BREAKING: SHOCK AS JOBURG PRIDE SHUTS DOWN
The Joburg Pride Board has announced that it is closing the company that has run the event for the last seven years, leaving Africa’s biggest LGBT event without organisers and facing an uncertain future.
“There’s been a lot of soul searching to come to this decision,” Joburg Gay Pride Festival Company Chair Tanya Harford told Mambaonline.com.
She said that the move was a unanimous one by the volunteer board members and was taken primarily due to growing difficulty in securing the Zoo Lake and Rosebank areas to hold the event.
“The SAPS and the two local ward councillors won’t support it happening in those areas anymore,” said Harford.
This was in part, she said, due to security issues caused by the 1 in 9 Campaign’s controversial ambush protest during last year’s parade which led to scuffles breaking out between protesters and the some of the organisers and participants.
The incident was broadcast around the world and saw both Joburg Pride organisers and 1 in 9 accusing each other of initiating the violence.
“The 1 in 9 action has had an impact in terms of the security assessment of Pride, which increases the onus on Pride to add more security,” said Harford.
She also said that “we [the board members] all have business interests that are taking more of our time and we have to focus on that”.
The news comes just days after the announcement of an upcoming meeting by the Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW) and 1 in 9 calling for a boycott of this year’s Pride event due its “highly commercial and anti-poor agenda”.
The organisations said in a post on Facebook: “From being an event that celebrated political struggle and claimed space for all members of LGBT communities, Joburg Pride has become a capitalist and consumerist gay parade that takes place in a predominantly white and wealthy suburb, is sponsored by multinational corporations and businesses, and is an event that only the economically wealthy sections of LGBT and queer communities are able to fully participate in.”
Harford said that she was unaware of the planned meeting and that it had played no part in the board’s decision.
“If that’s what the community wants for Pride then we’re not going to stop it,” she said, adding “We hope that FEW and 1 in 9 will be able to take Joburg Pride forward. It’s a massive undertaking. Good luck to anybody who takes that on. We only wish everyone well.”
Mambaonline asked Harford what would happen to any profit made from last year’s event. “After paying creditors and fees and winding down the company there won’t be anything substantial left. If anything is left it will be paid to a charity,” she replied.
The closure of the Joburg Pride company once again throws the future of Africa’ largest LGBT event into uncertainly.
The most recent Joburg Pride organising company was formed in 2006 to rescue the festival after previous organiser Gary Bath left the event mired in debt and controversy.
The Joburg Pride Board was able to resuscitate the festival, grew the event to almost 20,000 participants and 38 floats, moved it to Rosebank and turned it into a financially sound undertaking.
The 1 in 9 Campaign, which has described itself as a “feminist collective of predominantly queer women”, however, slammed the event last year for being “elitist” and ignoring the hate crime onslaught against lesbian women.
Mambaonline has requested comment from FEW and 1 in 9 about the news of the closure of the Joburg Pride company and is awaiting a response.
Joburg Pride, first held in 1990, is the oldest LGBT festival on the continent.
Below is a full statement from the Joburg Gay Pride Festival Company on its closure.
Joburg Gay Pride Festival Company board votes to stop production of annual Joburg Pride event
Johannesburg, South Africa, 3 April 2013: The board of Joburg Gay Pride Festival Company (JGPFC) has voted to wind up the Section 21 (not-for-profit) company that has produced Joburg Pride over the past seven years.
JGPFC was voluntarily wound up by unanimous resolution at a board meeting held on Wednesday, 13 March 2013. As such, the Joburg Gay Pride Festival Company will cease operation from 26 April 2013.
“It was a very big decision, and one that didn’t come easily,” says board member Samantha Durkin. “We have been successfully running Joburg Pride for the past seven years, growing it from a one-day event that attracted a few thousand participants into a multifaceted event over three days, including an evening programme, which has been attracting crowds of more than 20,000. It became increasingly time-demanding and operationally complicated over the past few years, especially as it’s been run by a board of volunteers who’ve contributed their skills, time, networks and contacts, with virtually all of Joburg Pride’s planning taking place after hours.”
“Looking back, we have a lot to be proud of,” says Durkin, “as we’ve supported the work of a number of worthy causes and charities over the years and have enjoyed the support of the local and international LGBTI community, as well as the support of great local and international artists, and greatly-appreciated sponsorship from a number of blue chip companies.”
Board member Fulvio De Stefanis says a number of challenges influenced the board’s decision, including the loss of the Zoo Lake Sports Club as a venue to host the event due to security risks, the loss of support by the South African Police Services (SAPS), as well as the loss of support by the two local ward councillors for the event to happen in their precinct.
