Organizers of the annual Pride festivals in at least three Canadian cities are doing what many activist groups have been calling on Prides around the world to do: endorse Palestinian solidarity boycott lists and commit to divesting from certain corporate sponsors with ties to Israel amidst the ongoing war in Gaza.
This week, organizers of Pride festivals in St. John’s, Newfoundland; Fredericton, New Brunswick; and Charlottetown, P.E.I., announced that they have ditched several corporate sponsors named on the boycott lists. And St. John’s Pride and Fredericton Pride have named local Palestinian solidarity groups in their respective cities as grand marshals of their Pride parades, both of which will take place on July 21.
The decision comes in the wake of a movement around the world calling on Pride organizers to divest from corporate sponsors that are named on Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions lists. Copenhagen Pride in Denmark has already announced that they will critically examine all sponsors’ links to Israel and Palestine, and last weekend, Palestinian solidarity protesters disrupted the Toronto Pride parade with calls for similar action.
Senior editor Mel Woods breaks down what you need to know about the movement in Canada.
Why you can trust Xtra
