Peoples Pride 2k17

In case you missed it Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh sold naming rights for this year’s Pride Parade to EQT Corporation which turned into EQT Equality March , which in addition to being the biggest fracking company in PA is also anti-queer, anti-environment, and backs political parties that continually vote and legislate against our basic human rights as a LGBTQIA+ community. This has been yet another blatant attack upon our community with dangerous implications--instead of the Pride parade, this year we get the EQT Equality March With all the pollution in our water supplies and air due to fracking, we might be too sick to march next year. EQT Natural Gas has been throwing cash at local organizations in an attempt to buy the silence of our community while they frack without resistance. The people we serve are still dismaginalized and looking for a permanent solution to dismarginalization only to be exploited time and time again by corporations and organizations that do not have our best interests in mind and that do not put their profits back into the communities they harm. We must stand up to this, affirming not only our safety but our children's safety as well, which includes LGBTQIA+ children and adolescents. We recognize the history of Pride as an act of resistance, not as a feel-good festival for corporations and act in that tradition of resistance. Our LGBTQIA+ community of color has been exploited time and time again by the very corporation whose self-stated mission is “Improving Lives Of LGBTQIA Communities” --in fact, the only lives its work improves are those of its board members and the already privileged. The proof lies in the dangerous partnerships that this group has entered into throughout the years, including, now, EQT Natural Gas. Fracking and environmental pollution disproportionately affects marginalized communities, while privileged communities have the luxury to remain unaware of or indifferent to this attack on our community because it doesn’t affect them. This March will be a historic second, as Delta being held accountable has gone unheard. We will march on them in a display of resistance towards exploitation, capitalism, dangerous partnerships, white supremacy, segregated Prides, and putting our children and visitors in harm's way. Roots Pride Pittsburgh who began the resistance years ago started this train and we honor them and there resistance at a time our community needed it the most. Since Delta's inception, their primary interest has been building their own self-image by staging expensive Marches that non-profits can barely afford to participate in, but feel compelled to buy into for exposure and out of a true commitment to our LGBTQIA+ community. Pride’s history is being capitalized on in Pittsburgh this year and as a community we can no longer sit silent and watch this happen. If we want change, it will only happen when we come together and make sure it happens and sticks. This demonstration of resistance will invoke the change we need within our community! We demand EQT Natural Gas leave our community while also demanding the leadership of Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh changes or dismantles the foundation and gives our LGBTQIA+ community the reparations we deserve for the senseless exploitation of our lives, our labor, and our history. This March is not directed towards any attendees of Pride, but instead towards the organizers and capitalists that infect our communities with white supremacy. Pittsburgh has what it takes to be truly intersectional as we are a community that is strong and knows how to resist when needed. That will only happen when we stand up to the very power keeping us dismarginalized. We would like to thank our community organizations, leaders, and members for their assistance and conversations in order to organize this legendary statement of resistance led by trans women of color and sisTers PGH, a community organization focused on advocacy, safety, shelter, and permanent housing for our transgender and non-binary community in Western Pennsylvania. The march is scheduled for Sunday, June 11th at 1:00 PM, directly after the EQT Equality March. We will NOT get in the way of other organizations as they march to represent their organizations and we recognize that these organizations have also paid a significant amount to march. We believe that our Pride should not cost as much, and that the money raised for Pride should be put directly back into the community: EVERY PENNY! We have time now to plan for next year so that every nonprofit, charity, LLC, or fiscally sponsored organization will receive a donation after Pride festivities from money raised. Directly following the march, there will be a Block Party hosted by our very own LGBTQIA+ Advisory Council Of Pittsburgh. It will take place at Market Square in downtown Pittsburgh, again on June 11th 2017. The Block Party is a free event; any organization is welcome to table at the Block Party and it is open to all of our community to attend. Please contact ciora.thomas@sisterspgh.org for more information, or check out the LGBTQIA+ Advisory Council of Pittsburgh’s Facebook Page as this is a separate event from the march. We look forward to seeing our community resist as Pittsburgh does best! This affects our LGBTQIA+ community and our community as a whole, so we hope to see everyone in the street on June 11 to say no to corporatization of Pride, environmental degradation, and white supremacy. Thank you for your attention and dedication to making our community safe and truly intersectional. SisTers PGH