KIDS BAN AT CAPE TOWN PRIDE
Some in the LGBT community have complained about the age restriction on children at the day-time celebrations following the Cape Town Pride parade on Saturday the 5th of March.
While there is no limitation on participants in the parade itself, organisers have placed a “no under 18’s” restriction on the subsequent event taking place outside the Cape Town Stadium from 1 to 8pm.
The restriction has stimulated a debate among Mambaonline readers, with “gay dad” writing on the site: “So don’t [they] want gay people with children or friends of gay people with children to come and celebrate Pride this year?”
Another reader responded: “Uhm, I don’t know about you, but an after party is no place for under 18s, you don’t take your kids to the club do you? I am sure children are more than welcome at the actual parade, but once that is over, it is time to party, like only we can. And that without children running around the feet of people that had too much to drink…”
“Gay dad” replied that “Many people bring their families to the Parade and to the party immediately after the Parade. I’m not talking about an after party at a club. Pride is supposed to be inclusive.”
Cape Town Pride Festival Director Gareth Dallas told Mambaonline.com that the restriction was because of the city’s bylaws on the sale of liquor to minors.
“The stadium is the only possible venue in the area that is available and where we can get a liquor license. And the stadium is incredibly fussy,” he said.
Dallas also explained that if the party included children, Pride would forfeit substantial funding to host the event: “We have to pay the costs. Having an open policy towards children in the past has prevented us from sourcing activation fees from liquor companies and cigarette companies.
“The people that are wanting to bring their kids are expecting us to run around at our cost and lose sponsorship instead of helping us to find a solution. I’ve spoken to a number of people who have kids and they agreed that bringing kids to an environment like that is not a good idea,” he said.
On the other hand, over the past four years Joburg Pride has encouraged families of LGBT people to attend the parade and the celebrations at the park afterwards; even supplying a kiddies’ play area.
According to Dallas, “Cape Town pride is not just a one day event like Joburg Pride, but is a festival so we are trying to source an event for kids and families on another day.”
What do you think? Is Cape Town Pride right to bar kids from the after-party or should they make a plan?
Make a plan. Our kids are part of our gay Pride, kids are taken with on the march, to show, we have nothing to hide and we are not ashamed of any thing!
I agree, maybe there shoudl be a time limit to it. Kids go at 5, but good parents should take theyr kids home and not keep them out to late any ways!
Make a plan. Hello again
We are making a plan – and I did tell that to the “staff writer” who called and interviewed me. Funny how that never made it into the article!
Gareth
So what’s the plan then?
Maybe CT Prode should have chosen a child friendly venue rather than having delusions of grandeur
Thanks Gareth. Thanks Gareth.
I am glad you gusy see the importants of having kids there as well!
Ban on Pride. Well i have been to Joburg Pride and i must admit that as much i think kids should be exposed to it, some of those costumes aren’t child-friendly. I was close to choking after seeing some 60 year old’s pubic hair on show.
…….. Yes the same happened to me when I went to the mall the other day………..
We and our kids are exposed to these type of things every day. and to try and put our kids in a little protectife bubble, in my opinion, is not a good idee.
People at Pride go out, but not way out. Still with in reason I think
You Make A Plan. I agree the no under 18’s should be allowed at the Afterparty!
What sort of of society are we to condone underage drinking or even the perception that we condone it! There is rampant alcoholism within the gay community and I for one think that it can something that we shouldn’t be proud of…
If anyone has any ideas on how incorporate a separate event on the same day as the pride float Afterparty…suggestions are what are needed not comparisons!
what the hell. what a damning indictment of gay society and its priorities that alcohol and cigarette companies are sponsoring an event to the exclusion of a a significant percentage of gay people.
That to me is not gay “pride”.
Just as the jeremy Mansfield roadshow in Johannesburg is not gay pride
Thre is plenty of time later to celebrate as an after party
well said. It is amazing that the Festival Director can publically say “The people that are wanting to bring their kids are expecting us to run around at our cost and lose sponsorship instead of helping us to find a solution.” Why should gay parents look for a solution when they did not create the problem?
“We are rying to source an event for kids and families on another day”. Really? Apartheid is alive and well and living at Cape Town Pride.
Did I really say that?. Really? Do you really think I said this? Do you think that any person in their right mind would say this to the press?
right to bar kids. one needs to read the childs act – is it the answer …
Shame on you. Pride in Joburg and ALL OVER THE WORLD includes KIDS. Many LGBT’S have kids that LOVE goint WITH THEIR GAY PARENTS to Pride.
Making a plan. CTP is working very hard – this is going to be a great event!
