Laura Harvey of Counterfire reports from San Fransisco:'The most extravagant floats were sponsored by big banks – glittering on the streets which on any other day are the homes of people who have nothing but the items in the shopping trolley they are pushing. The bankers' crisis is hitting the US hard, where the public sector faces draconian cuts, and where the welfare system is unable to provide support for many people living below the poverty line.
As pride parades in many countries become part of the establishment, the message of system change gets replaced by one of individual expression through consumption. We are what we buy. We buy what we are.
Such an individualised model of sexual liberation will only ever deliver freedom for the few. It does not take into account the structural ways that LGBT people are oppressed differently across axes of racism, sexism and class discrimination. We should fight for a world in which we all have freedom. This bank-sponsored liberation on offer through consumption is reserved for those who can afford the price tag of pride.'
Read more HERE.
Laura's article is part of Counterfire's series of special features to co-incide with London's LGBT Pride tomorrow. See:
Sky Yarlett and Lola Sparkle, Pride: Too high a price for our protest?
Peter Sehmer, Civil Partnerships: another form of discrimination?
Dan Poulton, Cameron's Tories: new politics, old nasty
Bernard Goyer, Film review: Milk
I also recommend The Sauce's article on the politics of Pride
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