As the new executive director, and on behalf of the of Halifax Pride board of directors, we want to acknowledge and apologize for the pain Halifax Pride has caused this community. The board regrets their actions and inactions leading up to and during the 2016 Annual General Meeting. Our decision-making process was flawed and allowed for a meeting full of racism, misogyny, and hate.
Halifax Pride failed to protect the community. The board holds no one but themselves responsible. We acknowledge that the boycott is a direct result of our failure. We are committed to working with the community to address the harm we caused and to learning from this experience.
We want to state the following:
- Halifax Pride did not provide a safe space to meet and discuss the issues impacting our community prior to or at the AGM.
- Halifax Pride will develop a formal Anti-Discrimination Policy with our community.
- Halifax Pride will review and revise Society membership criteria with our community.
- Halifax Pride commits new funding and resources for use by our QBIPOC and trans communities to develop events.
As individuals working on behalf of Halifax Pride and as concerned community members, we are committed to finding ways to begin healing and building a Festival and a Society of which we can all be proud.
Sincerely,
The Halifax Pride board of directors and executive director, Adam Reid
