'People are getting really angry about what’s happening'
Three artists have pulled out of Manchester Pride in response to the event’s main sponsor - with protests also planned to take place during the weekend of the festival.
As a result of the sponsorship, The Bollywitch and Felix Mufti, who were both due to perform during Friday’s Trans Filth and Joy section, have withdrawn their scheduled appearances at the Pride event. Dan Chan, who had been set to perform during the Queer Asian Takeover on Saturday, has also pulled out.
“My decision was solely based on the fact that I’ve seen a lot of Pride events sponsored by organisations that are affiliated in some way with what is happening in Palestine,” The BollyWitch explained. "A lot of us are speaking up about it but it does feel like Manchester Pride are trying to go the other way rather than listening to us. I feel like they have really missed the mark about this.
“It’s such a shame because Manchester Pride is such an iconic part of queer culture in the city and I don’t want it to be the case where that goes down the drain because of poor decisions.” “We don't want Manchester Pride to fail, we just want to help drive it in a way that puts the community back at the heart of it - that was the precedent that we set last time,” organiser Will said. “I know that a lot of artists can't necessarily withdraw from appearing at Pride because they rely on it and don't have a lot of other work at the moment, and it's important to say that this is being done with the intention of pressuring a response from the organisers themselves.
What Manchester Pride and Booking.com have said David McGovern, the Chair of Trustees at Manchester Pride said: “The team at Manchester Pride stands in solidarity with all those suffering from the devastating war in Gaza and all the innocent people subjected to violence in Palestine and Israel. At our core, we value liberation and believe nobody’s free until everybody’s free.
LGBTQ+ LGBTQ+ Rights Gay Village Festivals Israel-Hamas War
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Guardiola has a major Man City gripe no-one is solvingManchester City have 14 players at Euro 2024 ahead of a packed 2024-25 domestic season
Read more »
Donegal Rally 2024: All you need to know about the 2024 eventWith top driver, tricky stages and stunning scenery, BBC Sport NI takes a look at what makes the Donegal International Rally special.
Read more »
Euro 2024: England fan bailed following disorder ahead of Euro 2024 opener against SerbiaAn England football fan has been bailed by a court following trouble at the Euro tournament in Germany.
Read more »
Euro 2024: England fan bailed following disorder ahead of Euro 2024 opener against SerbiaAn England football fan has been bailed by a court following trouble at the Euro tournament in Germany.
Read more »
Ten Euro 2024-based Premier League predictions for the 2024/25 seasonWe've done ten Premier League predictions for next season based on what we've seen at Euro 2024. Rasmus Hojlund will warm the bench for Man Utd.
Read more »
London Pride 2024: Date, timings, parade route and weather forecastOver one million people are expected at the event, which is free to attend and whose theme this year is 'Embracing Every Shade'
Read more »