I think the protest was effective and unfortunately for Pride, the leadership agreed to the BLM demands last year.
To me it says that Pride is now part of the mainstream, and therefore a target of protest. If carding ends, I would expect BLM to give up the exclusion of police. Shouldn't the LGBTQ community stand in solidarity with another oppressed group ? I think so.
The BLM-Toronto demand to exclude police isn't just about carding. They contend that the presence of police in the parade is intimidating to non-white participants. They have a laundry list of issues with police.
Not content with banning Toronto police from participating in the Toronto Pride parade, some are now mad that Toronto police are participating in the New York City Pride parade.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/police-not-at-pride-1.4176878Yesterday, two Toronto women who wore police-like costumes to the Dyke March and carried signs supporting police and first-responders were harrassed and threatened.
Audrey Kouyoumdjian and Carol Pasternak came to the Dyke March wearing costume police hats and toting large signs that said, “My pride includes the police” and “Thank you first responders,” though they are not part of those groups.
“We’re here in support of pride for all,” said Kouyoumdjian. “We don’t want any exclusion. We want everyone to be celebrating Pride and the love of who we are.”
Two women confronted Kouyoumdjian and Pasternak about their sign before the march kicked off.
Parade-goer Martine Genier said she saw the signs spark more conflict later on.
“I saw these two people kind of tearing the signs and throwing them on the ground,” Genier said. “No actual violence (followed), but somebody was trying to push those ladies back.”
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/06/24/the-dyke-march-and-more-heres-what-you-need-to-know-on-saturday-at-pride.htmlThis is an article about Kouyoumdjian and Pasternak from 2010. They're in their early sixties now, and have run a support group for a long time.
https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2010/09/01/lateblooming_lesbians_find_different_kind_of_love.htmlWho goes around assaulting 60 year old ladies?
-k
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