Monday, 17 August 2009

Shakedown Artists

It seems Brighton Pride are facing unwelcome economic realities this year:
Yvonne Barker, of Brighton Pride, said: "The message is clear - if we are unable to raise sufficient funds to cover the expected shortfall, we will need to seriously scale back next year's Pride festivities and reduce the support we are able to give to local LGBT community groups."

She added: "While many enjoy Pride as a free event, it costs us more than £300,000 to stage.

"We are a charity and rely on the generosity of local businesses and individuals, who raise much needed funds.

"However, the truth is that there are many more businesses in the city - both straight and LGBT-run - that benefit enormously from the Pride festivities and yet contribute nothing towards the running costs.

"We will be approaching those businesses for donations, as well as going back to our traditional supporters for help."
Good luck with that idea...

6 comments:

Dr Melvin T Gray said...

Islam may be at the cutting edge of imaginative venues for these annual flaunts.

James Higham said...

I don't understand all this Pride stuff. Does that mean gay pride, like the Nottinghill thing?

JuliaM said...

Yup, it is indeed Gay Pride.

Edwin Greenwood said...

And in Brighton too, the gay capital of the UK. Things must be bad.

Perhaps they should try a variant of the Indian Eunuch Trick and send out teams of trannies to stand outside non-contributing businesses and bitch loudly until the proprietors are embarrassed into paying.

JuliaM said...

You know, I think firing off a salvo in the MSM is the UK equivalent of just those tactics...

Mark Wadsworth said...

Hang about, these festivals attract people to the area who spend money, so it may well be in the retailers' interests to subsidise them.