“Joburg Pride been a passion project for each of our volunteer board members,” says De Stefanis.
“It’s been our way to try to help unite a very diverse LGBTI community, while building an annual event designed to have far-reaching positive impact on Johannesburg’s tourism and entertainment industries and showcasing the ground-breaking work by South Africa’s burgeoning NGO, arts and culture sectors.”
“The interruption of last year’s Joburg Pride march by the activist group 1-in-9 was also a factor in our reasoning,” says De Stefanis. “1-in-9’s unfortunate interruption of Pride 2012 shifted the event from a lowrisk event into a high-risk category, which would negatively impact on our operational structures and budgets going forward.
“It provided great short-term publicity for 1-in-9, but created far-reaching negative publicity for Joburg Pride. It’s ironic, as we agreed with their message – but not their medium, as it obviously negated our work over the past seven years, while providing a hint of potential operational and security risks – something we’ve always been prepared for, but never had to previously deal with on such a scale. Ultimately, all of these factors combined would impact on the time and financial limitations of the board,” says De Stefanis.
“We assessed the financial and security risks against our collective personal obligation to produce a safe and inclusive event that’s also creatively rewarding and financially viable – something that Africa’s powerhouse, Johannesburg, certainly deserves. After careful consideration we are, unfortunately, unable to guarantee meeting those obligations in the future.”
I have been at every Joburg Pride the past 17 years, and will be very sad if it does not take place again. There are always issues around inclusivity and the challenges of dealing with commercialism, which must be debated. But I would like to see 1 in 9 Campaign putting on their ideal inclusive, non-elitist non-violent Gay Event, solving all the issues they have drawn attention to!
This community is its own worst enemy. Ppl like this Jhb Pride board, the organisers of Mr Gay SA etc etc all leaving due to the fact that everyone is full of criticism but very low on contribution. You reap what you sow. I am so done with the LGBTI community of SA – they are spoiled and ungrateful. You reap what you sow. And the community shall not forgive 1 in 9 and FEW for this.
The moment “activists” step in to organise anything, it is a disaster as they have no idea what work is where events like these are concerned. Getting on a soap box and screaming criticism is easy, getting down to do the work is something else. There are no rich overseas donors to pay for it like so many other NGOs who sit on their backsides and earn salaries. The moment they are not paid, they disappear. Thank you for 7 great years – at least we had that as from now on for at least the next 7 it will be a complete mess.
what a whole lot of nonsense . they agreed with 1 in 9 and yet refused to allow them the 1 minute silence they were requesting to honour all those black woman who died brutality because of their sexuality . the fact that donors are now refusing to fund pride is because they clearly saw the organizers vicious nature . only pride alone is responsible for it’s demise . good riddance to bad trash !!!
The 1 in 9 campaign’s website isn’t even working, but they want to organise Pride? Further – Carrie Shelver, who was the main instigator of the 1 in 9 protest at Pride WAS on the Pride Board many years ago – and it was a right royal mess. Watch out for a repeat of the same.
I am waiting to see what better 1 in 9 has to offer. I think their actions was disgraceful, and they should be responsible for the next pride.
A fact of life: is change! The current organisers of Pride leaving is acceptable and fair. Them leaving JHB Pride with no successor to handover too, is an old clich?.
No planning, no support – ONE organisation monopolising an event, what did we think was going to happen?!
The truth is many of you out there consider yourself above Pride, above those before you that had to fight for your place in society. Pride is a symbol for all those whom fall into the LGBT community, a symbol of hope, of love and of support. A place for us to celerbrate our past acheivements as a community. Yes, not everybody feels that way, but that’s because most of you are too full of shit to share and have a great time. Pride has fallen from a fight for freedom and rights to a bitchy little play in the park. So weak has it become that a whole event with thousands of people is pushed over by a group of idiots. Stop focusing on what our country can and can’t do to support pride and focus on coming together to show your support for others as they should do for you.
Leave your prissy meaningless attitudes at home and hold your fellow LGBT neighbours hand. Step above the scandals and become something more than what those whom stand against us think we are!
PS – Anti-poor agenda???? WTF?
I challenge the 1 in 9 campaign and FEW do it for themselves. If they want the spot light on them then this is what they must do. What are they thinking targeting gay pride of all things. Nothing has ever stopped them from taking part in the normal procedures of the event to gain awareness for their valid cause like everyone else. Instead they choose to disrupt what is actually a pride parade for the highllight of a struggle shared by all in the LGBTI community. The fight is already out there and should not be inside the gay world. C u at the next jhb pride!!!