F%&$k you!!. Fuuuuck! My budies are coming donwn from Joburg – they are (were) 16-17 years old – THEY are leavin the old people behind to come and march! None of us drink. We just proud to be gay and out…so now we cant join? Fuck you!
Maybe you. I think its people liek you that get over excited and make a scene that they are trying to avoid.
Calm down dude.
you suck!. Thank you for your advice grandpa, but it is EASY for YOU to speak. Teenagers have no place to go and just be GAY – no clubs or fabulous parties (and no huge event where the rugby dudes won’t kick our asses) Pride is the ONE place where we wanted to go – just ONCE in a year – but now we can’t go into the after parade walk.
OK. So you have chosen these above us under 18’s____-
1. Cigarettes
2. Alcohol
3. Money
I still think this SUCKS.
Angry teens.
lol. Ok, firstly. I am 23 years old. Don’t think that would make me a Grandpa yet.
Secondly, when I was you age, I also had to wait my turn to go to the adult after parties. Its not a gay thing, it’s a age thing.
You are allowed to walk in the Parade, just not allowed at the after party. Because alcohol will be on sale there, and under 18’ts are not allowed to drink.
So wait a couple of years and be brave, you will enjoy it so much more!
And just there you contradict yourself. You and your friends don’t drink hey? Yet you want clubs and fabulous parties for teens? Without drinking? Come-on.
You should count your lucky stars that you are actually allowed to even go to the march at your age. We ALL had to wait to be over 18 and sometimes over 21 to get into clubs and parties. Teens these days have MUCH more freedom than we had. So stop complaining, stop being angry and start being greatful. Then get your friends to the march, and have a fabulous time marching, then go and have a nice (alcohol free?) pool party at home. Only a year more for your one friend and two more for the other friend, and you can go mad and wild, legally.
…all hell will break loose!!!. @Pete two of my pals are muslim THEY DO NOT DRINK, and deither do I – again – we just wanted to be part of EVERYTHING – like JOHANNESBURG PRIDE!! Dont u get it??? Tell Jo’Burg gay teens what you just said and see a all hell will break loose!!!
Under 18’s welcome to March. Hello there
You are most welcome to march! No one said you cannot march!! The parade party after the march has an age restriction on it.
Best
Gareth
Can anybody read?. First of all, this is getting way out of hand!
Nobody is saying that kids are not welcomed in the march…everybody is welcome…at least that is what I have read in these posts. It is just the afterparty situation. As a responsible adult I would not bring a child of any age into that environment where there is a chance of them getting lost or up to nonsense.
Second of all…this is not Jburg Pride (which is a one day event). I have personally seen kids that are visibly underage wondering into the beer tents and giving it a good go! What would happen to the publics opinion on the gay community if they were caught?
That snide “Apartheid” was uncalled for…how can compare the Pride Committee to something like that!
I think that a gay parent should e-mail the festival director asking him how they can help to find a venue and make if Child Friendly and safe…!!!
going home after. The wording makes it confusing. What people want is to bring their under 18s to the party/carnival/fair – call it what you will – straight after the parade. Nobody is suggesting that their kids should be allowed into an after party at a nightclub.
It’s fabulous that children are welcome to march with their gay family, but after the Parade these families are now expected to go home and not be part of a festive celebration of Pride, or to go to a seperate/special party. This discriminates against gay men and women with children. It is bad enough that society as a whole frowns upon gay parents, but it does not sit well when one of our own organisations discriminates against a doubley marginalised sector of society.
kids at pride. agree that the after party is no place for kids – but hopefully CT Pride will make a plan for a kids area where kids can be dropped off so parents can join party and collect kids later ?
Final straw!. I just cannot believe this. My kids were really looking forward to this…..I guess Cape Town Pride and its ELDERLY board members (whom I hear are lilly white) have sold their souls to the cigaretts & alcohol traps. Sies vir julle! Ons kom nie meer nie (en ons is n hele group van 20 mense!) Nee, ons braai maar by die huis saam met die kinders. WE DO NOT NEED YOU CAPE TOWN PRIDE.
To What. What were your kids looking forward to? Watching mommy and her friends having a piss up? I think that they most probably were looking forward to the parade and march not the after party!
Why not enjoy both by marching and having a great time then go home and have a braai!
Just a suggestion….
Logic rules. I support Pride.
Lets not forget that the money raised from the event goes to The Pride Shelter Trust…a place for kids…ironic…maybe Pride should use the shelted as a day care center for the childern of gay parents (who are the minority BTW).
Really!! What is more important….your kids comming to the after party? or the money raised for the shelter from the evil alcohol and cigarette companies?
