[News] Profiteering from Pride?

[Your Mum]

It's open season on...

your mum

 

[Bill Cassidy's tie up]

I love St James's Street, had a business there for 26 years now.
Friday before Pride you can feel the atmosphere building brilliant, we shut up shop for the weekend put the rainbow flags in windows for support. Always used to donate but never get asked now.
But would like to bring Brighton Lines in here as I know he lives local. It's getting evil up there lately never known it so bad.


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[The Clamp]

I like seeing all the rainbow flags up and about. Gives the town a party atmosphere. Who cares what the motivation is.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

Jesus wept, how are retarded ****wits like you allowed to still post on this board?
The mods have let NSC go to shite.

Perhaps we have. Perhaps we should take a zero tolerance approach to people who still use terms like ‘retards’ as well...

 

[pastafarian]

Pride has always been primarily a privately funded event, with the council adding some money by way of grants .Most of the original funding coming from fund raisers and donations by the gay venues in and around brighton. A lot of the larger supermarkets on St James street and other businesses(shops, restaurants, main hotels in the town) would happily cash in on the revenue they could make out of pride. but steadfastly refuse to help fund the event that they so happily cash in on. As a result pride simply could not pay for itself, despite being the biggest in the country. If all the businesses in town even paid 5% of the extra profits they get from this weekend over the other non pride weekends, pride would be awash with money

Dont see why businesses should pay 5% of their profits over pride to fund the event, who are you to decide which business makes extra profits, and how would you evaluate a business for your "tax" when costs of running the business are spread out throughout the year and profits and loss fluctuate in any given defined period over the year to produce an annual indication.
Plenty of local businesses cash in when the Albion are at home but no one expects them to pay a % of their match day profits toward the running costs of the club.
If you wish to go down this bonkers route i would suggest pride paraphernalia is copyrighted and local businesses cannot support pride and use it unless they pay a fee. It would be a great way to alienate people.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

This might sound like a stupid question but how do things like Christmas lights get funded? Is that paid for by the local businesses who enjoy the increased footfall of the festivities? If so then the OP has a point. If it’s paid for out of the taxpayer purse but the businesses make profit from it then I don’t see that this celebration should be exceptionalised.

The folk who come to pride (me included) spend tons on food and drink on the day as it is (mostly at Preston park) and do so because they support the ambition of Pride to force change where oppression continues, celebrate diversity and, frankly, have a great day out.

You’d be better off asking the drug dealers for tax...they probably make a few quid during Pride.

 

[nickbrighton]

Dont see why businesses should pay 5% of their profits over pride to fund the event, who are you to decide which business makes extra profits, and how would you evaluate a business for your "tax" when costs of running the business are spread out throughout the year and profits and loss fluctuate in any given defined period over the year to produce an annual indication.
Plenty of local businesses cash in when the Albion are at home but no one expects them to pay a % of their match day profits toward the running costs of the club.
If you wish to go down this bonkers route i would suggest pride paraphernalia is copyrighted and local businesses cannot support pride and use it unless they pay a fee. It would be a great way to alienate people.

I think I have made my point very poorly, and this thread has suffered what could be called "mission creep" , what I am trying to say is that businesses that make a big thing about how they are actively supporting pride but actually aren't doing anything of the sort but simply cashing in kind of irritate me. Its great that so many businesses now find that its good business sense to show support for the "cause", that in itself shows that things have changed markedly from even a few years ago. I'm not suggesting that there should be a mandatory donation from anyone, but wouldn't it have been nice if some of those businesses that made a shed load of money that they simply wouldn't have done if pride had ceased to exist (which it nearly did) had helped even a little bit when pride was rapidly going down the pan?

 

[pastafarian]

I think I have made my point very poorly, and this thread has suffered what could be called "mission creep" , what I am trying to say is that businesses that make a big thing about how they are actively supporting pride but actually aren't doing anything of the sort but simply cashing in kind of irritate me. Its great that so many businesses now find that its good business sense to show support for the "cause", that in itself shows that things have changed markedly from even a few years ago. I'm not suggesting that there should be a mandatory donation from anyone, but wouldn't it have been nice if some of those businesses that made a shed load of money that they simply wouldn't have done if pride had ceased to exist (which it nearly did) had helped even a little bit when pride was rapidly going down the pan?

