The Greens have expressed their disappointment that Pride WA continues to have Woodside as one of their major sponsors.
In a letter to Pride WA, Greens leader Dr Brad Pettit has called on the organisers of Western Australia’s annual PrideFEST to reconsider their association with the resource company.
“We implore board members of Pride WA to break their ties with the fossil fuel companies that are driving the climate crisis.”
“Corporations like Woodside are using events, like the WA Pride Parade, to buy a social licence for their climate-wrecking activities.
Our WA community is aware of the impact of the climate crisis, and many in our community looked on in horror at the devastating floods that have been happening across the east coast of Australia.
“The climate crisis has the greatest impact on people with lower incomes and those in marginalised groups including our LGBTQIA+ community, First Nations People, and disabled people.
“We appreciate that last year Pride WA decided to only accept sponsors if they are supporting their LGBTQIA+ employees. We are now asking you to take the next step, and only accept sponsors from organisations who are promoting the wellbeing of our community.
“Fossil Fuel corporations, including Woodside, are making a profit for the super-rich at the expense of the working-class community advocates that have formed the backbone of the LGBTQIA+ community for decades.
“Other West Australian community events, including the Perth Festival, are moving away from sponsorship by fossil fuel companies. Pride month is a fabulous celebration of our community and how far we have come, but we cannot claim to be building a future for all of us if we endanger our most vulnerable.
“We implore you to be in solidarity with our community and use your power and influence to prioritise the protection of our environment, a safe climate, First Nations heritage, and
our futures.”
The letter sent to Pride WA was co-signed by federal Greens members Senator Dorinda Cox and Senator Joron Steele-John. The Greens Pride Working Group Co-Conveners Bee Haker and River Clarke are also signatories.
While PrideWA recieved the letter late last month, they did not respond to the concern until OUTinPerth received a copy of the letter.
Pride President Curtis Ward responds to the concern
“Thank you for reaching out and raising your concern with us directly. We appreciate that you forwarded Pride WA the opportunity to engage in a discussion with you and for opening the door to hopefully collaborate on improving how our organisation serves our community.
“I apologise for the delay in responding to your letter. No doubt you are aware that November is Pride month in Western Australia and, inherently, a very busy time for the organisation. Further, I am sure you are aware the organisation’s operations team consists of a 0.8 FTE and, otherwise, a small team of volunteers.
“We have had a very successful festival thus far, including the staging of Fairday this past Sunday, 13 November 2022 where we are confident we surpassed last years’ attendance rates of 20,000 people.
“I would like to share my appreciation for the support and participation of The Greens at that event. We are also working hard to stage the Pride Parade this coming Saturday, 26 November 2022, where our small team will be hosting an even large number of participants and attendees.
“Pride WA shares your concerns with regards to the climate change. Our board acknowledges that our organisation, like all other organisations, corporations, political parties and other entities, needs to be better at promoting change and tackling this crisis. I can confirm that Pride WA is committed to making those changes.
“Whilst we would like to see those changes made overnight, unfortunately, changes such as these do take time. Over the past few years, Pride WA has been working towards bringing its operations into line with its own ethics and the ethical expectations of the community it represents. I am proud to say we have already implemented substantial changes and made significant progress in that short period of time.
“You have mentioned in your letter one example of those changes. In 2021 and 2022, we have worked to ensure the ethical charter and the practices of our corporate sponsors in so far as their approach towards the LGBTQIA+ community are in-line with what our community’s reasonable expectations. In doing so, we have taken a stance that we will not allow corporations to use a sponsorship agreement with Pride WA as a tokenistic badge of approval but must instead be deserving of such partnership.
“Over the same time period, we have partnered with Living Proud to make our events accessible to the community. Through this partnership, we have been able to improve accessibility at the 2021 Fairday and Pride Parade, as well as at this years’ Fairday. And, we are continuing to work together to improve plans for this years’ Pride Parade. Living Proud has been of great assistance to Pride WA and the quality of the events we run, helping to make our advertising material and information, performances and events in general more accessible for all people.
“We were also delighted to introduce the inaugural First Nations ‘float’ into last years’ Pride Parade, and will be including this float again in the 2022 parade. The First Nations ‘float’ a collaborative entry where first nation people are invited to walk at the head of the parade.
“In prior years, the First Nations people were represented by various organisations and individuals were required to be a part of or connected to those organisations to walk with those entries. We see the First Nations ‘float’ as a much more inclusive and accessible options for LGBTQIA+ identifying First Nations people.
“We hope the above examples show you that we are committed to progressive and appropriate change. We also hope you see that whilst we may not currently be meeting your expectations with regards to combatting climate change, this should not be construed as a disregard for the same but rather a target we are still working towards with the resources available to us.
“In saying this, we would be greatly appreciative of your assistance with regards to securing alternative resources so that PrideFEST can continue in future years. The staging of events such as the Pride Parade and Fairday are extremely costly. A cost which has only continued to increase over the past few years with increases in health requirements arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic, increases in safety requirements arising out of ongoing terrorist concerns, and increased costs caused by general inflation, to name a few.
“The situation is such that without funding the Pride Parade, Fairday and PrideFEST would not exist. When I was first elected on the management committee of Pride WA 6 years ago, the previous years’ Fairday had been cancelled and it was not intended for a Fairday to be staged in 2017 due to insufficient resources. This very recent history should serve as a reminder and warning of the consequences arising from a lack of resources.
“Fortunately, the 2017 committee were able to design and action a plan that saw Fairday go ahead that year, albeit on a smaller scale than before. The Pride WA committee has worked to continue to grow the organisation to the point where we have just staged the largest Fairday in Pride WA history.
“Of course, an organisation and Pride WA should not simply accept funding from just anyone who is willing to give it to achieve its goals. Whilst events like Fairday can have significant impacts on many, particularly those in disadvantage circumstances, we must balance these positive impacts against the negative consequences of our actions. The Pride WA committee is conscious of this balancing act and will continue work towards the positives impacts greatly outweighing the negative, as I hope the actions we have taken that I have set out in this letter go to show.
“Please note, the above comments are not intended to discredit the 2016 committee or the committees from the years immediately prior to this. I acknowledge a lot of the changes implemented over the past 6 years have been built on the strong foundations those committees created and would not have been possible without their hard work and ingenuity of those committees.
“On behalf of the 2022 Pride WA committee, I thank you again for opening this communication with us and look forward to discussing this matter with you further after the PrideFEST celebrations have ended.” Curtis Ward said.
OIP Staff
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