The 1 in 9 campaign’s website isn’t even working, but they want to organise Pride? Further – Carrie Shelver, who was the main instigator of the 1 in 9 protest at Pride WAS on the Pride Board many years ago – and it was a right royal mess. Watch out for a repeat of the same.
Be careful what u wish for 1 in 9. This is your baby now – you got what you wanted. Now lets see what kind of event you can organize without sponsors and a healthy dose of capitalism- who is paying for the floats – the licenses – the PA system – the venue etc . I wait with anticipation to see where this all inclusive, non commercial event ,attended by ALL members of the community is held. Somehow I think I shouldn’t hold my breath.
PPS – anti- poor agenda – WTF indeed !!
ah what a pity… no more cocks to suck for “the organisers” of pride we all know who they are… don’t be koekkoes! I support 1 in 9!
Can’t say I’ll miss it to be honest. Even the word “gay” had been removed from the name of the event, so watered down it had become in representing the LGBT community.
The 1 in 9 campaign’s website isn’t even working, but they want to organise Pride? Further – Carrie Shelver, who was the main instigator of the 1 in 9 protest at Pride WAS on the Pride Board many years ago – and it was a right royal mess. Watch out for a repeat of the same.
Go to Limpopo Pride – 11 May or Pink Loerie – 1 – 5 May. There are options
I agree, the Pride is just a money-making organisation!!! Go and look at the overseas Prides and you will see what a proper one should be like.
For me Pride must be all about celebrating the progress the LGBT community has made in terms of our rights, also keep on making everybody aware of these rights and lastly also fighting for the rights of our global LGBT members in countries where they don’t have. I hope that there will be responsible people taking over the organisation and let Pride be what it must be.
For me Pride must be all about celebrating the progress the LGBT community has made in terms of our rights, also keep on making everybody aware of these rights and lastly also fighting for the rights of our global LGBT members in countries where they don’t have. I hope that there will be responsible people taking over the organisation and let Pride be what it must be.
For me Pride must be all about celebrating the progress the LGBT community has made in terms of our rights, also keep on making everybody aware of these rights and lastly also fighting for the rights of our global LGBT members in countries where they don’t have. I hope that there will be responsible people taking over the organisation and let Pride be what it must be.
How very sad. After all these years of being Africa’s biggest Pride event. The 1 in 9 campaign and FEW have got what they wanted – destroyed it for, what is essentially, personal reasons. They de_clared Pride as “anti poor and commercial”. Let’s see if they can come up with anything that is “pro poor and non commercial”, lets see where they will get the necessary sponsorship and support. It is doubtful they will do anything at all, as now they have achieved their goal of killing Pride off, one wonders what their real intention is.
Oh there will be a “pro poor and non commercial” Pride. And 200 people will attend it. Big message THAT brings! It is all these activists who through donor monies to their NGOs for everything under the sun earn fat salaries – and THEY are always shouting ‘the poor’ … mean time they have to justify their existences – and donor money from overseas – with acts like these.
Wow this is very sad news indeed. Having attended way back in 1990 to 2012, so much has changed and yet we should aks ourselves WHat have we achieved? This event has had International support for many years and now it has all gone. Not a representative picture we are telling the likes of FGG, SA Tourism, Johannesburg Tourism etc.
Thanks to the Joburg Pride Board for giving us 7 years of a well organised event. To the NGOs you have tried this before and did not succeed.
The 1 in 9 coup of the Pride Event was an act of desperation. Their frustration at being ignored by the various groups that make up this so-called gay community had reached boiling point. Their actions were an embarrassment to the Pride Organizers and it must have been a bitter pill for them to swallow. I think that this is why they have, unfairly, pointed their finger at 9 in 1 as one of the main contributing factors in their demise. We are our own worst enemies! We are a bunch of back-stabbing, angry, vengeful little people sometimes. Why does it take a major disaster for us to come together and unite? Maybe the disaster this time is the savage murder of our sisters because of their homosexuality? With or without 9 in 1, the various homo-communities have to do something!!!!
FYI – There is a Trade Marks on the following;
2004/15308 JOHANNESBURG PRIDE FOUNDATION in Class 41.
bloody lesbians, always biting off their noses to spite their faces.
This is extremely sad, and I must thank the Joburg Gay Pride Festival Company board fot the sterling work they have done the past few years.
