[Fdu] Equity Cttee at Enviro Studies/York U on BLM-TO at Pride

[Cynthia Wright]

_Honouring Black Leadership: The Equity Committee at the Faculty of 
Environmental Studies at York University Thanks Black Lives Matter Toronto_

The Equity Committee at the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York 
University expresses gratitude to BLMTO for their leadership in 
revitalizing social movements across the city. On 3 July 2016, their 
successful action at Pride Toronto won increased spaces and resources 
for queer and trans Black, Indigenous and people of colour, including 
Black Queer Youth, Blockorama/Blackness Yes!, as well as increased ASL 
interpreting. It also won the promise to remove armed and uniformed 
police from the parade in order to make Pride events safer for all 
LGBTQ2S people, including those from communities that are frequently 
profiled and criminalized.

We are disappointed by Pride director Mathieu Chantelois’ apparent 
back-pedalling on these promises, and the ensuing harmful backlash 
against BLM activists in the press, social media and among Toronto city 
councillors, who are currently attempting to legislate Toronto Police 
Service’s participation in the Toronto Pride parade. This active 
withdrawal of solidarity from the Black Lives Matter movement comes at a 
time when Black communities are mourning massive loss of Black lives and 
are fearful for their safety. In the week after Pride alone, there have 
been at least seven killings at the hands of police and civilians. We 
urge politicians, police and opinion makers to respect the autonomy of 
sexual and social justice movements, which are not up for state control 
and legislation. We urge Pride Toronto to respect their honoured guests, 
remember their commitments, show public accountability to their members 
and communities, and honour the histories that have brought us Pride.

These histories, like those of so many social movements, are shaped by 
Black leadership. As the Equity Committee at the Faculty of 
Environmental Studies, we owe our existence and success to the work of 
many generations of Black students and colleagues at York, who have 
fearlessly drawn attention to racial profiling and anti-Black racism on 
campus, the failures in recruiting and retaining Black, Indigenous and 
people of colour students, the inaccessibility of many of our programmes 
and facilities, the underrepresentation of Black and Indigenous faculty 
at York and at FES, and the problematic role of the University in the 
Jane and Finch neighbourhood.

Like Pride Toronto, the Equity Committee is indebted to our Black 
leaders, who have undertaken countless actions for equity under the most 
life-negating circumstances, often without receiving much support or 
reciprocity from non-Black people and communities, who are the 
beneficiaries of affirmative action and other gains. We affirm here and 
now that this leadership keeps all of us vigilant to the haunting 
presence and ugly consequences of injustice and inspires us to do the 
hard work that is needed to overcome it. We therefore support the 
courage and strength of students at York and elsewhere, and all those 
who work alongside them in BLM.

Now BLM are modelling to us what an accessible, accountable and 
transformative community that equitably distributes resources and power 
along intersectional lines looks like. In March and April 2016, this 
took the shape of the hugely successful two-week Tent City Occupation, 
which drew Torontonians’ attention to the police killings of Andrew Loku 
and Jermaine Carby, the erasure of Black spaces in the city, and the 
ongoing practice of racial profiling. In addition to being an effective 
site of intervention, Tent City was a queer-positive site of education, 
healing and community building, which showcased the best of racial, 
sexual, economic and healing justice.

We endorse all of BLMTO’s demands. We remind everyone that all of us 
benefit from their commitment to make our world just and safe for all. 
We also call attention to their demands for sexual and social justice 
spaces that affirm Black people’s lives and safety, and which are free 
of armed and uniformed police. We appeal to Pride Toronto and others in 
the city to acknowledge these lessons from BLMTO, and to treat this 
crucial movement with the respect that it deserves.

Black Lives Matter, Blockorama/Blackness Yes! and BQY’s Demands of Pride:

·Continued space, including stage and tents, funding and logistical 
support for Black Queer Youth.

·Self-determination for all community spaces at Pride, allowing 
community groups full control over hiring, content and structure of 
their stages.

·Full and adequate funding for community stages, including logistical, 
technical and personnel support.

·Doubling of funding for Blockorama to $13,000.

·Reinstatement of the South Asian stage.

·Prioritizing of the hiring of Black transwomen, Indigenous people and 
others from vulnerable communities at Pride Toronto.

·More Black deaf and hearing sign language interpreters for the festival.

·Removal of police floats in the Pride marches and parades.

·A town hall organized in conjunction with groups from marginalized 
communities, including but not limited to Black Lives Matter – Toronto, 
Blackness Yes and Black Queer Youth, in six months, where Pride Toronto 
will present an update and action plan on BLM-TO’s demands.


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