Cape Town Pride race row grows as Alternative Pride launched
Cape Town Pride 2014 (Pic: David Lee)
LGBT activists have launched an “Alternative Inclusive Pride” amid continued accusations that Cape Town Pride is exclusionary and not representative.
The group, through its Facebook page, announced a calendar of events that will take place at the same time as Cape Town Pride to offer “safe, non-oppressive LGBTIAQ spaces in Cape Town.”
The activists put the calendar together following a Facebook call for alternative Pride events under the theme “Pride to the People.”
The events that have been announced include pageants, talks, parties, seminars, a movie night and performance art. At least three events are taking place in Khayelitsha or Gugulethu.
On Saturday 28 February, it appears that the group plans to stage a protest during the Pride Parade in the city.
“Though we are still far from where we would like Pride in Cape Town to be, it gives us so much hope and inspiration that we could work as a community to re-establish spaces that do not deliberately seek to marginalise LGBTIAQ people by race, class, location, income and gender identity,” said the group.
The group has thus far not identified its members or affiliated organisations. Mambaonline contacted the group through the email address listed for more information and was asked to send a list of questions, which we did. These included:
- Could you let us know your name and some background (e.g. are you an activist, are you based in CT etc…)?
- Are you affiliated with any organisation or group?
- What inspired you take this action?
- What kind of response have you received?
- Why do you think people have not submitted these events to the Cape Town Pride organisers to include them in their calendar?
- Do you not think that including these events in the Cape Town Pride calendar rather than a separate calendar would be a good thing?
- CT Pride insists that it has requested activities and events from communities outside of the white middle class LGBTI community to no avail. How would you respond?
In response, we received the following e-mail on Tuesday:
“As the call stated, we are a collective of LGBTIAQ activists who decided on creating alternative spaces for our community. Unfortunately I cannot respond to your questions as an individual because the initiative itself is not by an individual. This email account is merely a central point of communication. I will forward your email to all involved activists and get back to you as soon as there is a collective response to your questions.”
We sent another e-mail on Thursday again asking for a response to our questions, and have not yet received a reply.
The latest furore over Cape Town Pride exploded after the Mail & Guardian published an open letter from Nyx McLean to Pride organisers, accusing the event of being “too white” and not being “fully aware of the lived realities of most LGBTIAQ people living, working and studying in South Africa.”
Pride Festival Director Matthew van As acknowledged that Cape Town Pride is not as representative as it should be, but blamed activists themselves for not coming forward to volunteer their time and input to the festival, despite repeated invitations for them to do so. (Read both letters here.)
The group Free Gender has now told British LGBT site PinkNews that it has “pulled out of Cape Town Pride”, as it did last year.
Chairperson Funeka Soldaat said: “Free Gender, with other persons in their personal capacities, have attempted to negotiate with the current planners of Cape Town Pride for the creation of an inclusive space which recognises and speaks to the struggles of all LGBTI persons in South Africa. However, the current organisers have responded with blatant racism and bigotry.”
She added: “It is time that the Cape Town Pride organisers are made aware that black lives matter.”
Van As responded: “We put out a call for participation on our social media platforms asking all interested parties to get involved with our existing and new events. In response, six people attended the advertised meeting during which we elected the 2015 committee. A representative of Free Gender attended. Two of the people attending were white.”
He went on to say: “Cape Town Pride does not see race or gender, but people willing to put in the effort and time, for free, to create gay spaces to celebrate being gay. We are Capetonians and gay. That is all we are.”
For more details on the Alternative Inclusive Pride events, click here. For more information on Cape Town Pride events, click here.
I think you will find that the reason you are having trouble getting answers to your questions is the homophobic racist bigots who are doing their best to destroy the festival are actually worried about outing themselves and the NGO”S who they represent – the majority of the
” Alternative Pride ” events are actually in Cape Town centre – outside the Gay Village and charging more than the Pride events (all money from doors at C. T, Pride events go to pride – where is the money from the Alternative events going? – they say they are representing LGBGTIAQ – how many white, coloured, Indian ,men, transgender,bisexual,or other members are in their group – I think you will find a very non-inclusive group of “madblackqueers”
I don’t think they’re homophobic racists, but they are undoubtedly toxic “social justice” campaigners who keep clamoring for “inclusivity” and “representivity” and “safe spaces” when in actual fact all they ever end up doing is creating a giant echo chamber for their Authoritarian Left viewpoint that will not allow any dissenting voices or a spectrum of opinion.
