alternative pride sound system
argh!
Individuals, Twee Priders, pirates, Rhythms of Resistance, the Kaffequeeria Collective and radical grannies created carnival chaos at Manchester Pride parade. The group did not want to buy into the commercial gay scene and created their alternative march against the flow of the mainstream. The pridenistas supplied the masses with zines and friendly flyers explaining the opposition to the commercialisation of the event, whilst banging out funky samba choonz. Cries of “Free Pride” and “Pink Pound Sucks” echoes through the city. No, it wasn’t Godzilla – it was Rhythms of Resistance!
PS. The Police unfortunately was pretty heavy handed (but we are OK).
PS. The Police unfortunately was pretty heavy handed (but we are OK).
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Pride organisers provide plenty of ammunition themselves
29.08.2006 05:35
Manchester Pride is kept afloat on secrecy, spin and misleading press releases. A quick search through the Newsbank archive (available online to anyone who has a Manchester Libraries card) reveals the inconsistency and hype over the years, going way back. Presumably this comes in the form of press releases from the organisers which are then regurgitated without question by the Manchester Evening News.
From an 'estimated' 350,000 watching the parade one year, to 200,000 another year and 50,000 another year. Ticket sales are 'up 50%' in 2005 yet the amount for good causes that year is the lowest since 2002 (and most of the money for good causes comes from ticket sales). No one asks 'how is that possible?'. Are costs up or is the 50% increase a lie? Elsewhere, there are press releases and articles with figures that suggest about 35,000 tickets have been sold every year.
Hype from PR companies is published in newspapers saying that 250,000 people are expected. But then you see that 50,000 went to the parade and 36,000 bought tickets.
Of the course the latest Pride is always the 'best ever'.
Without accurate figures for ticket sales, it is hard to know what has happening. My gut feeling is that people are deserting the event and that is the real reason for the £15 tickets a month before the start this year.
The more we question this spin and show it up as false when it is published, the better the chance that Pride will eventually revert to being more of an event for the community. People are very angry this year over the £50 + VAT fee for HIV groups and single individuals.
The current set-up can also be targeted on health grounds: binge drinking and the unsafe sex that tends to happen due to alcohol. If a dozen people end up HIV+ because of this event, and need a lifetime of anti-virals, it makes a mockery of £130,000 raised for 'good causes'.
Hoisted with their own petard
good stuff
29.08.2006 17:54
Also it was disgraceful that charities and individuals had to pay to parade! Once again you had to pay to be able to express your pride and take part it what was ment to be for our community.
well done for going right in the middle of it all. it was very brave of you and funny at points (especially the girl with the drum jumping infront of the "volunteers"). You really made a few heads turn!
oldie