Posted on 09/20/2016 1:33:03 PM PDT by rickmichaels
After a contentious parade, a revoked promise to do better, and a series of public meetings, Pride Toronto is apologizing for “a history of anti-blackness.”
“Pride Toronto wants to begin by apologizing emphatically and unreservedly for its role in deepening the divisions in our community, for a history of anti-blackness and repeated marginalization of the marginalized within our community that our organization has continued,” read a statement posted on the Pride Toronto website late on Monday night.
“Pride Toronto regrets the way Black Lives Matter – Toronto Coalition’s (BLMTO) protest was handled by our organization and the statements made following the Parade that did not represent our organization,” the statement from the board of directors continued.
This year’s Pride Parade was stopped by members of BLMTO, who asked for and received an end to a police presence at the parade.
However, the executive director of Pride who signed the agreement later said he only agreed to get the parade moving. Mathieu Chantelois has since resigned.
“They say you learn more from your mistakes than your successes; and Pride Toronto has had plenty of both this year. Following the 2016 Festival and Parade, it was critical the organization take the time to do something it should have done more of throughout the year — listen,” the statement from Pride Toronto read.
“Race and gender are, perhaps not unlike the rest of society, clearly the issues with which our community has the greatest difficulty with,” Pride Toronto said Monday.
“There has been an unbelievable amount of racism expressed by members of our community through this organization. For that, we are sorry. Individuals who proudly serve our communities in law enforcement and other roles in public safety have felt unfairly attacked and targeted by the community that it turns to for love and support. For that, we are sorry. Through this debate, all of you have turned to Pride Toronto for clear and decisive leadership and support through this issue and we have stayed quiet. For that, we are sorry.”
BLMTO wants to ban police floats and booths from the Pride Parade and Pride community spaces. However, they are open to participation from LGBTQ officers.
The group is also calling for more spaces for black queer youth, for more diverse hiring at Pride Toronto (including black trans women, black queer people, and Indigenous people), and more black deaf and hearing ASL interpreters.
Pride Toronto acknowledged that these concerns, while they were raised during the Parade, were not all new.
“Some of these demands were not new to Pride Toronto and had been raised by our community members in the past; without progress,” the organization said Monday.
“I think it’s a start that they have apologized and recognized anti-blackness within their organization and their leadership,” said Ravyn Wngz, a member of Black Lives Matter Toronto’s steering committee. “However there are many apologies that are still to be made.”
Wngz said BLM continues to look for a detailed plan of action from Pride about addressing anti-blackness in the organization, which was missing from today’s apology.
The statement is unflinching in its criticism: “Pride Toronto did not make enough of an effort to engage with members of our black community who have worked with the organization for a very long time.”
As Pride Toronto begins to plan the 2017 events, the organization said working on the dispute resolution process, working with BLMTO to present their concerns, finding an appropriate place for police, and finding a new executive director are all top of mind.
“We are listening,” they said.
So all the precious snowflakes can come out of your ‘safe spaces’ now.
And don’t forget to give up-twinkles!
YEAH, all of those who came on the Underground Railroad, and found freedom in Canada....the history now is being re written. WHAT?
The police should just skip the event.
They better not...
all black Canadian citizens were given their freedom by 1783 when the American Revolution ended...
even if their Southern states “masters” had brought them north when they fled from the rebels...
there was very little “anti-blackness” compared to the US...and prior to the War of Northern Aggression...
Homosexuality should be banned because its clearly racist. They have admitted it is so.
Even the queers acknowledge the dangers of the black ghetto!
Go, Trump, GO!
Some of the streets I walk when I visit Toronto are in and around ‘the Village’ LGBT neighborhood and the route of the parade.
Familiar sights were in the background when BLM blocked the parade and the Prime Minister marching in it to send out their message this year.
The LGBT cause was hot once in Canada, now the cause of BLM rates higher on the scale since Canada is so liberal on LGBT matters now.
They demand “more black deaf and hearing ASL interpreters” ... and that must be one politically connected person to get that added in.
I understand that many blacks consider homosexuality a white problem, and hate it so much that many black homosexuals are bisexual to maintain acceptance.
But blaming whites for black hatred of homosexuality is ... par the course since they blame everything else on whites.
Honestly, all this constant hatred of whites is going to lead to pogroms. You have to demonize and isolate people to justify their slaughter.
Gay men are the biggest bigots I’ve ever met. Open and up front about it. So, in that respect, this is an interesting development.
This sounds like the kind of talk where one group knuckles under to another. Pride has been out-power-played by BLM, which is a much younger organization.
Proving once again that liberalism is a mental illness.
Goes to show you that Canada’s gays are “lovers, not fighters.”
Welcome to the NEW AFRICA OF THE NORTH!
“History of anti-blackness.”
Translation: “Our poop shoots have failed to be sufficiently welcoming to black penii.”
Looks like the blacks have taken a definitive lead over gays in the grievance Olympics.
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