Maybe this is a good time to take a step back, and see what 1 in 9 will arrange for this year. Once they have failed, we can have the old board back !
A reality of the LGBT community – so much bitchyness and personal infighting that fewer and fewer people are willing to give up their time to arrange events because you just get criticized and attacked by some bitter members of the community. JHB Pride had many problems, but 1 in 9 needs to take there share of the blame here – the same people were once on the JHB pride board years ago and it was a mess than too. The LGBT community is it’s own worst enemy. Leave your ego at home or keep your mouth shut.
Oh there will be a “pro poor and non commercial” Pride. And 200 people will attend it. Big message THAT brings! It is all these activists who through donor monies to their NGOs for everything under the sun earn fat salaries – and THEY are always shouting ‘the poor’ … mean time they have to justify their existences – and donor money from overseas – with acts like 1 in 9 did …
If there is really so much donor money out there why are NGOs closing down everywhere? In the last year alone the LGEP and Behind the Mask have gone, the OIA film fest say this will be there last festival for at least a while till they can raise money. Rich NGOs are a myth, most of them survive month to month and carry a huge load while people like Tanya Harford want endless praise for being volunteers even though her sports management company probably makes a month what most NGOs survive on for 6 months.
You may not like Carrie Shelver but lets not forget she was the Director of the Lesbian and Gay Equality Project at the time when that organisation won you just about every right you as a gay person in South Africa have today. Pride existed before the Pride Company turned it into the horrible, exclusionary, corporate event it has become, it will survive long after they have gone…
1 NGOs like OIA who had SIX full time employees very nicely paid are closing because the overseas donors dried up 2 There are still others, like OUT, where its director earns more than half a million rand a year 3 Carrie Shelver was not at Equality when it won its most decisive victories – Evert Knoesen was (although afterward, he sniffed the budget) 4 Pride in the past years were not horrible, it was wonderful. If you want activism, go work for an NGO. Pride is a celebration in 90% of the world where rights have been attained already – like ours. NGOS is a billion rand industry in SA my friend. You will get rich there.
It is not obvious from my tone that I do work for NGOs and like most NGO employees I am very very far from rich, in fact I say a silent prayer every month when there is enough money in the bank to pay my salary. The director of OUT earns half a million a year, maybe that is a lot (I can’t imagine earning half a million a year) but if you think how many years one has to work to be a director and how old the director of OUT is now is it really that much, how much would you expect the director of a company with 30 years of experience to earn? (Hint: a LOT more than half a million a year). No one goes into NGOs to get rich, I could earn 10 times my salary working for Standard Bank so please spare us the notion that we are all getting rich. Most of us will never own a house in our lives because banks look at our salaries and laugh, many of us have lost our jobs in the last year because donors dried up and can’t find new jobs because every NGO is shrinking. I don’t imagine you can know what it is like to have given your life to working for civil society, not know if your salary will come next month or already be out of work and have super rich people like Tanya Harford and Fulvio de Stefano tell you that they are the poor wronged people.
I thought Soweto Pride march was great – I have heaps of respect for 1 in 9 and if jhb pride couldn’t cope, then it should be shut down, and anyone who wants to march can go to Soweto!
With all of 200 people attending vs 20 000? You are joking.
200 people marching through Soweto means more than 20 000 people marching through Rosebank. Those 200 people are doing something that means something, claiming space that is normally violent and fearful for queer people, putting their bodies in the street and challenging the watchers to say or do anything about it. Who cares in Rosebank if you are gay.
When did it become about the numbers and not about the message??
Harford herself said that nobody on the board is an activist – problem #1 as Pride is about activism. #2 1in9 should be thanked for highlighting of how exclusive/divisive itt has become alienating people in the LGBT community.
Pride is said to be themed – you Theme a party not activism. When last did we see a clear LGBT rights march on relevant issues instead of a party with a theme?
It is fantastic that the non activist board has thrown in the towel. Getting to big for their boots – ask the Green lady from the board who said it is her route to a 1in9 protester.
So ta ta to the old and non activist boards and hello for some new fresh real activists.
#1 Pride is not just about activism, it is also a celebration – we have all the rights we need (ok implementation is a problem etc0 #2 So-called ‘activists’ are paid puppet of donors overseas who fund these so-called NGOs, like OUT #3 The ‘activists’ DID organise it in the past, and it was a major flop. Business acumen (which the previous board had), is needed.
Such lack of insight and knowledge: , please published our Pride Constitution, this document could may help the community at large .and in going forward to planning the next PRIDE and also the the various NGO .
