South House Sexual and Gender Resource Centre has officially announced its boycott of Halifax Pride in solidarity with Queer Arabs of Halifax (QAH). In doing so, the centre is also providing a drop-in event on the day of the parade.
“We thought it was really important to offer an alternative to Pride for folks who aren’t wanting to attend Pride, but then to also to offer a space that was available before and after the parade,” says Rebecca Stuckey, outreach and education coordinator at South House.
South House is joining other individuals and groups such as the Dalhousie Student Union in boycotting Halifax Pride this year. Calls for boycott followed a tumultuous annual general meeting that took place last October, during which a pinkwashing motion by QAH was voted down.
Stuckey says South House wanted to support QAH as well as other queer and trans folks who are Black, Indigenous and people of colour, “because of the harm they [Halifax Pride] have caused that community and for their lack of acknowledgement of pinkwashing.”
“There are a lot of folks that aren’t wanting to participate in Halifax Pride events specifically this year, but still wanting to be with community,” says Stuckey. “I think it’s really important to offer those spaces so that folks who don’t want to attend those Halifax Pride-specific events still have a place to go and be with community.”
The Pride Day Drop-In Hangout at South House is taking place on Saturday from 1-5pm. It is a closed space for queer, trans, intersex and Two-Spirit folks.
