Written by Ashton Deroy

I am sorry but there comes a time to say. Your Pride entertainment is in the way of needed activism. Both for the benefit of Workers’ rights and LGBTQ Rights. I am sorry but it has been said for years. Dating back to Naomi Klein’s book No Logo. You are adopting the cultural look of LGBTQ Pride. Without dealing with the struggles of being LGBTQ. Some of the organizations doing so are doing it for a profit. Such as vendors, bars and etc. You are reading quotes on Stonewall but embodying 0% of the spirit.

It has to stop!

3 pressing issues on being LGBTQ in Belleville Ontario

1. We face employment and housing discrimination – We need action there. It could be as severe as getting unified for more social housing at the Provincial level. It could be as little as telling Landlords and organizations that fake being inclusive. We see them. They need to do better for us. Or be put on notice!
2. LGBTQ have their labor value stolen – In stolen wages mostly. Also through things such as volunteering which Bay of Quinte Pride over uses. Merchandising people shouldn’t be walking away from Pride with a profit. Well your volunteers can’t afford food off their day’s labor!
3. Encouraging alcoholism in an already drug addicted community – I don’t think it is right these organizations are always trying to profit from the center of a bar. Well our Community is disproportionately impacted by addiction. I won’t be doing many bar events or shows. Even if you are a self-declared not for profit. This behavior is problematic.

Listen I don’t want your rainbow bracelets! I don’t want your rainbow cocktail. I don’t want to volunteer for an annual corporate Press event to show how tolerant our not tolerant community is.

I want real action to improve things for LGBTQ in the Belleville Ontario community. Not just Pride Flags promoting empty promises in Business windows. Well employees literally talk about how ‘LGBTQ might be too accepted.” Fascism is knocking. Let’s do something other than promote the needless capitalism with a supposed Non-Profit agenda. Our community needs real work. Let’s do something better than a Seasonal collection of bar events. I am a Loyalist College Alumni. I actually think doing this kind of Event Marketing and promotion of local Business for Free. Eats jobs intended for people like me. Well my Friend Candace Meeks on Bay of Quinte Pride acts like her feelings are under assault. YOU ARE TAKING WORK PEOPLE LIKE ME DO AND SAYING IT SHOULD BE DONE FOR FREE!

I don’t see why someone Marketing Smokin’ 116 Bistro and Quinte Bowl needs volunteers. Bay of Quinte Pride has businesses benefitting in Marketing promotion services for associating. Yet they can’t find a way to pay volunteers. Partly because they are doing Marketing and not using an appropriate for Profit model for the organization. Plainly speaking to. There is nothing that Charitable happening in the community in these events. I am sure they sell a lot of beer though!

Related content:

http://ashtonderoy.com/2023/12/14/pride-flags-of-false-progress/

http://ashtonderoy.com/2024/04/23/make-something-from-nothing-a-reminder-why-conservatism-doesnt-work/

http://ashtonderoy.com/2024/04/24/why-i-am-anti-volunteering-and-anti-co-op/

The Smokin’ 116 Bistro. Dirty Details of Breach of Contract investigation.

Concerned about this post: Contact Ashtonderoy@gmail.com

Related 3rd party content

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Bay of Quinte Pride Refute ‘To clarify: we (the committee) work towards a successful parade and Pride in the park all year long. For free. We do not get paid. We ask for volunteers every year because there is simply too much for us to do. We ask for maybe a day’s worth of work, usually just a few hours. Per year. One day. We don’t make money off our volunteers. Yes, we charge vendors and marchers to pay a fee. That money covers our costs to make this happen. Yes we sell merchandise. Also to cover our costs. We’re not just paying for road closures and park permits. We pay for police coverage, we pay our entertainers, we pay for our website, insurance, etc. We have a lot of expenses just to make this happen and we do it all for nothing. We are volunteers.”

I will say they are doing one better than Kingston Pride in 2016. Kingston Pride did not pay Entertainers. Which lead to huge problems with a performer called Lilly Landers who confronted us for the use of her image. This seemed relevant to this post and I saw it on my home page so I added it. Again I am not opposed to transparency.