Pride protests touch off fierce debate in LGBT community

Corporate America at root of divisions

As the LGBTQ community celebrates Pride month, observers are seeing something new on the parade route: Division.

#NoJusticeNoPride, an LGBTQ+ group whose blockade of the Capital Pride parade in Washington, D.C., drew national headlines June 10, plans to do it again at New York’s parade on June 25.

“This movement has come from a point of exhaustion and frustration — from queer and trans black and brown people and other marginalized communities who have felt that their experiences and their truths have been dismissed,” said #NoJusticeNoPride D.C. organizer Emmelia Talarico.

The demands of New York’s #NoJusticeNoPride organizers echo those of Washington’s:

uIncluding trans women of color and indigenous people in decision-making roles.

uEnding the endorsement of law enforcement agencies.

uBarring corporations that have a negative impact on the LGBT+ community.

WHAT IS EQUALITY?

“It’s a closeted issue that we don’t really talk about because we have been sold this idea of equality and diversity,” New York #NoJusticeNoPride organizer Michael Basillas said.

“But I think that is an appropriate time to have the conversation on what is equality, what is solidarity — for everyone.”

Major corporations — from Delta Airlines, AT&T and Facebook to Whole Foods, BudLight and Chipotle — have become a major source of funding for Pride festivities across the country. And a source of contention within lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender groups.

But Capital Pride board president Bernie Delia sees their presence as positive.

“We also have to recognize that many of the strides we have made has been because the business community has helped,” Delia said.

The hashtag #NotOurPride was born out of opposition to a Los Angeles Pride that had been rebranded into a music festival, complete with higher ticket prices and reduced hours for lesbian and trans community events, said Peter Cruz, associate director at Asian-Pacific AIDS Intervention Team.

“We realized that we were hitting on something deeper than just our organization,” Cruz said.

“There’s a fine line between getting sponsors to put on an event and the blatant commercialization of the movement. I don’t think those who stood up for the Stonewall riots intended it to be commercialized,” he said.