Imtiaz Popat

by Imtiaz Popat

Protesters disrupted the Vancouver Pride Parade for pinkwashing by accepting sponsorship from the TD Bank.

by Imtiaz Popat

New West Pride has stopped Pinkwashing. They join Burnaby, Surrey, Delta, Chilliwack and Coquitlam Pride in stop Pinkwashing. Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver Pride continue to pinkwash by accepting corporate sponsors who want to also fund Israeli genocide of of Palestinians including the including raping and murdering LGBTQ Palestinians. There was protest to disrupt the Toronto Pride Parade this year.

Ottawa’s Capital Pride has stopped pinkwashing as have Pride festivals is the Atlantic including St John’s and Fredericton Pride.

In BC, This year Victoria and Nanaimo Pride also didn’t engage in Pinkwashing. Burnaby Pride and Surrey Pride have also stopped pinkwashing this by dropping the TD sponsorship. Surrey sent back the sponsorship money to the TD back explaining why they can no longer support their funding of Israel by taking their sponsorship money. White Rock Pride continues to pinkwash by taking sponsorship from the TD Bank saying they are more concerned to the needs of their local community.

Many community organizations in Vancouver are boycotting Vancouver Pride by not marching and participating including the Rainbow Refugee Society, Salaam, Trikone, Seeds, Queers Against Israeli Apartheid and Queer Collective for Palestine. Vancouver Pride has lost a lot of its corporate sponsorship this year including lulu Lemon which also funds the Israeli genocide of Palestine and has had to downsize. Vancity offered to sponsor Vancouver Pride, but Pride Society Co-Chair John Boychuck says they are in a contract agreement with the TD Bank. Vancity is now sponsoring New West Pride.

The Vancouver Trans March and Dyke Marches are to be Pinkwashing free and promote groups supporting LGBT in Palestine. Many Pride events are also Pinkwashing free.

Indian Summer Festival in Vancouver this year has taken sponsorship prom BMO which funds the Palestinan genocide and is on the Boycott and Sanctions list. Last year the Scotia Bank stopped funding the Palestinian genocide force due pressure from boycotts and has been dropped from the BDS boycottt list. The boycott against the Bhungra Summer Jam in Surrey sponsored by the Scotia Bank has also been dropped this year.

Sunder Pride Film Festival also dropped their sponsorship of the Royal Bank to stop Pinkwashing. However, the Vancouver Queer Film Festival still accepts sponsorship from the Royal Bank which they are reviewing. The Vancouver Asian Film Festival also continues to accept Royal Bank sponsorship.

Vancouver Folk Festival and the Vancouver International Film Festival are free of corporate sponsors that fund the Israeli genocide of Palestine.