Fighting within LGBTQ community blamed for festival cancellation

Why pride festival was cancelled Infighting led to the cancellation of this June’s festival and parade. CTV Edmonton’s David Ewasuk reports.

Edmonton Pride Parade organizers are blaming fighting between different groups within the LGBTQ community for the cancellation of the festival.

In an email obtained by CTV News, the society said, “In light of the current political and social environment, it has been determined that any attempt to host a Festival will not be successful.”

The society said it was given a list of demands by the groups Shades of Colour and Rarica Now, who represent Indigenous, black and people of colour in the queer and Trans community.

“We need an inclusive pride,” RaricaNow spokesperson Adebayo Katiiti said, “asking them to apologize for what they’re doing, asking them to write a statement acknowledging and outlining what they are doing. I don’t see that as a big deal.”

Some of the demands included reorganizing the structure of the event and opening with a protest led by both groups and its allies, and to rework the budget to provide both groups with $20,000 each to help them create spaces for themselves.

A member of the pride society spoke to CTV News anonymously on Thursday morning out of fear of retaliation, saying the demands became too much.

“I was heartbroken that we had reached this point because there was a sense of failure,” the member said.

“I just think the demands showed a lack of understanding or a huge desire for the festival society to be something it's not.”

Mayor Don Iveson says the city has already heard from other groups interested in taking on the Edmonton Pride Festival after the event was cancelled on Wednesday.

“We'll get creative and try to facilitate something that is safe and something that is inclusive if the community is able to bring a proposal forward,” Iveson said Thursday.

Iveson also indicated that the city would celebrate pride week, with or without the festival.