Latest news with #PrideParade
CTV News
18 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Saskatoon's Mayor on feeling safe downtown
Saskatoon's Mayor on feeling safe downtown Mayor Cynthia Block talks about downtown safety concerns, and this weekend's Pride Parade
Black America Web
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
104: What An Angel Number Between Freedom And Fire Reveals About Black And Queer Survival
Source: David Espejo / Getty If you spend enough time around me, you'll hear me proudly say I was born and raised in North Omaha, Nebraska. To be Black in a place like Omaha is to wrestle for your identity. To craft your Blackness with care. You build it from scratch, from what's handed down and what's taken back. For me, that journey wasn't limited to my Blackness. It was the same when it came to queerness and to my identity as a Black trans woman. But here's the trick: society made queerness seem more accessible. Nobody told me the fine print came stamped in whiteness. That so much of queerness—as it's marketed and magnified—was filtered through white supremacy. That embracing that version of queerness could, in fact, dull the brilliance of my Black joy. I'll never forget the year when the Juneteenth Parade and the Pride Parade fell on the same day in my city. It was a crossroads. For many Black queer folks, there wasn't a question; they chose Juneteenth. I was there too, but that wasn't because I didn't love Pride. I had done my time. I'd been president of Pride, and built Youth Pride from the ground up. I had fought for Pride when it didn't fight for me. I had done the work of making space for my queerness. That day, I was finally making space for my Blackness. What I witnessed, though, was deeper. I saw younger queer folks—especially those partnered with non-Black people—being pulled between two identities that, in a just world, would never require a choice. That day didn't just symbolize a scheduling conflict. It symbolized the dailytightrope walk so many Black queer people perform in this country: to choose between being seen and being whole. Let's be honest; in many Black-centered institutions, queerness is welcome only when it plays small. To be embraced as queer, you often have to downplay what makes you different and keep your queerness at the bottom of your identity list. Because at the end of the day, you're Black first, right? Source: Olga Tsikarishvili / Getty But flip it. In most mainstream queer spaces, you're expected to check your Blackness at the door—unless that Blackness fits a stereotype or serves as a costume. Unless it entertains. Unless it's for consumption. So I need you to hear me when I say, it is not an accident that Juneteenth and Pride exist in the same month. It is not a coincidence that our most powerful Black changemakers were also queer. It is not by chance that the intersection of Blackness and queerness continues to be a birthplace for brilliance, resistance, and transformation. This is divine alignment. Now, I know I'm preaching to folks who feel me. But let me be clear: I write this not just for affirmation; I write this for the Black folks who don't see the world like I do. Not because your perception will limit my freedom, but because none of us are free if we believe we can get to the other side and leave our people behind. Especially the people who make us uncomfortable. Liberation isn't real if it's only for the versions of us that are palatable. White communities have spent the last 50 years mobilizing an agenda that has taken root in every corner of this country, and they didn't do it because they were all the same, or because they were all straight, or because they were all moral. They didn't do it because they agreed. They did it because they were all white. That was the only prerequisite. I'm not saying we should build coalitions based on scarcity and fear. Source: Michele Ursi / Getty I know that game. And I know the exhaustion it's bred in our communities. But we'd be foolish not to notice the power in what happens when people align, even amid difference. So let's look at what alignment has given us. On June 19, 1865, enslaved Black people in Texas were finally emancipated, triggering the birth of a freedom dream that gave us Michelle Obama on a float, Oprah commanding empires, Megan Thee Stallion reminding us we ain't got knees like we used to, and Brandy and Monica arguing over 'The Boy Is Mine.' It gave us Whitney. Mariah. Aretha. Patti. Jazmine. And 104 years later, on June 29, 1969, a Black Trans woman—Marsha P. Johnson—sparked a revolution at Stonewall that gave us TS Madison, the queen of media; Queen Latifah, a mogul and a mother; Laverne Cox, making Emmy history; Bayard Rustin, strategist to Dr. King; Nikki Giovanni, living her radical brilliance in real time; Miss Major, building a legacy of elder care for our community; Toni Bryce and Monroe Alise, reshaping television; A'Ziah 'Zola' King, whose Black girlhood became cinematic canon; and me—Dominique Morgan—who went from a prisonyard to walking down the street named after her in the same state. It was 104 years between June 19, 1865, the emancipation of the last enslaved Black people in Texas, and June 29, 1969, the night a Black Trans woman helped ignite a revolution at Stonewall. That gap isn't just historical. It's spiritual. In numerology, 104 is often seen as an Angel Number—a divine reminder to embrace change and align your actions with a higher purpose. It signals that transformation is not only possible; it's coming. It asks us to lean into discomfort with faith, to shift our mindset toward growth, and to recognize love as the connective tissue in our evolution. That's what alignment has always been — a form of divine choreography. We were always meant to be moving together—even when the rhythm was hard to hear. Source: Jackson State University / Getty You really wanna tell me we aren't aligned? Alignment doesn't mean we're the same. Alignment doesn't mean we never argue. Alignment doesn't mean it's easy. For me, alignment means that we are fighting harder to stay in tandem than we are eager to fall apart. That's the definition I want you to take from this piece. That's the call to action. That's the invitation. Because the world will give us 100 reasons to separate. They will whisper that your queerness disqualifies you. That your Blackness is too loud. That your transness is a liability. That your softness makes you weak. And all the while, they'll lie, steal, kill, and destroy, just to keep themselves aligned. As my Grandma Woodie used to say, 'Don't let the devil use you.' This Juneteenth, this Pride, I'm asking us to make a different choice. To honor our collective brilliance. To hold the line. To stay in tandem. To choose alignment—again and again and again. SEE ALSO: Pride Is Still Protest: World Pride in the Era of Trump 2.0 Kendrick Sampson's BLD PWR Teams Up With SisterSong And GBEF For Houston Juneteenth Event SEE ALSO 104: What An Angel Number Between Freedom And Fire Reveals About Black And Queer Survival was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