Maybe the angry parent should be working with Gareth to find a solution instead of bitching about the reality of the situation.
I do however feel for the teen queens!! Where are they supposed to go??
My suggestion is do what i did – sneek in and have a ball.
No way. @realist – I like the way you think! Finally someone who does not sound a 100 years old! Gonna b a bit difficult to sneak in…I think…but really – we should be able to go and not be left out like this. Who are these board members or whatever? Why are they doing this to us? (Oh…I forgot …$$$$$)
Not that much older. @angry (teen)
If I remember correctly, and I am under advisement about this, but most are not more than 15 – 20 years older than you…which doesn’t mean that they are the coffin club that used to run Pride (who actually were the ones that were after, as you put it, $$$$$!)
Remember what this is all about! We march for the freedom that so many fought for at Stonewall and during Apartheid…the party is just something secondary…not the main event!!!
This is not right!. CT Pride, re-think VERY quickly!!
Can blacks go???. Just a joke. I can still go – but can these board (bored…) members of pride or the festival director then please volunteer to look after the kids so I can go in after the parade walk??? My kids like ama white oumas & oupas!!!
Kisses.
Naughty Ndweni
PS @Angry Teens – Yebo! Just sneak in my beautifule ones! You deserve to be there as well!!
Get Real. i dont see what is wrong with the familes of going to the parade, having fun and heading back home and having a family braai, a nice swim etc, rather you will have your kids in the stadium on one of the hottest days with the crazy crowd running around and drinking up a storm?!?!? surely this would not be regarded as good parenting? this is purely my opinion!!!
but hey i do believe that the committee is trying to find a solution for the parents and children.
we hope to see all the familes at the parade!!! 🙂
Name and shame them. Went on the website – here are the people responsible for this mess (Board of this Pride cape Town)
Executive Board Members
Russell Southey: (Acting Chairperson): (HAveno idea who the actual chair dude is – maybe they do not have a leader??? Maybe the reason for this whole mess?? Not sure…. russell@capetownpride.org
Dominic Kessell (Deputy Chairperson): dominic@capetownpride.org
Gareth Dallas (Festival Director): (the guy quoted in the article) gareth@capetownpride.org
D?han Lombard (Treasurer): dehan@flamedesign.co.za
Please people, calm down. I would like to add my 2 cents worth on some of the comments I read above. Firstly, Cape Town Pride is not the ‘Elderley Lilly White Board’ it used to be. I at least don’t consider myself elderly at the age of 33 and neither am I white. Secondly, last year, Pride has made some big changes in order to reach more communities and to inclusify events like the Parade Fair for example where for the first time we had a Kiddies area. This year we want to do the same. Despite our restrictions with the new liquor and tobacco laws, we have always been in discussion on how we can include the families with children which we will do our best to accommodate. I think you people are being mislead by this article as it most certainly do not reflect the values of Cape Town Pride and what we’re wanting to achieve in our community. I hope that we would be able to get the correct message out to the community instead of causing friction in our community because of this article which was misquoted.
ialsohavekids. all this makes me sad.
Here we have this awesome event happening, making cape town beautiful with our gay community taking to the streets, and having a jol! And instead, the focus is on how CT PRide is being responsible and actually abiding the law.
Regardless of how it was done elsewhere etc etc etc etc………………………… this is cape town people, calm down, and enjoy the festival!
all these complaints, and no attempts as solutions? sho.
im leaving my kids with the babysitter, and having a great (and responsible) PRIDE night out!
kids area is happening. As Dominic said, CALM down people ! There will be a kids area – right next to the stadium – where events at the stadium can be seen – where parents can drop off their kids if they wish. We are in the process of organising it – watch the CT Pride website for more details.
Not good enough-Change event!. Find another event space – there is your sollution – this way it will be inclusive for ALL,
U ALL MOAN BUT DO NOTHING. I have followed all your complaints with interest – are any of you offering your services to CT Pride, are any of you on the voluntary committee? Are any of you coming to the volunteer meetings, offering solutions, LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVE VENUES, HELPING PRIDE FIND ALTERNATIVE SPONSORS ???? You all moan and complain and YET YOU DO sweet FA for your community.
blame shifting!. Don’t talk nonsense! The people arranging pride should taler responsibility for their mistakes- don’t now come and shift blame!
I love kids. I love kids but I couldn’t eat a whole one…..
stop complaining. Pride will be great!
doesnt make sense. okay so at rugby matches, concerts and so on held at the stadium there is booze for sale, and none of those events are over 18 only…
So blaming the venue doesnt make sense to me…..