8 June, 2023
Dear Members of St. John's Pride and the Community,
We, the new board of directors for St. John's Pride, want to address recent events that have upset our community.
During the Annual General Meeting (AGM), a departing board member made the unfortunate choice to remove individuals from the meeting. We understand this hurt people deeply and broke their trust.
We also know that this incident has upset organizations in our city who advocate to eradicate racism and hate, and they are unhappy with St. John's Pride. We want to be clear that we stand with these movements and strongly condemn racism and discrimination.
We understand that it takes time to rebuild trust, and we are committed to do just that. We encourage open conversation and value feedback from our community as we work towards creating an environment that respects and values everyone's voices.
Over the past 11 days, as we reached out to our community, one thing has become abundantly clear: there is a lot of pain that we need to work through together. This pain is so intense that some have suggested dissolving St. John's Pride as an organization. However, we firmly believe that taking such a step would not benefit our community or help us move forward.
Our vision for St. John's Pride is to be a place of acceptance, celebration, and unity. We believe that by learning from mistakes, healing the wounds caused by this incident, we can create a stronger, more inclusive Pride organization.
People within the 2SLGBTQ+ community and their allies continue to experience threats, hate, and hostility. That's why it's incredibly important for us to come together, find support, and build a strong sense of community.
We encourage all members of our community, and our allies, to be there for all of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and for the 2023 St. John’s Pride Festival happening from the 9th to the 23rd of July, 2023. Being for those who are advocating to move our society towards equity and equality for all and standing up against the hate and divisiveness targeted at marginalised people we will achieve a more inclusive society, and a safer community for us all to live within.
Thank you for your ongoing support, understanding, and dedication to the values that bring us together.
Sincerely,
St. John’s Pride Board
The St John's Pride festival is July 9 - 23; as of June 14, their website does not currently have a schedule of events.
