Last year, I gave quite a scathing view about Manchester Pride and made it clear that things had to change. I wasn’t the only one, there was a lot that came out of that including the intervention from Manchester City Council to resolve the unrest between the organisation and the community.
Feedback
In October last year, I attended an online listening group about the future of Manchester Pride. I think it is fair to say that there was a lot of constructive feedback about how we all felt disappointed with the organisation.
There were a number of things that Manchester Pride appear to have taken on board, after these sessions.
Scrap Manchester Live
The event outside of the village was very unpopular in my group’s discussion. And it appears that this was the same in other groups because they decided that they’d cancel it for 2022.
However, I don’t think Live will go away. I have already had an email from Manchester Pride looking about bringing it back.
As I said in the session. I don’t mind if Manchester Live as an event but it should not be during the Manchester Pride weekend and the pride event should not pay for anything in relation to it.
Clear donation
One of the biggest upsets from last year was how little was donated to charities. We wanted to make sure that a minimum was always donated to charity, and was aware that little or no money was being donated from the ticket prices.
So we wanted to make sure that for each ticket, there was some that went to the charity fund and it was clear that this was happening.
This year it was specifically made clear that £2.50 was going to charity from each ticket.
There has been some criticism in relation to the amount that is donated out of the whole ticket price, and I don’t always agree with that. Putting on the event itself costs a lot of money and we have to understand that. The issue I had was there was no guarantee that any money from tickets would go to charity. We’ve now got that!
Vigil has lost purpose
It was made very clear that the main part of the event, The Candlelit Vigil had lost purpose. Two things highlighted this; the removal of George House Trust as the organiser and omitting HIV from promotions and replacing/addition of mental health.
This was seen as one of the most offensive changes that Manchester Pride did. And it appears that George House Trust was invited back in some shape or form for this year’s event.
I wasn’t at the event this year, but I have seen some feedback that it still feels like it has lost purpose. However, I can’t really comment on the event itself because I wasn’t there, but I do feel like I need to address one of the comments I read.
One of the main issues was that the event was too political. Erm, that is what pride is about! The issue is that the political statements being made aren’t in line with what your views.
We should be political. We should be holding the government and society to account for the mistreatment of all people within the LGBT+ community.
The other issue highlighted is that they felt alienated due to the beginning of the event stating that it isn’t always about “cis white gay men”, and the agenda is to “raise the voices of those that are oppressed more by the patriarchy”. In other words the TQPOC+ (Trans Queer People of Colour).
As I said, I wasn’t there to confirm what was said, but FFS when I read things like this I am disgusted about this community. This is blatant homophobia and transphobia!
Let’s be honest for one minute, as a white cis gay man, I have more privilege than anyone else in the LGBT+ community. I know that, but I want to change that.
Pre-pride someone I follow on Instagram remembered the racism they experienced from the village while they lived in Manchester, and it was upsetting to read.
There was even a recent article in Pink News that highlighted the racism that is still being experienced in the gay village.
I highlighted previously the white-centricity of the LGBT+ community, and that this needs to change.
Our community is as fragmented as a plate being thrown at a wall! We need to accept that racism, as well as misogyny, ageism, bi-phobia, trans-phobia etc, is currently happening in the community!
If you feel uncomfortable that TQPOC+ are being given the limelight instead of you, a white cis gay man, then the issue lies with you and not Manchester Pride!
However, the candlelit vigil is meant to be about the people we have lost or living with HIV, and these discussions appear to have nothing to do with that. And that’s where I struggle and come from a place where the vigil is losing its purpose.
The conversations are valid, and should be had, but should they be had at the vigil? I am not sure.
Apart from the above, it feels like the additional criticism/feedback was ignored by Manchester Pride.
Things had to change
For me, during the discussion, there were two things I made clear that had to change as part of these discussions, which haven’t.
Micro-management
Over the last few years, Manchester Pride has removed the expert parties from the event and took it all on themselves. This in return has affected the quality of the events and communication as they are spreading themselves thin.
From what I saw/heard this didn’t happen. The closest we got was GHT in some shape or form involved with the candlelit vigil. But everything else like the markets, dance tent etc appears to be under their control.
Management reshuffle
After last year’s fiasco, the trust in the management of Manchester Pride is non-existent. It was widely felt that Mark Fletcher, and trustees, should step aside and allow fresh blood to come in and save pride.
Mark Fletcher was a huge disappointment last year when he tried to run away from his responsibilities and then lied about the whole situation and was caught out with that too.
I said in the meeting that if Mark doesn’t step down, I won’t buy a ticket to the next pride. I will not support Manchester Pride because I don’t trust them to continue as is.
Mark has kept his position at Manchester Pride, and as promised I didn’t buy a ticket for Manchester Pride.
Instead, I donated my entrance fee directly to the LGBT Foundation, and I would use my legal right to enter Canal Street without a pledge band and continue to show my support to the venues.
Manchester Pride isn’t all bad
Don’t get me wrong, I am not fully dissing Manchester Pride. I understand the costs of putting on a huge event like this means we need to pay for it.
While they have made small improvements, personally I don’t feel there has been enough to make me financially support it. The way Mark spoke about people like me last year was disrespectful, and neither did he nor Manchester Pride publically apologise for everything that went down, especially to the affected charities.
Making a direct charity donation instead of buying a pledge band, I felt this highlighted my small protest against the event itself. I knew that doing this meant that several areas would be out of bounds, and I accepted that.
As I said on Twitter, a lot of the Manchester Pride areas have lost their appeal for me because of how they’ve managed it over the years.
Manchester Pride also did a campaign that if you did not have a pledge band, then you will not be allowed in any VBLA businesses either.
Again, this didn’t really bother me. Not all businesses are part of VBLA, and additionally those that were don’t always follow this rule because that would be a logistical nightmare to manage. Additionally, there is other places where drinks could be bought.
And I can confirm that I never got challenged either to enter the gay village or to buy a drink in a venue.
I want to reiterate that putting on an event as big as this is hard work and I want to commend all those involved who do make the event a success. Whether that be Manchester Pride volunteers or the staff and venues of the gay village.
Final thought
I despise that I proceeded with no pledge band, which is why I donated directly to a charity.
However, this loophole brings a lot of security issues to the event. I entered the property with my bag not being searched.
On reflection, taking into account the large number of people at the event and a risk of a possible attack, this could have been a disaster in the making.
Large events like this should have the ability to close off public throughways, in the same way when a political party can when they organise their conferences.
On that note, I would still refuse to buy a ticket to the event while Mark Fletcher is pretending to lead the organisation. So I would like an alternative option where a pledge band/access is provided to those that give the amount of money directly to a charity.
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