Manchester's gay community expresses anger at pride stewards after they attempted to confiscate “Pride Not Profit” signs at the start of city's annual gay pride parade.
Pride Not Profit Activists Claim Harassment by Parade Officials
Tensions are rising in Manchester's gay community after embarrassed pride stewards were given their marching orders by angry parade entrants after they attempted to confiscate “Pride Not Profit” signs at the start of city's annual gay pride parade.
David Henry of the UK's national LGBT youth organisation, the Queer Youth Network has spoken out about what he calls “a disgraceful plot to undermine free speech” and accused organisers of an “ongoing attempt to silence public criticism” of the event which is estimated to bring in over £22 Million of profit to Manchester each year. “they are acting like crazed control freaks, the city council don't want us to raise awareness around several major concerns they would rather ignore, collectively this year's sponsors pretty much own all the gay media and local media” he added.
Despite being an official entry the group had their banners checked no less than three times whilst other groups remained unchecked according to video footage. Later on in the pride parade, outside Manchester Town Hall, several parade participants unveiled more banned signs and banners to the dismay of organisers including a giant pink “Pride Not Profit” banner and another which read “Save the Gay Centre”, a banner that earlier in the week was unveiled at an “ambush” during a photo call at the official event launch in the same location.
Pauline Ellis, a teacher and activist with the gay rights group OutRage! described how she saw the group pounced upon by a “rude and furious” Manchester Pride festival director Jackie Crozier who demanded one girl hand over a placard which read “Pride Not Profit” Alan Bailey of the National Union of Students LGBT Campaign told a number of journalists immediately after the failed attempt by festival stewards to seize that several student groups had earlier contacted Manchester Pride to ask “how political” banners and signs could be and were given a vague answer which requested nothing that is “against the spirit of pride”.
Tomboi of Trans Youth, an organisation that supports transgendered young people reported several young people had been targeted because of recent comments they had made in the news in regards to the increasing commercialisation of gay pride. Last year Tomboi and other representatives of voluntary organisations appeared on local TV news station Channel M boycotting the “Big Weekend” party in the fenced-off gay village after an increase in stall fees and wristbands. Channel M is owned by the Guardian Media Group and is a sponsor of Manchester Pride.
For more information:
info@prideisaprotest.org
Also see the full video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnooy749a-4
Video: Protesters Invade Manchester Pride Balloon Launch
http://www.g7uk.com/video-manchester-pride-balloon-launch-invaded.shtml
Video: Queer Youth Network declare “Pride is a Protest”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzlCl2M8I88
David Henry of the UK's national LGBT youth organisation, the Queer Youth Network has spoken out about what he calls “a disgraceful plot to undermine free speech” and accused organisers of an “ongoing attempt to silence public criticism” of the event which is estimated to bring in over £22 Million of profit to Manchester each year. “they are acting like crazed control freaks, the city council don't want us to raise awareness around several major concerns they would rather ignore, collectively this year's sponsors pretty much own all the gay media and local media” he added.
Despite being an official entry the group had their banners checked no less than three times whilst other groups remained unchecked according to video footage. Later on in the pride parade, outside Manchester Town Hall, several parade participants unveiled more banned signs and banners to the dismay of organisers including a giant pink “Pride Not Profit” banner and another which read “Save the Gay Centre”, a banner that earlier in the week was unveiled at an “ambush” during a photo call at the official event launch in the same location.
Pauline Ellis, a teacher and activist with the gay rights group OutRage! described how she saw the group pounced upon by a “rude and furious” Manchester Pride festival director Jackie Crozier who demanded one girl hand over a placard which read “Pride Not Profit” Alan Bailey of the National Union of Students LGBT Campaign told a number of journalists immediately after the failed attempt by festival stewards to seize that several student groups had earlier contacted Manchester Pride to ask “how political” banners and signs could be and were given a vague answer which requested nothing that is “against the spirit of pride”.
Tomboi of Trans Youth, an organisation that supports transgendered young people reported several young people had been targeted because of recent comments they had made in the news in regards to the increasing commercialisation of gay pride. Last year Tomboi and other representatives of voluntary organisations appeared on local TV news station Channel M boycotting the “Big Weekend” party in the fenced-off gay village after an increase in stall fees and wristbands. Channel M is owned by the Guardian Media Group and is a sponsor of Manchester Pride.
For more information:
info@prideisaprotest.org Also see the full video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnooy749a-4 Video: Protesters Invade Manchester Pride Balloon Launch
http://www.g7uk.com/video-manchester-pride-balloon-launch-invaded.shtml Video: Queer Youth Network declare “Pride is a Protest”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzlCl2M8I88 
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Comments
Hide the following 3 comments
Predictable
25.08.2008 16:18
I'm writing to tell the organisers that this march should be out in Heaton Park or Trafford Park or somewhere like that. Special interest groups should not be allowed to clog up the city centre at busy times. It is selfishness. And its not just the gay march either - the 10k run people are just as guilty as are other groups. Hold these events in a quiet part of the city where the majority who aer not interested are not inconvenienced. Manchester is not a large city like London, and one event of this size clogs up nearly the whole of the small centre.
Pete
Stop all the commercialism
26.08.2008 15:01
And don't contact the press or any other publicity makers about your march. Keep it to yourselves as much as possible. Or why not rent a football stadium or the MEN arena for a rally, like the Jehovah's witnesses do?
Pete
Stop Everything!
27.08.2008 06:48
Pete