June is Pride month, and celebrations, marches, and solidarity events are being held in cities across the country. Some of these events have been interrupted by protests from members of the LGBTQ community who feel the movement marginalizes minorities. A group called No Justice No Pride staged a protest at the recent Capital Pride Parade in Washington, D.C. Members issued a list of demands, which included adding more transgender women of color and indigenous people to leadership positions, more stringent vetting of the parade’s corporate sponsors, and preventing uniformed police officers from participating in the parade.
The concerns reflect the broader issues on which Black Pride groups throughout the U.S. are focused. Our guests discuss the state of the current Pride movement at the local level, intersectionality, and how communities can work to be more inclusive. In studio:
- Scott Fearing, executive director of the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley
- Ed Brockenbrough, associate professor at the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester, and former board president of the MOCHA Center
- Jahnell Butler, community health specialist at the MOCHA Center
- Adrian Elim, head chair of Rochester Black Pride
- Tonya Noel, member of the Flower City Noire Collective
