Pride Toronto backs down on decision to censor group at 2010 Pride Parade
For Immediate Release - June 23, 2010
TORONTO - Queers Against Israeli Apartheid congratulates Toronto's LGBT community for successfully reversing censorship at the 2010 Pride Parade. Pride Toronto announced today that it would not censor the term ‘Israeli apartheid' from the parade.
"This is a victory for the Palestine solidarity movement, which has faced censorship and bullying tactics from the Israel lobby for far too long," says Tim McCaskell, a member of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid. "The Israel lobby learned a tough lesson today about our community's proud history of standing up to censorship and human rights abuses."
In May, Pride Toronto had announced that it would censor the term in response to pressure from the City of Toronto and Israel lobby groups. In response, Dr. Alan Li rejected the title of grand marshal for the 2010 parade and Jane Farrow refused her appointment as Honoured Dyke.
The decision to censor Queers Against Israeli Apartheid was met with widespread condemnation from the LGBT community, including Olympic gold medalist Mark Tewksbury, the 519 Church Street Community Centre, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and 23 current and former Pride honourees, who returned their awards in protest.
- 30 -
Advertising
It certainly is a blow against the Israeli rhetoric and McCarthy tactics which have, for too long, denied human rights in Palestine.
Here's the text of the Pride decision, in the form of two resolutions:
1. Be it resolved that the motion of May 21st regarding language restrictions of groups participating in the 2010 Pride parade be replaced by the requirement that each participating group read and sign and confirm to abide by the City of Toronto's Declaration of a Non-Discrimination Policy and that all groups that uphold this policy are welcome to participate in the 2010 Pride Parade. Any groups that refuse to sign will not be permitted to participate.
2. Be it resolved that Pride Toronto appoint a panel of LGBTTIQQ2SA leaders and friends to recommend a policy to protect and advance the qualities of Pride and ensure it is true to its core values and principles. The mandate of the group would be to consult with the community to develop recommendations to ensure a Pride that values and promotes freedom of speech and individual expression, inclusiveness and respect, pluralism and diversity, equity and fairness, celebration, humour and fun, and to make recommendations regarding Pride Toronto's ongoing working relationship with the broader LGBTTIQQ2SA communities.
This doesn't solve anything, because it doesn't address the concerns of anybody. It's not as if any participants in Pride had refused to abide by the City's Non-Discrimination Policy.
Agreeing in writing to abide by the Policy won't do anything to stop the City or any corporate sponsors from de-funding Pride if they are of the opinion that the policy is being contravened (or even if they just want to squelch anti-apartheid free speech). Nor will it stop anybody from expressing opposition to Israeli apartheid, and pissing off the Zionist lobby.
So how exactly does this decision solve anything at all?
Thanks for sharing the resolutions. One might hope that the core values and principles are bravely defended.
As I said, I don't know how Pride can imagine it has resolved anything by having participants sign a piece of paper.
Already the Zionist lobby is going apeshit and the candidates for mayor are vowing revenge.