News24
2 days ago
- Business
- News24
New York pride launches ‘peer-to-peer campaign' as company funding declines amid Trump hostility
New York's pride parade has had a decline in corporate funding. The Trump administration attacked diversity, equity and inclusion policies in both government and the private sector. The parade will be held on 29 June. New York's pride parade, the highest-profile annual US LGBTQ gathering, is ramping up efforts to raise funds from individual community members, with corporate donations on the wane as Washington demonises diversity. Following US President Donald Trump's attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion policies in both government and the private sector, several companies have cancelled or curtailed their sponsorships of pride parades this year. NYC Pride's spokesperson Kevin Kilbride said 'just about 80% of the fundraising goal' for the city's largest pride parade group had been met. The parade itself will be held on 29 June and according to organisers could draw as many as two million attendees. 'That gap we're trying to fill with a community fundraising campaign. So in the middle of May, we launched a peer-to-peer campaign so folks can start their own fundraiser online, share it with their friends, and then have folks donate to that,' he said. The group was 'wanting to lean a little bit more into individual giving and support from the community', he said. The organisation behind the annual parade as well as several other community projects said it raised 'nearly $25 000 from almost 200 donors' in a matter of days. In years past, flamboyant floats sponsored by large corporations have paraded down Manhattan's Fifth Avenue alongside those organised by community groups. Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images And while many will still participate, some have quietly cut back their commitments. Muneer Panjwani, who runs Engage for Good, said 'there's been a massive pullback over the last year, specifically in corporations that have long supported pride events that have decided not to support anyone.' Panjwani's organisation connects companies to non-profits, and reports on the sums raised from 'checkout giving' - where consumers are given the option of donating while paying for goods in a store. 'While companies are pulling away their philanthropic dollars at the top level, from the bottom up, consumers are saying: 'We still care about this issue,'' he said. READ | Ghana pushes anti-LGBTQ+ bill as defence of 'family values' One of the most prominent brands that reportedly stepped back from its previously high-profile involvement with pride was discount department store Target. For a time, Target was reportedly asking to forego publicity and donate to New York Pride silently, but according to Kilbride, it has now reinstated its float at the parade. The retailer has come under fire and seen its share price dip after a boycott was organised online in response to it curtailing diversity programmes, citing 'the evolving external landscape'. 'We will continue to mark Pride Month... (by) sponsoring local events in neighbourhoods across the country,' a Target spokesperson told AFP. At Brooklyn's annual pride parade, progressive Democratic city councilman Chi Osse told AFP that 'pride started grassroots through community, and corporations bowing the knee at a president who thinks he's a king just shows us who they are to us.' Brooklyn's pride event is a smaller affair and has long been seen as a more radical gathering than its Manhattan sibling - albeit with a handful of its own corporate participants. John Senter/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images One of those leading the twilight parade's Sirens Women's Motorcycle Club contingent, Anya Glowa-Kollisch, said: 'It's great when companies are willing to say that they support equal rights.' 'But I think at the end of the day, it's a movement that's driven by people demanding their rights, and a lot of corporations just kind of do this because they think they should,' they said. 'So it's really valuable to have people in the community coming out and showing that this is who we are.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Labour MP says he's being 'intimidated by pro-Palestine protesters' who have hurled baked beans at him - and now the community 'is too scared to meet with him'
A Labour MP has claimed he is being threatened by a group of masked pro-Palestinian activists who have blocked his constituency offices and even thrown a can of baked beans at him. Luke Charters, the MP for York Outer, said the activists have 'charged' him with genocide and used 'intimidating methods' to pressure him over the war in Gaza. He said he has become a target in his home town and over the weekend, protesters with megaphones attempted to block entry to his office, scaring away his constituents. Mr Charters has also claimed protesters chanting 'Labour, Labour, genocide' threw a can of baked beans at him at York's Pride parade earlier this month. Meanwhile in March, he says he found scratches on his car after being followed by a group of activists following a local Labour conference. Mr Charters, whose wife Beth is due to give birth next week, described the events as 'serious and unsettling'. He told The Times: 'I'm trying to support Beth as much as I can but instead I'm forced to explain what are really serious and unsettling incidents that lead to emergency responses to protect my safety. 