I can see how that irritates you but we live in a world where virtue signalling exists, people and companies jump on a bandwagon because they feel they must do so, they probably support the rights of the cause anyway but not to fly a rainbow flag for example might incur the wrath of rabid minority, so its best all round for companies that marketing procedures and the such are in place to show support for an event when it occurs on the calendar. Still doesnt mean they should contribute to the upkeep of an event. It is up to pride to make sure their event is economically viable.

 

[Baldseagull]

I’m thinking of setting up a middle aged white straight male so called privileged club. We are the most unliked group in the world seemingly even though I don’t recall hurting anyone. It’s open season mind!

Do you think you have ever been unsuccessful at a job interview because of your gender, colour, or sexuality? Not got a promotion? Had to live in a street where everyone else sees you as someone different from them?
It isn't your fault, no one is blaming you for not having these issues and others, or hating you for it, just recognise that your privilege is just not being discriminated against very often, if at all, by virtue of you being white and male and in Britain. You therefore have a better than even chance in life, because you have the advantage of being less discriminated against just for being born straight white and male. The only time you get hated for that is when you deny that you have it.

 

[portlock seagull]

Do you think you have ever been unsuccessful at a job interview because of your gender, colour, or sexuality? Not got a promotion? Had to live in a street where everyone else sees you as someone different from them?
It isn't your fault, no one is blaming you for not having these issues and others, or hating you for it, just recognise that your privilege is just not being discriminated against very often, if at all, by virtue of you being white and male and in Britain. You therefore have a better than even chance in life, because you have the advantage of being less discriminated against just for being born straight white and male. The only time you get hated for that is when you deny that you have it.

Yes

 

[Worthingite]

One of Pride's overall messages is about inclusivity and diversity - albeit they have focussed on sexual politics for the most part.

Southern Rail have put the rainbow flag on their livery for a few years at Pride time. I find this quite a sick joke as their inclusivity policies can't even cater - in many cases - for disabled people who need to get on and off their trains.

So while there is now much normalising of the Pride message, where 30 years ago mainstream media would label gay rights as 'extremist', some are only too ready to jump on the bandwagon without getting their own house in order first.

I think you'll find that Southern are pretty much the most inclusive organisation out there. They'll **** your day up irrespective of gender, race, religion, age or sexual preference.

 

[Baldseagull]

Yes

Yes what? Yes, you have been discriminated against on the basis of your race, gender, or sexuality in one of the ways I described? Or Yes, you acknowledge that your privilege is not being discriminated against as much as Gay, Black or female persons?
I would be interested to hear your example/s of being discriminated against for being White, male or straight in the UK, if that is what you meant.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

Yes what? Yes, you have been discriminated against on the basis of your race, gender, or sexuality in one of the ways I described? Or Yes, you acknowledge that your privilege is not being discriminated against as much as Gay, Black or female persons?
I would be interested to hear your example/s of being discriminated against for being White, male or straight in the UK, if that is what you meant.

I got a funny look in the Bulldog a few years back.

Does that count?

 

[dazzer6666]

A local independent travel firm I know has been on Brighton’s parade for years now, was one of the first to ban Royal Brunei way before STA and co, support and advice travellers appropriately and has helped in local projects both within the LGBT world and outside of it.

Isn’t going on the March this year as they either can’t afford it or other national travel companies/airlines have paid for the slots.

For me that’s the sad thing here. Local Brighton companies who are involved have now been pushed out.

If there is one for the national companies surely it’s the London one?


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Agree this is a little bit sad.......seems to be becoming a mainly commercial event at the expense of long-supporting local organisations who are outbid by the bigger firms who will look at the commercial benefits of association with the event rather than being committed to the cause necessarily. You can see their 'Diversity and Inclusion' updates now.....................'supporters of Pride 2019' etc.

 

[portlock seagull]

Yes what? Yes, you have been discriminated against on the basis of your race, gender, or sexuality in one of the ways I described? Or Yes, you acknowledge that your privilege is not being discriminated against as much as Gay, Black or female persons?
I would be interested to hear your example/s of being discriminated against for being White, male or straight in the UK, if that is what you meant.

