Activists demand changes to Cape Town Pride
Following the lie-in protest during last week’s Cape Town Pride parade, and years of conflict between some activists and Pride organisers, a group called the Cape Town People’s Pride Collective have issued a statement, reprinted in full below.
Statement from the Cape Town People’s Pride Collective* regarding our recent disruption action at Cape Town Pride
For more than 5 years, since the well-known happenings of Joburg Pride 2012, where the One in Nine Campaign Activists were ridiculed, assaulted and threatened for merely asking for a moment of silence to commemorate the lives lost of Black lesbians from the townships, we have been fighting for our issues to be put at the forefront of pride. Despite attempts to challenge the way in which Cape Town Pride predominantly caters for white gay men, our earnest concerns have been disregarded.
Black lesbians and trans people are dying in our townships. Black LGBTIQAP+ bodies suffer the most violence in this society. We should focus all our resources towards eradicating the continuing scourge of violence inflicted upon our bodies. Black lives matter! The fact that we have to keep repeating this, beg and fight for moments of silence that are then seen as an irritation, is proof that the current Pride Board is disingenuous.
Pride belongs to all individuals. Without challenging patriarchy, racism, capitalism, and classism Pride will remain an elitist racist affair! We say not in our lifetime! We are proud to be a thorn on the side of white supremacist patriarchy! All progressive and revolutionary forces must stand as one and continue to mobilize throughout the year to ensure that the following demands are met.
The Cape Town People’s Pride Collective demands that:
- Matthew van As be removed from the Pride Board with immediate effect.
- an urgent AGM be held to elect a new and inclusive board, representative of our country’s demographics.
- the name Cape Town Parade/Pride change to Cape Town People’s Pride to signify this turning point in our ongoing years’ long fight to RECLAIM CAPE TOWN PRIDE!
- the 2019 event move away from elitist spaces like Green Point and be held in Langa or Athlone.
- the organisers stop copying London and Western-European themes for an African Pride, while side-lining and ignoring African GBTIQAP+ issues! We need to focus on those within this community who pay THE ULTIMATE PRICE for being like us!
- Cape Town Pride stop persecuting one of our members, Zintle Olayi for legally acquiring tickets for black people from NGOs, NPO’s, Civil Society Movements and the townships.
Pride cannot continue to be a space where people come together and pretend to be united in the midst of the persistent lack of acknowledgment about the injustices towards black LGBTIQAP+ people. In Africa, commemoration and celebration are not mutually exclusive. The lives lost should be commemorated at every Pride event and then we can celebrate them, ourselves and this community.
Our demand for 15 minutes of silence at this year ‘s Pride being met, after we had to fight and lay our bodies on hot tar, is but a small victory that we claim in the ongoing fight to be represented in a country where we are the majority! How are we even fighting for something that should be a matter of course?
We remain committed to ensuring a united, inclusive and representative Pride commemoration and celebration in 2019. Despite continuous efforts to delegitimize our struggles, we will not be deterred. We will continue this fight, unapologetically speaking truth to power, and we will win this war!
* We stand in allegiance with Joburg People’s Pride, from whom we have been inspired to name our collective, Cape Town People’s Pride.
• Cape Town Pride has reacted to this statement. You can read the response here.
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it is so funny that that they talk about black lives matter yet it isnt the gay whites killing the black lesbians its the black straight men so they are so deluded so brainwashed that they choose to attack an ally instead of going after their own black men, all they will succeed in is stopping Pride and black lesbians will continue to be killed. they are stupid, misdirected by an idiot who has no clue how to stage a protest and so has chosen a soft target who has nothing to do with black lesbians being raped. shame on you
Very true. They are attacking the wrong people instead of focusing on the issues within their very society where these horrendous attacks are happening.
PRIDE Events around the globe should be inclusive and supportive of ALL, including our straight allies.
Sadly White Gay Men think they own our Parades.
This battle has been fought in other countries and now the fight for inclusion is coming to Sth Africa.
Perhaps the organisers of the Cape Town Pride will take this on board.
p.s. I note the two previous comments are victim blaming.
Ladies I have done extensive research in 2016 on LGBT workplace discrimination and the gender violence lesbian women experience is horrific if I weren’t too far progressed I would have focussed it rather on lesbian gender violence. I agree that pride was meant to unify us and to bring our battles as LGBT to the attention to the vast majority who do not see this problem. Our news articles should state the sex, race and sexual orientation to the general public so they can realise that its not just another dead man or woman but rather a hate crime committed.
I stopped attending Pride because as you said yourself its more of a fashion statement or hookup point than a place to serve a cause and to fight injustices portrayed to those who lost their voice and we should fight for them.
You have my vote on the change, take pride to where it needs to be. The party is over its time for good old activism.
Lots of love ♡
Nick Davies you deluded queen, white men don’t think they own parades, learn something and try undo the brainwashing you have been subjected to. If they dont like the parades why don’t they organise their own? oh, wait they never do because it is easier to destroy than to create. grow up and bring your fight , the only losers will be the very people you feel need helping. god you are thick. and p.s victim blaming ??? er um never raped a black lesbian in my life. tell you what why don’t you go to a football match in Soweto on Saturday and lie down on the field there and make your statement. you won’t because you will get killed. easier to blame the white man.
and Anthony Howes we all agree with you but take the fight to the perpetrators of the crime BLACK STRAIGHT MEN not gay white men. dont you see the absurdity and racism in this. im sure no one missed you at Pride either.