Racism & Oppression
Racial justice issues are fundamental to InterPride. Our work aims to reflect this commitment.
Check out the 2022 report from InterPride’s Human Rights & Diversity Committee!
As Pride organizers, racism and oppression are key areas of concern.
There is often uncertainty about what constitutes racism, unconscious bias, prejudice, micro-aggression, oppression, colorism, and colonialism and how these are interconnected. The ability to understand and learn about these issues helps us become inclusive leaders while creating a safer space for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.
To support this commitment, in October 2021, we launched the Racism & Oppression Awareness Program (ROAP).
ROAP includes:
- InterPride Anti-Racism Statement (Click Here)
- Webinars and Ted-Talks style live sessions
- Reading materials and other resources
- Social media posts with stories and videos
Topics within the focus of ROAP include:
- Understanding racism and oppression around the world
- Violence faced by transgender and gender-nonconforming people of color
- Immigrants in the European Union
- Colorism, the caste system, and discrimination in Asia
- Working with Indigenous communities
- Police brutality and police engagement
- Working towards more inclusive leadership on the Boards of Pride organizations
- How can Pride organizers be at the forefront of racial justice, inclusion, and creating a safe space for BIPOC individuals?
Programs produced through ROAP are delivered throughout the year to raise awareness and educate Pride organizers worldwide. These initiatives are promoted on our social media platforms. Through these efforts, we hope to contribute to progressive change within the global LGBTQIA+ community. If you are interested in contributing content to the ROAP initiative, please contact us!
Official Statement
As an organization representing the global LGBTQIA+ Pride movement, InterPride acknowledges that our community is no stranger to the systemic racism against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, shown starkly through some forms of violence in their daily lives.
Over the last 50 years of the LGBTQIA+ movement-building, the violence against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color – especially Black trans women – undeniably demonstrates ongoing structural systems of oppression and racism added to the unjust police brutality, reminding us that our work is far from done.
InterPride is committed to supporting the global Black Lives Matter movement during this critical time and doing the hard work required to address all marginalized people’s injustices within our organization and communities face. To make these actions concrete with long-term impacts that will bring change within our organization and beyond, we will launch our Racism and Oppression Awareness Program in November. Additionally, we have committed to direct donations received through Global Pride 2020 to support anti-racism programs by Pride organizations worldwide.
We all understand that we need to be part of the solution. As we continue to work toward our vision of a world where there is full cultural, social, and legal equality, we believe this moment is especially critical. We must form broad coalitions committed to addressing the deep forms of structural racism that persistently manifest as forms of violence against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
We hold our entire Board accountable and urge every member of our committees to take concrete actions by building and setting up anti-racism, anti-oppression, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion training and educational resources. We commit to providing education to our membership organizations, partner organizations, friends, families, and communities about unconscious bias and institutionalized racism. We will persistently be the people in the room that call attention to issues of social injustice.
We call Pride organizations worldwide to join this movement and take the steps needed to end systemic racism.
Leave no one behind!
#blacklivesmatter