Yusoof Abdullah – Co founding meneber of Pride and vetran Activist
Just hope the next people do not mess it up like you did Mr Abdullah
I agree with you , what a tjop, has used pride for his own personal gain and benefit for a very long time now “vetran activist” you are a joke
is bev ditse still on the scene? if so, she’d be great to run with this. such a pity to see it falling apart. i have so many memories of going to zoo lake for pride.
Cape Town Pride must also cease to exist, another pride that is not inclusive and diverse in its actions and who only seem to discuss its matters with the privileged white gay community and the club owners who are the only benefactors of it. That gay pride shelter also houses refugees more than local destitute’s from the Cape Town communities. Yet we asked to contribute and support it’s efforts. Te white elite needs to understand that the democracy and the benefits it brought was a direct consequence of what thousands of black South Africans died for in the struggle. It is shameful to see how we treat them and the statements we launch is appalling. We need to do more, set our racist and prejudices aside and work together and march in areas that truly need our support to overcome the homophobic attitudes that causes corrective rape.
Whatever……..
yall should try this Wavetrend entertainment events company they might just take pride to the next level
It is very said that our main event of t year has to end like that. Jo’burg pride is t only pride I look forward to every year, I have not missed it in the past 6 years. Who is this 1 in 9 where do they come from. It was t 1st time I hear of them last year at t Jo’burg pride
A very small group of loud aggressive feminist lesbians who are angry at the world
something has to be done get JHB pride going again this event is too important to the gay community of JHB to let it simply be shut down, it is about pride after all so how’s about we actually show our pride?! Just saying its sad isn’t going to change anything, or keep JHB pride going, at the very least a petition should be created…and other events companies should be approached..Whether it is activism or a party, it is an LGBT event, celebrating or stating the lives we lead, which ever way you choose to look at it.. as such it serves as a message to the community in general and as a beacon to the gay community. Should JHB pride be allowed to die, it would be a travesty that would negatively affect the LGBT community of JHB for years to come as well as future LGBT generations. Is nothing really going to be done for JHB pride?
A small group of hairy loud aggro feminist lesbians holding the rest of us to ransom – so what’s new?? My vote? They won’t be happy until they’ve destroyed Pride so GIVE it to them, let them take it over and make a mess of it, when they’re bored and turn on something else to vent their rage we’ll somehow get Pride back up and running again. Without them!!!!!!
So is there a plan? What’s the latest update on this? Can we get FEW or 1 in 9 to please tell us what’s going on?
Oh please. I’m gay and glad this stupid excuse for a slut street party has been cancelled. If we would like to be accepted maybe we should stop rubbing cocks in speedo’s in the street. If str8’ts did that everyone would have an issue as well. The true meaning of pride March is long gone
I agree!
I am American and I admit to being somewhat ignorant of all the politics involved in this situation, but here in the U.S.A. there has been declining attendance at many pride march events. Perhaps the internet has something to do with it, but people just aren’t so enthusiastic about a one-day march through the streets that seems to be just an excuse for partying and flamboyance with little political import. There are multi-day pride events that don’t involve a march at all. Many of them have devolved into weekends of partying, club and bar hopping, and taking part in orgies, with, perhaps, one day dedicated to a paltry few workshops focusing on very general topics that are of interest to some in the community. There are some ethnicity-specfic pride events of this nature that take place in a number of larger cities. From what I’ve heard, and from my personal experience, pride events here are more oriented to gay men and women don’t play as much a role in planning them nor do they participate in as large numbers as men.
I have never understood the need for a “pride march”. I live in a country where being Caucasian/White is a negative thing, yet I am proud to be me. I really don’t need to have a “White march”. How silly would that be? Just effing live your lives! LOVE & RESPECT!
plz dnt shut down the pride it was the only place i felt loved and appreciated it helped me come out to mu family and community and i knw it can still help a lot of pple like me and that would teach ppl to accept and wat i liked about it is even str8 pple came to the festival and it is educational to those who are homophobic…….so to all those haters who are bad mouthing the pride ur’ll dnt knw wat u are toking about and im very dissapointed tht even one of our own is toking bad about the pride u knw wat to u all who a glad the pride is shuting down…….u will be very dissapointed coz some one out there will come and take over this even im telling u…….it will never go down easiely
This is not fair let the people decide what should be celebrated, as you political beeps doing nothing for us, we got to do everything our selfs, the event don’t have anything to do with you, so stay out of it.
This is bull shit full…………….you know we can rise up from thi nonsens we’v done it in the Past we still can