Identity politics is ruining our social landscape, one organisation at a time, and it’s high time us fags pushed back against these people, particularly people like Nyx McLean who is a white woman, yet claims to speak for non-white LGBT people. I’m a coloured faggot, lady, and I can goddamn speak for myself. Go back to your “social justice” hugbox and leave us the hell alone!
where is the cape town pride money going,..for the past 3 years! accounts audits etc are needed! Before you start saying the alternative pride event organisers are interested in making money.
I find it problematic that Cape Town Pride “doesn’t see race or gender” and that they identify exclusively as Gay. This only serves to deny the various struggles faced by people of different races, genders and sexual orientations. The festival director Matthew Van As who has been around for 3 years should know better as suggestions for change have been made plenty times even before last year. Also, who organises public stakeholder meetings exclusively over social media? People won’t pitch if you don’t phone them, e-mail them, or try to help out with transport to the meeting venue especially for poorer people who don’t have money for transport. That’s one lesson I had to learn while working in a Pride movement.
Brilliant comment. Fully agree with you.
There’s that word again, “problematic”. Try letting the “people of colour” and “other races, genders and sexual orientations” speak for themselves. They have cellphones, and twitter, and Facebook, nowadays. As a “coloured” gay man, (or does that word “trigger” you? Oh I’m so TERRIBLY sorry sweetie!) I have stood up for myself in my school, then in university, and now in life, and I don’t need some whitey privileged type trying to say that Cape Town Pride (MY Pride) isn’t “black” enough, or “transgender” enough. Pride is what it is, everybody’s been happy with it for years, so take your social justice nonsies somewhere else sister.
planning public stake holder meetings through social media is the new way of excluding people! if you are into gossip and such like the ilk of the festival director then social media works!
And knowing the antics of the festival director not much was done as regards to inviting people to be part, just enough for “him”or “them”” to retain control.
There might be some racist undertones (as I am someone that does not buy to that nonsense) . But that cape town pride is currently dysfunctional and self serving. Very much so!
I find your comment extremely interesting…in the fact that it is completely ignorant! Social Media is the way forward it is the one way to get messages out to the masses extremely quick. This idea that people need personal invites served on golden platters to meeting is completely ludicrous! Secondly, you seem to know the festival director pretty well, which I doubt, but you are implying a lot of stuff that could be defaming in a huge way. Without facts you better keep your comments to what you know about the person.
Now lets talk about how INCLUSIVE the other Pride is. From their FB group they seem very exclusive in my eys. Also, all their meetings and events have gone out via Facebook, Whatsapp and Twitter. I am not sure how inclusive that is.
This is just getting ridiculous! Why is race always used as an excuse to attack the organisers, or because someone felt left out, or its too commercial for one’s own tastes. Fighting for recognition for lgbt rights should be paramount everyday, pride parade is a place where we just enjoy our lives as lgbt people in one week or even one day. It happens once a year with enjoyment. And who are these people who are saying they weren’t invited or don’t feel as if they belong, just bloody go! No one is stopping you at all! Have fun with friends and family, you don’t have to take notice of who’s there and who’s not. First step is to go for yourself because you are proud of who you are and who you love. Then have some drinks and SOCIALISE WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE!!! Make some new friends or even find your potential boyfriend/girlfriend. At the end of the day have fun, and stop with this foolish “We’re going this way, you go that way.” junk! And people, stop with this “mad black queers” you’re just adding fuel to the fire. Its kinda hypocritical to say stop being racist towards white people (or any other race really) then turn around and say those foolish insults. And for God’s sake, stop whining! Its 2015 get over yourselves and join together! Viva la Pride mense, viva la pride. All smiles you gorgeous people! (and I mean all people, djy moet nie soek va’ k** hier nie!)
Two prides down , two to go
I suppose they will go after The Pink Lourie next
Very ridiculous. .. as a non white ive noticed 90% of all activism comes from white ppl who give freely to a cause with all they have be cause they believe in giving it all they have…the rest cant even contribute their time but hey theyll come anyway.. gay rdp. Reality is events are not paid for buy the pot of gold at the end of the “rainbow”