Again, all sounds very rhetorical. Let’s face it you’ve made your mind up. No matter what I cite, you and others are going to dismiss or say you don’t belief. Your judgement began a few posts ago in that respects and is making my original point: that if white middle aged straight male and god forbid proud of being English too, we’re essentially public enemy no.1 because this is historically where most members of the so called establishment class come from - even if I’ve rarely eaten Eton mess let alone dined there. We’re all being judged, constantly and never so more than today. Just because of my accent, paleness etc doesn’t mean I’m privileged and it’s ok to sneer at me, auto default to calling me gammon, presume I’m racist, a hooligan (did stick my fingers up at the Palace support last season) etc, like I invented slavery or homophobia. Thats not ok. Gay people, women, black people etc don’t have a monopoly on discrimination. We all face it. In my last job I found out I got paid less than 2 female equivalents in same role. I put that down to my lack of self confidence when I joined and negotiation my basic. Discrimination didn’t cross my mind and yet if the opposite was case, probably get labelled gender inequality now. Which it was. But not in the assumed way. Age is the biggest discrimination of all. Rarely gets a look in with all this virtue signalling though.

 

[Arthur]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/business-48873931/is-the-high-street-profiting-from-pride


Over the past few weeks I have noticed a proliferation of rainbows, on shop fronts, banners, adverts, even my Barclay's on line app logo has changed from Blue to Rainbow, all "proudly supporting Pride" But , are they? Company logos all over have changed, and as Pride comes to various towns and cities, the high street , pubs, restaurants, hotels etc festoon themselves, falling over to show their LGBTQI + various other letters of the alphabet credentials

Supermarkets, Banks, Restaurant chains all proudly flying the flag informing us of what exactly? Other than increasing prices to make a quick pink buck, what have most of these companies actually done to support the non-hetro community? Basically what it means is they have done didlly squat, other than maybe got a PR missive saying you lucky gay types, we wont discriminate against you anymore- aren't we good, and you should all be grateful.

Am I alone in feeling that its seen by both small local and large national and multi national companies as just a way of promoting their brand, and basically they have no interest in anything other than that.

Loads of businesses in Brighton for example make a fortune on Pride weekend, (full bars and clubs, restaurants fully booked, hotels booked and prices increased)but very very few are prepared to actually contribute anything at all to the costs of running the thing that gives them a bumper weekend each August

As a gay man, I find it quite a bit off to see all this money spent by companies portraying their pink credentials, when in fact all they do is sprinkle a bit of fairy dust for a week, cash in, and then quite happily have nothing to do with us for the rest of the year.

I see your point but is it any different to a christian being upset about the commercialisation of Christmas or Easter? Or to a lessor extent a business wanting to cash in on St Valentines/Patricks/Georges Day or Halloween?

Seems like they are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

 

[Baldseagull]

Again, all sounds very rhetorical. Let’s face it you’ve made your mind up. No matter what I cite, you and others are going to dismiss or say you don’t belief. Your judgement began a few posts ago in that respects and is making my original point: that if white middle aged straight male and god forbid proud of being English too, we’re essentially public enemy no.1 because this is historically where most members of the so called establishment class come from - even if I’ve rarely eaten Eton mess let alone dined there. We’re all being judged, constantly and never so more than today. Just because of my accent, paleness etc doesn’t mean I’m privileged and it’s ok to sneer at me, auto default to calling me gammon, presume I’m racist, a hooligan (did stick my fingers up at the Palace support last season) etc, like I invented slavery or homophobia. Thats not ok. Gay people, women, black people etc don’t have a monopoly on discrimination. We all face it. In my last job I found out I got paid less than 2 female equivalents in same role. I put that down to my lack of self confidence when I joined and negotiation my basic. Discrimination didn’t cross my mind and yet if the opposite was case, probably get labelled gender inequality now. Which it was. But not in the assumed way. Age is the biggest discrimination of all. Rarely gets a look in with all this virtue signalling though.

I understand it might not feel like you have any privilege, but put it this way, if you had the same background, levels of confidence etc. Do you think being Black, Gay, or female would make your everyday life easier?