Pride of London responds to calls for investigation over allegations of racism

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Pride in London leadership has responded to calls for the mayor of London to launch an investigation into allegations of racism and bullying within the organization, The Independent can reveal.

Fourteen prominent members of the LGBTIQ community wrote an open letter to Sadiq Khan, who funds the organization, demanding nine reforms, including the replacement of the board.

The signatories claim that the organization’s leadership is no longer representative of the community it purports to serve, calling it “self-proclaimed, non-transparent and lacking oversight and accountability.”

They also demand that Mr. Khan open an investigation into allegations that a culture of persecution and discrimination is rife within the organization.

Pride in London told The Independent that it regularly engages with the LGBTIQ community and volunteers to deliver Pride in London 2022 while “prioritizing the needs of marginalized groups and individuals within the LGBTQ + community” in its thinking for the organization.

“Pride in London continues to evolve, as stated in our May 13 statement where we launched our ‘Pride of Pride’ plan which included a link for the community to make recommendations and suggestions,” said a spokesperson.

“We are traveling, like many organizations, and although we have recently made some significant changes after consultation with our team, including a management team of 50% of individuals from minorities and ethnicities, we do not stop reinforcing visibility, unity and equality at the heart of everything we do.

It comes after The Independent revealed that Rhammel Afflick, the longest-serving former member of the black Pride team, resigned as director of communications in March, over concerns about racism within the organization. .

Thousands of LGBTI + activists marched through London in the UK’s first-ever Reclaim Pride March (July 2021).

(Peter Tatchell Foundation)

Days later, the 10 members of the Pride in London Community Advisory Board (CAB) resigned citing a “hostile environment” for volunteers of color.

The authors of the open letter are asking that an independent inquiry by Lisa Power, described as “critical” and undertaken following concerns over racial discrimination at Pride in London earlier this year, be published in its entirety.

“It gives the impression of a cover-up. Our community has the right to know, ”write the authors of the letter.

In response to this, Pride in London said that a summary of recommendations from Lisa Power’s report to examine Pride in London’s community counseling requirements, commissioned by previous co-chairs in 2020, had been posted on its site. Web on May 21, 2021, adding that “the report was not a report on racism and bullying.

The coordinator of the letter is Pride in London patron Peter Tatchell, who helped organize the UK’s first pride march in 1972. and said: “We urge the mayor to take action as Pride in London is no longer living up to his contract and has lost the trust of much of the LGBTIQ community. I hope the mayor will meet with us.

“Our nine requests are aimed at resolving the Pride issues in London. They are a compilation of concerns expressed by a large cross section of the LGBTIQ community.

“We don’t claim to have all the answers. We see this letter as a catalyst for change. I hope this generates a much needed debate within our community about who runs Pride, how it is run, and the future character and direction of Pride. We welcome other contributors of ideas. The success of the “Reclaim Pride” march on July 24 shows that there is a desire for change, especially for a truly inclusive community pride and a pride that is both a celebration and a protest for LGBTIQ human rights . “

(Dave Bird)

Responding to the open letter on Thursday, Mr Afflick told The Independent: ‘Pride in London has a lot of work to do to win back the trust of LGBT + communities – and that starts with engaging with other community organizers and communities. wider in a transparent manner; change requires taking concrete action on issues that have repeatedly surfaced.

“It cannot be fair that black volunteers and black communities have repeatedly highlighted issues of racism over the past four years without a meaningful response.

“It appears the pride organizers have decided to move forward without properly addressing the issues that came to light earlier this year.”

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “London will always be a beacon of inclusion, acceptance and diversity.

“The views and contributions of our city’s vibrant and diverse LGBTQ + community are critical to the success of Pride in London events.

“As we plan to host the 50th anniversary celebration of Pride in London next year, we are fully committed to supporting the community to provide a safe and inclusive event. “

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