As we were discussing in class today John D'Emilio's article about capitalism and economy, I thought that this bit of global news was interesting. The cost of attending Pride events and concerts are rising and this is concerning as the rising prices exclude people on the basis of income and the ability to afford the cost of attending such events. For many people, such events are a way of community building and meeting new people, so for such events to become exclusionary on the basis of income is concerning. The overwhelming response to the price hikes have been negative as seen by social media reactions that are also included in the article.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-47094331?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cp7r8vgln2wt/lgbt&link_location=live-reporting-story
Hi Danielle!
ReplyDeleteThis is a super interesting connection! The article that you posted shows that in Manchester, in order to participate in Pride, there is a certain level of wealth and privilege that is required.
When we had the discussion on D'Emilio's capitalism, I thought of the implications of what his article could mean for those with intersectional identities, particularly ethnic minorities. It seems that there is an implication that those with intersectional identities or those in lower socioeconomic classes will find it more difficult to express LGBTQ identities. If capitalism has allowed for people to make money outside the nuclear family and express their sexual identities more, what can be done for those that capitalism discriminates against?
Thanks for sharing this article! I have participated in pride parades and while celebrating sexual identity in an accepting environment is crucial, it typically does not include certain communities of intersectionality, such as people of color, working class citizens, and immigrants. To me, this article points out a modern day example that D'Emilio was concerned with (i.e. the double edged sword of capitalism).
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing and commenting. It is indeed an interesting, and concerning problem. I think it is interesting because capitalism bring more movement and possibilities to LGBTQ community. I was got involved in some grass-root LGBTQ NGOs in China, and since official pride parades are forbidden, some activists, and business people are arguing to use "Pink Economy" to bring LGBTQ visibility to the society. As consumers in Pink Economy has a greater loyalty to the product, many non-queer people also want to do business in Pink Economy, including wedding and surrogation business in countries that those activities are legal. But also I think it is concerning, with the similar reason Danielle mentioned, that it excluded many people to join the liberation movement.
ReplyDeleteExactly as Marina discussed, pride events have faced public criticism based on 'the double-edged sword of capitalism.' Namely, that pride parades are a public display of acceptance and progress, while also sometimes marginalizing LGBTQ people with intersectional identities. Specifically with this case of Manchester, I think it is interesting that they will be adding black and brown stripes to the rainbow flag for the 2019 pride parade. I wonder if this will gain traction and give some visibility to black and brown members of the queer communities who have been doubly affected by discrimination.
ReplyDeleteArticle link:
https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-46860693