'I'm a father first and an MP second… no father should have to go through that.' Police are investigating all three incidents, but two cases have already been dropped to a lack of evidence, it has been reported. Mr Charters, who was first elected to the House of Commons at the general election last year, said the actions of the protesters were 'growing in intensity'. He also said they had 'crossed a line' with regard to any attempt at carrying out a peaceful demonstration. Mr Charters has insisted that the protesters have not changed his mind on Gaza and that they will not deter him from carrying out his duties as an MP. 'If these people think this is going to deter me, they're wrong. I've got an even stronger resolve to work harder for my constituents,' he added. Mr Charters's comments on the protests come after a new report revealed that half of MPs feel unsafe because of threats made by the public. Meanwhile, last year a damning dossier disclosed by The Telegraph revealed almost 40 incidents of MPs and councillors being 'intimidated' by pro-Palestine protesters. Mr Charters has backed the Government's position on the conflict in the Middle East, describing the level of suffering in Gaza as 'utterly intolerable'. He was also in favour of the decision to suspend talks on a trade deal with Israel last month. Sir Keir Starmer, however, has been under sustained pressure to take a harder stance on Israel - suspending all arms exports and recognising Palestine as a state. In a separate attack, he was also accused by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of 'emboldening Hamas'. Labour MP Luke Pollard - the Armed Forces minister - later flatly rejected Mr Netanyahu's remarks about Sir Keir. Mr Pollard told LBC: 'I don't agree with those comments. 'We condemn in the fullest possible terms the murder of the Israeli diplomats in the US. That is completely unacceptable. 'But the argument that we have been making about how we bring peace to Israel and to the Palestinians is with a restoration of the immediate ceasefire. 'With Hamas releasing the hostages without any further delay and for massive amounts of aid to get into Gaza to give the Palestinians the food, water and medical support that they need. 'Now that's an argument we've been making consistently, publicly, but also privately. 'We're going to continue doing that, because what we're seeing, the humanitarian situation in Gaza, is unacceptable. I think everyone will be able to see that that's unacceptable. 'We oppose Hamas. We oppose the awful atrocities they committed on 7th October, and that is the reason why we want to see peace. 'The only way to achieve that two-state solution that is good for Israelis and Palestinians alike is a restoration of the ceasefire, the hostages released and aid delivered to the people who really need it.' Mr Pollard also stressed that Britain stood with Israel in their right to self defence, 'but that self defence must be conducted within the bounds of international humanitarian law'.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
No Kings protest surpasses records to become largest in U.S history — Trump admin rattled by scale
A huge protest called 'No Kings' happened across the U.S. on June 14. It was against President Donald Trump's second-term policies, which many say are too strict and authoritarian. People protested in all 50 states and in over 2,000 cities. The protest is now believed to be the biggest in U.S. history. Estimates say 4 to 6 million people joined the protests. That's about 1–2% of the U.S. population. The protests happened on the same day as Trump's 79th birthday and a big military parade in Washington, D.C. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said over 5 million people joined more than 2,100 rallies. Move On, a political group, also supported the 5 million number in an email. Jeremy Pressman from Harvard and UConn said it will take more time to confirm the numbers, as per the USA TODAY report. Trump's team downplayed the protests. His Communications Director Steven Cheung claimed 250,000 people went to the parade, and called the protests a 'complete failure.' Historical significance & size These protests were larger than the 2017 Women's March, and arguably the largest ever in U.S. history. Attendance estimates held firm at 4–6 million. In comparison, Hands Off protests (April 5) drew 3–5 million across 1,400 locations, still behind 'No Kings', as per The Independent, The Nation and Wikipedia. Live Events What were the protests about? People were upset about Trump's immigration raids, especially in Los Angeles where Trump sent 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines, even though the California Governor Gavin Newsom didn't agree. Many think Trump's second term is much harsher than his first. Since January, there have been 15,000 protests, which is 3 times more than at this point in his first term, as per the Morris report. Protest in cities Los Angeles police used tear gas and batons because some people threw rocks and fireworks. New York City 50,000 people protested, as per New York Post report. In Boston the 'No Kings' protest joined the Pride Parade. Up to 1 million people are expected. Northern Virginia a man drove an SUV into a protest crowd, hurting at least one person. In Minnesota all protests were cancelled after a shooter attacked local lawmakers. Sheriff Wayne Ivey from Brevard County, Florida, gave a scary press conference warning protesters, if you throw a brick or firebomb, police will kill you. If you hit or spit on a cop, you'll go to hospital and jail and might get bit by police dogs. If you block roads, you'll go to jail. He said, "We're not going to play". As per the report by Independent. FAQs Q1. Why did people protest in the 'No Kings' march? People protested against Trump's second-term policies, especially immigration raids and his increasing power. Q2. How many people joined the 'No Kings' protests? Around 4 to 6 million people marched across the U.S., making it the biggest protest in American history.
