Brighton Pride - Ripoff
SB
Jul 4, 2011 - 10:31:00 AM
http://tinyurl.com/brighton-pride-ripoff
Sussex University LGBTQ student group adopted the following motion
last month at their summer term general meeting regarding Brighton
Pride.
The motion read:
Sussex University LGBTQ believes:-
* That approximately 10% of students are likely to be LGBTQ
nationally; this figure is likely to increase regionally in areas
known to be LGBTQ-friendly such as Brighton.
* That primarily, Pride is a political and community event aimed at
celebrating and furthering the basic rights of LGBTQ people both in
the UK and internationally.
* That Pride is also an opportunity for non-LGBTQ identified people to
engage with and better understand the LGBTQ community in a positive
way.
* That Pride are this year charging for entry into the Pride at an
initial cost of £8.50 per ticket available to those with BN postcodes
for a two-week period, rising to £12.50 nationwide following those two
weeks, and then rising finally to £17.50 per ticket in the period
immediately preceding the event and on the day. There are no
concessionary prices.
* That Pride, as a registered charity, should be fully scrutiable as a
not-for-profit organisation.
* That Pride may be hiding a significant amount of debt, estimated at
£50-£120,000.
* That pricing and commercialisation changes the nature of Pride from
a community event into an event which is overly commercial, driven by
profit and business-orientated.
Sussex University LGBTQ further believes:
* That pricing excludes a large proportion of the local LGBTQ
community, particularly but not restricted to those who are LGBT
youth, unemployed, disabled, homeless, retirement-age or in full-time
further or higher education.
* That pricing will also discourage the non-LGBTQ community from
attending and engaging during this time, turning the event from an
inclusive, educative event into an event which visibly segregates the
LGBTQ community from other communities in Brighton and Hove.
* That the lack of concessionary pricing for children, students and
older people (in particular) further shows a lack of understanding of
the needs of the local community (both LGBTQ-defining and not) by
Pride in Brighton and Hove.
* That Pride has provided insufficient transparency both in their
planning for 2011 and also concerning their finances, contracting,
fees and tender process.
* That this lack of transparency has created mistrust within the LGBTQ
community concerning Pride.
* That Pride has provided little/no justification for the level of
fees being charged for 2011.
* That Pride is often most needed as a first positive engagement with
their community by LGBTQ youth who are not 'out' to their families and
friends.
* That the organisers of 'Reclaim Pride for the LGBT Community'
offered an alternative, community-led proposal which charged £6 per
person and guaranteed an amount of money for local LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS
charities and community groups.
Sussex University LGBTQ resolves:
* That the society condemn the pricing plan as set out by Pride for
the 2011 event.
* That the society join demands * That Pride are fully transparent
concerning their current finances and business deals, as well as those
from at least the last two years.
* That the society joins with the demands * That Brighton and Hove
City Council fully investigate the 'Reclaim Pride for the Local
Community' proposal, the current financial situation of Pride and
their own policies on diversity, and how this relates to their support
of Pride and their failure to fully consider any alternative.
* That the society support proposals put forward by local community
groups, both individually and in groups, to ensure an inclusive,
engaging and realistic Pride for the whole community of Brighton and
Hove, East Sussex and many from the wider South East.
* That the society work with LGBrighTon, local community and student
groups to achieve these aims.
* That the society opposes the commercialisation of/charging to attend
Pride.
* That the society will try to support a unified alternative Pride
with the local community, business and student groups.