NYC Pridefest 2007 Denied Permit

The Pride Week 2007 (June 17-24) festival has been denied a permit by New York City to hold festivities in Chelsea and instead is being asked to hold the event in the small, cramped, "unsafe" West Village neighborhood. Although PRIDE itself has not been canceled, the entire street festival will not be held this year, for the first time in 16 years. The Rally, The March, Rapture & Dance on the Pier are all still scheduled as planned, but this seems like a major message from New York City about the importance of LGBTQ visibility.

From Heritage of Pride's website:
"Heritage of Pride’s (HOP) decision to cancel PRIDEfest (PF) is grounded on our belief that we must provide a SAFE, ACCESSIBLE festival for the ENTIRE Community.

Canceling PF was decided after much discussion and voting in favor of cancellation at the PRIDEfest Event Committee-level and HOP Executive Board-level. A motion was then presented to HOP’s General Membership who is our final decision-making body, and who after more discussion, voted 14 (in favor), 4 (against), and 1 (abstention) to cancel this year’s PF event.

In making this decision we heard from some individuals who expressed their sadness and anger about HOP’s proposal to cancel this particular Pride event (1 out of 5 events which we produce) this year. Others expressed their outrage that The City was denying a permit less than 2 months before the event was to happen. These individuals voiced support of cancellation, seeking massive, angry public protests, as well as continued behind-the-scenes negotiations. HOP was also advised by our Treasurer and Business Manager about how the cancellation of PF would effect HOP and all the events we produce financially, while still expressing their personal support for cancellation.

HOP and our partnering organizations and businesses plan to mobilize all LGBT, Chelsea, political, media and other community resources available in support of PF leading up to Pride Week, during Pride Week, and after Pride Week to insure that we get a permit for a day and location where we want our PF festival to be. Please note: We have been told that HOP’s canceling of this year’s PF will not keep us from applying for a permit for this year (which we do not plan to use) or next year.

Given an ultimatum by The Mayor’s Office that PF would only be given a permit for Sunday, June 24th for Washington Street in the West Village (i.e. the day of the LGBT Pride March), HOP had no other choice but to cancel PF for the following reasons:

• PUBLIC SAFETY:
  Hundreds of thousands of people already at PF, and arriving from the March should not be crammed into the narrow, potholed and unevenly paved Washington street (and tiny side streets) of the West Village. It is only a matter of time before something sets off a stampede that will seriously injure many people.
  
• ACCESSIBILITY for SENIORS, DISABLED & PARENTS w/ SMALL CHILDREN:
  PRIDE events should be welcoming to everyone in our community. A massively overcrowded event is a major deterrent to participation by these LGBT communities in particular. Even if the streets were wider and smoothly paved, Washington Street is inaccessible by pubic transportation and keeps the physically-challenged from enjoying Pride like the majority of able-bodied folk.
  
• COMMITMENT MADE to CHELSEA’S BUSINESSES:
  HOP made a commitment to the LGBT-supportive businesses of Chelsea to do PF there (which was based on unanimous Community Board support welcoming our event). These 8th Avenue businesses and cultural institutions have already made a financial commitment in expecting PF to happen there. All would be less willing to support HOP through event participation, sponsorship, advertising and fundraising events in the future if HOP appears to be just looking out for our own financial interests now in going back to our old location.
  
• LACK of VOLUNTEERS DAY-OF:
  HOP has never gotten the numbers of volunteers necessary to do three (3) major Pride events on the same Sunday. PF loses out on attracting volunteers a) because folks hate the ugly, crowded Washington Street location; b) because The March is politically more important, and c) because The Dance is more beautiful and fun. Last year only 12 volunteers total worked PF which led to our first volunteer dying of a heart attack at PF due to an unknown heart condition, over-enthusiasm for his first Pride AND being overworked.
  
• DECREASING LGBT GROUPS & BUSINESSES PARTICIPATING:
  The last several years more LGBT groups and businesses are forced – by lack of their own volunteers – to only do The March, not PF. Many have told us that they hate Washington Street and will no longer participate. Why do a PF this year where more exhibitors will be non-LGBT ‘street fair’ vendors selling the same cheap merchandise which other fairs have? In comparison to The Rally in Bryant Park, The March on 5th Avenue, and both our women’s and men’s Dances on Pier 54, PF will once again be viewed in an embarrassing light by the majority of our LGBT community and the media.
  
• THERE’S NO PRIDE BEING FORCED BACK INTO A DARK, DANK CLOSET!
  For too long LGBT community members have taken our Pride events for granted. The 15th Annual PRIDEfest in Chelsea was to be a re-birth of a beautiful, innovative community event involving folks of all ages and all sexual orientations. But it appears someone in the Mayor’s Office doesn’t want to see a stronger LGBT community partnering with supportive gay and straight businesses, cultural institutions and non-profit groups in Chelsea!

Remember the purpose of Pride events. They are first and foremost an active, participatory commemoration of the Stonewall Riots which occurred in NYC in June 1969, and which launched the LGBT liberation movement around the world! Stand up for yourselves and for your rights (especially as taxpayers in this city). Protest this anti-LGBT decision of this Mayoral administration!"