Christopher Street West, the nonprofit behind L.A. Pride, dropped out of the event after a permit application to the L.A. police department drew backlash on social media.
The All Black Lives Matter solidarity march will continue — but without L.A. Pride, the latter's organizer, Christopher Street West, announced on Monday. The organization previously faced backlash after a permit application to the Los Angeles Police Department and penned by a CSW representative for the All Black Lives Matter event was shared on social media.
Event producer Jeff Consoletti penned the permit letter, but later withdrew from the demonstration — meant to protest police brutality against Black people — after he came under fire for stressing a "strong and unified partnership with law enforcement." In his departing statement, Consoletti said that CSW "assured me they had the support of the Black queer community for their event, but it has become clear that is not entirely the case."
CSW explained its decision to drop out in a subsequent statement. "We recognize systemic racism, implicit bias and privilege permeates this country, and this includes the history of our organization. We hope to see progress and start with change from within," the statement said in part. "With that, CSW/L.A. Pride will no longer be involved in organizing what will now be known as the All Black Lives Matter march on Sunday, June 14, 2020, but we are in full support. We will be there and hope the LGBTQ+ community will as well."
The statement continued, "The CSW Board members who conceived the idea for the march began speaking with Black LGBTQ+ leaders and organizations in advance of the announcement, however they had not been able to align directly with Black Lives Matter leaders prior to the announcement. For that, we apologize to the Black Lives Matter organizers. Conversations did continue and grew to later include leaders from Black Lives Matter LA, and subsequently an Advisory Board of Black LGBTQ+ leaders has formed to lead the upcoming All Black Lives Matter solidarity march."
CSW had previously postponed its typical in-person June events due to the COVID-19 pandemic — but later announced plans for a solidarity march following the death of George Floyd and the resulting international Black Lives Matter protests, demanding justice for not only Floyd but other Black people who have also died due to police brutality. The June 14 All Black Lives Matter march will proceed from Hollywood to West Hollywood.
The march's Black advisory board is comprised of Gerald Garth (Garth Management Group), LLC Brandon Anthony (B.A.S.H LA), Pastor Sammie Haynes (Vision Church Los Angeles), Paul Scott (LA Black LGBTQ Movement), Princess Murray (Compton Pride), Dr. Christopher Jackon (Black Lives Matter Los Angeles), Stacy Alford (MPH), Yuriel “Miss. Shalae” Young (The Glasswing Group), and Blossom Brown.
For more information about the All Black Lives Matter march, click here. See CSW's full statement regarding its departure from the event below.
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