If the leadership of the organization is still tone deaf to issues that are relevant to People of Color, specifically Black people, it doesn't matter where they hold LA Pride."Ĭouncilman Duran says he wishes Christopher Street West the best wherever they end up, but he adds, the history is here, regardless of where the parade takes place. It doesn’t really matter if the leadership of the organization is still anti-Black. She pointed out that even though more than 65 percent of event attendees are people of color, "when you look at the makeup of the Board of Directors and the people who they hire, that is not reflected."Īs for finding a new location, she added, "You can move it to Timbuktu. She’s looking for a leadership change "from the top all the way down."
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Community Activist Jasmyne Cannick says she’s not looking for a venue change. That organization however, criticized the announcement saying LA Pride had not consulted with BLM officials or organizers in the Black LGBTQ community. Last month, after LA Pride was canceled due to COVID-19, Christopher Street West announced it would hold a solidarity march with Black Lives Matter. "It’s a shame because we did encourage them to go ahead and bid as well.” “I think that’s what pushed them to then write their letter that they decided to pull out of West Hollywood," Duran said. When asked about the decision, the group issued a statement saying, “This has been an ongoing conversation within our organization for the past year given how large the celebrations have become.”īut Duran says in recent years, the relationship between organizers and the city no longer felt like a “comfortable fit.” With the city putting up about $3 million for the weekend long event, another councilmember recently introduced an agenda item to discuss opening it up for bidding. The letter cites “several reasons” including construction in West Hollywood Park. In a letter this week, the nonprofit Christopher Street West which produces LA Pride, informed the West Hollywood City Council that they would be moving the parade and festival out of the city.
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“49 out of their 50 years they’ve had a parade down Santa Monica Blvd.