A letter to Boston Pride for the People from 55+ organizations

Last year was supposed to be the dawn of a new era. Rising from the ashes of a Boston Pride rightly criticized for being racist, transphobic, and corporate, Boston Pride for the People was supposed to be finally, truly, for the people. But just as quickly as this hope took shape, it shattered. The BP4TP president visited the Israeli Consulate in May 2023, posing for a photo op. The BP4TP festival on the common was criticized by disabled queers for inaccessibility. And BP4TP still employed BPD to “keep people safe”, even though BPD viciously attacked queer protestors at the Nazi “Straight Pride” parade in 2019.

Things came to a head after the parade, when BP4TP co-hosted a June 2023 film showing with the Israeli consulate and other Zionist organizations — a film specifically pinkwashing Israel. Outrage followed, and community members reached out to urge BP4TP to cancel the event. But the board refused to cancel the event, and the film showing went ahead. A “no pinkwashing” campaign followed, supported by a coalition of over 40 community organizations. And then… nothing.

For over 75 years, Palestinians have been forced to live under a brutal apartheid state. This genocide is only the most recent in a decades-long oppression of the Palestinian people. Yet Boston Pride for the People is still taking money from corporations sponsoring this genocide and others in Congo, Sudan and more. In addition, they keep claiming they didn’t know of these community concerns. In fact, BP4TP heard our concerns over countless emails, meetings, and yes, “town halls” for over a year. We won’t abide by their indefinite timeline and feigned ignorance anymore. A statement is not enough! The time is now, and our demands are clear: no cops, no corporations, no pride in genocide!

The following is a letter sent to Boston Pride for the People on June 6, 2024.

If your organization wants to join the list, DM @liberatebostonpride on Instagram.

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We, as part of the “Greater Boston” queer community, acknowledge that we are on occupied Massachusett, Wampanoag, Nipmuc, and Wabanaki lands. In acknowledging the Land, we commit to honoring the rights of all residents who are Indigenous peoples, which includes Land Back and the Right of Return.

Over two years ago, an organization named Pride for the People (P4TP) revived the general pride parade from Boston Pride in June. It was named after its mission: to bring back pride for queer people, by queer people, in addition to “commemorating the Stonewall riots” and to “Educate on the presence and impacts of oppression and advocate against oppression through disrupting and dismantling systems that cause harm to LGBTQ+ people.” We are disappointed but unsurprised to learn that not only has P4TP not addressed its pinkwashing efforts from last year, but that it has not spoken out in support of a Free Palestine. In addition, it has continued to accept corporate sponsor money from unethical companies, including Delta Airlines, State Street, and Fidelity. It invites corporate ERGs instead of unions to march in the parade. And finally, it coordinates with cops, a longstanding enemy of queer people and their liberation.

This “pride” is not for the people.

We, as greater Boston queer community, demand better of the people that seemingly represent us, that wish to uplift their chosen community. But that chosen community must be all of the community, not corporations or cops. Despite several outreach efforts from the community, P4TP chose NOT to uplift queer and Palestinian liberation and prioritize Zionists, corporations, and cops. In the words of Stonewall uprising leader Marsha P. Johnson, there can be “No Pride for some of us without Liberation for all of us.”

Our specific, actionable demands are as follows:

(1) No pride in genocide.​​​​​​

P4TP must pledge publicly not to work with the Israeli consulate or Zionist groups, which includes not permitting Zionist groups to march in Pride.

Both endanger Palestinian people, Muslims, anti-Zionist Jews, and their allies alike.

Do not accept money or sponsorships from Zionist or pro-Israel organizations and corporations.

P4TP must divest from Zionist and pro-Israel organizations and corporations. A Zionist or pro-Israel organization/corporation is one that a) donates money to Zionist and pro-Israel causes b) has spoken positively and proudly about Israel c) aids and abets Israeli war crimes and occupation of Palestine, and/or d) denies or dismisses the severity of the genocide happening in Palestine. In addition, P4TP must adhere to the BDS list and immediately deny any company on said list.

Issue an apology and a statement in full support of Palestinian liberation.

P4TP must take accountability for its past actions and take a step forward toward Palestinian liberation. First, it must apologize for its pinkwashing in 2023. Then, it must speak in support of a Free Palestine and continue to fight against the genocide.

(2) No cops at pride.​​​​​​

The first Pride was an uprising against police brutality. Commemorating the Stonewall riots requires standing in solidarity with the historical and ongoing struggle against police brutality that disproportionately impacts our intersecting communities.

Cops do not make us safer. They enact violence against queer people, especially BIPOC, trans, and disabled community members. The Boston Police Department is complicit in the Deadly Exchange with Israel, violent sweeps against our houseless neighbors, and repressing resistance by queer people, such as the resistance at the so-called Straight Pride in 2019. Police also violently displace unhoused people in the vicinity in the lead-up to special events, including the Pride parade. This is because the City of Boston would rather pay police to make its citizens disappear from sight than pay to house them.

​​​​​We understand that it is difficult to do anything without having the police surveilling the community. The state mandates permits and police in order to access facilities, electricity, and disability accommodations. Yet, their presence is a deterrence at best and a danger at worst to all in the queer community, but especially queer and trans people of color, specifically Black and indigenous folks. As a result, P4TP must implement a community-based plan for safety at Pride that does not rely on the city or cops.

3) No corporate capture of pride.

Corporations are not allies. Refuse sponsorships and partnerships with corporations, even if they are considered “ethical” or queer friendly on an arbitrary scale. As we know, companies such as Starbucks can claim to be queer friendly and progressive, only to use queer workers for profit and exploit their labor. It is important that P4TP does not take blood money from oppressive and exploitative companies.

This year, we specifically demand that Pride for the People drop:

State Street, which is one of the 15 largest shareholders in Elbit Systems, ​​​​​​Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer supplying weapons for the genocide in Gaza. State Street is also a major shareholder in weapons companies Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing.

Fidelity, which has funneled millions of dollars through donor advised funds to anti-Muslim, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-immigrant organizations. The Central Fund of Israel, a leading supporter of Israeli organizations behind illegal settlements, has received over $25 million from Fidelity Charitable since 2016. It is also currently involved in union-busting efforts with Unite Here! Local 26.
Delta, whose PAC has donated to numerous homophobic, transphobic, and anti-choice politicians. Delta is also a backer of the Atlanta Police Foundation, the primary driver and funder of Cop City. Cop City is a police training facility in one of Atlanta’s forest “lungs”, Weelaunee Forest. If built, the facility will exacerbate pollution into rivers and trigger the “urban island heat effect” on Atlanta’s Black neighborhoods. The facility is also slated to host trainings led by the Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF).

And no longer allow corporate Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to march in the parade and instead, invite unions. ERGs still represent their employer in the parade, even if they do not have any attire or symbolism of their companies. It does not make sense for them to march, as pride is not supposed to be about corporate pride. Instead, we demand P4TP to invite worker unions to march in lieu of the company (ex: Starbucks Workers United instead of Starbucks).

A pride committee of any kind cannot be for the queer people unless it is for all queer people. As we know, corporations, cops, and Israeli settler colonialism have never been for queer people. While P4TP has a noble mission, it has only managed to repeat Boston Pride’s mistakes.

This “pride” is not for the people. But it can be.

https://liberatebostonpride.wordpress.com/

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