yet again, by providing oxygen to this sputtering spark, The Coast manages to make look The Onion look subtle
Guys, guys as a person of color who has attended many Halifax prides but hails from the states I have to say one important thing. You’re Canadian, not American. I lived in Halifax for four years and am currently in Alberta (which is like Canadian Texas and way worse when it comes to overt prejudices and racism) had 0 issues with police. And as far as I now the police don’t shoot people in Halifax. I think instead of blaming every police officer everywhere for police brutality you should focus on the individual precincts that have had problems int he past. That being said, anyone who wants to go to pride should just go! Have fun! Do things! Be proud of all the things you are! And if there is a problem deal with the problem should it arise but don’t retroactively expect it to arise and hide in your house over maybes and might bes.
This does not mean there are not serious prejudices and racial problem in Halifax though, but hiding away and avoiding events like this is not going to solve those issues. Talking to people reaching out and connecting with different people in the community will get things moving though. As well as picking which battles to fight! Like all of the school closures in the northend for instance, or the extremely sub par living conditions in predominantly black neighborhoods, Ooorrr the sub par education in the predominantly black neighborhoods or the obvious school segregation based on which neighborhoods you live in! Or the fact that anytime anyone mentions almost any community of color the next words out of their mouth have to do with welfare or poverty as if there are no successful people of color anywhere and we all are some how in need. Or even the fact that people can do an entire university major in English without so much as breathing on a book written by a person of color.
If you are going to fight something and be angry about something there is plenty to be angry about in your own city in your own country, but taking a south of the boarder problem and trying to make it a Canadian problem is just ridiculous unless of course there really /is/ a problem.
Although I made a mocking comment earlier about the “oppression Olympics” I want to express my support for the points of view offered by Micah and Winston. If we are to be proud of our differences, collectively, then let’s be proud of our differences and let’s not focus on why others’ differences prevent us from celebrating our own. If you take up the spirit of inclusion, then be inclusive – and include yourself too. Don’t ignore people of color – include them (us) as full partners and not just as afterthoughts – and don’t exclude yourself just because some other group is there that you feel shouldn’t be (you may be missing the point.) Be proud without needing others to let go of their own pride. I have my own reasons for not being part of pride in the past – for feeling the “typical” pride organizers and protestors and participants just don’t represent me – but this year, dammit, I’ll go and represent myself. And they won’t object, I know that. I hope to see ALL my African Nova Scotian and my Muslim (and Israeli!) brothers and sisters and inbetweeners – and everyone else – there.
The next thing you know, certain groups will be offended that Jewish people are in the parade, or watching it. WHERE do these demands end! Hint: this is CANADA, we are inclusive!
There aren’t a lot of gay Jews in Halifax, I know, I’m one of a handful and I serve on the board of the Atlantic Jewish Council. First of all, Size Doesn’t Matter (referred to as Tel Aviv Tourism above) is actually Canadian in origin. It’s our support for Pride across Canada, which in turn gets support from the city of Tel Aviv in the form of giveaways, materials and the like. The Israeli government has nothing to do with it.
There are much better ways to protest Israel’s occupation than attacking the Jewish community and a municipality in Israel
I am so sick of the gay community here.