Dear Mayor of London,
Re: Open Letter: Pride London and ineffective engagement with BAME communities
in many LGBTQ Organization's.
I am writing this letter on behalf of my organization and those
undersigned, with regards to a long-standing issue with LGBTQ
organization's who gain some funding on the provision that they cater to
BAME communities.
The resignation of London Pride’s CAB alongside the widely
publicized departure of their most high ranking BAME employee,
Rhammel Afflick presents an occasion to table a topic - racism in the
LGBTQ community- that has unfortunately been dismissed by the
community at large.
Stone wall’s ‘ Home and Communities Report 2019, identified that
racism in the LGBTQ communities left People of Colour with poorer
mental health than their white counterparts and validates what two
generations of BAME LGBTQ+ have known as a lived experience.
I want to highlight here one discrimination/microaggression incident
from my own experience.
As an advocate of Mental Health provision for BAME men, I attended an
event that Camden held at St Pancras Hospital in 2019 vis-à-vis the
mental health of the LGBTQ+ communities surrounding Camden.
Having reviewed the ‘Home and Communities’ report, I then devised a
statement to read once the Q&A took place. After I had finished making
the statement those in attendance began applauding, and the panel
members -though clearly ill-prepared for what they heard, made it seem
like they wanted to discuss the issues at stake with me personally.
However, once the attendees had left the room, and after I waited in line
to speak with the panel, their body language and amiable disposition
changed. It was clear that the organizations in question were reluctant to
engage with me on the subject matter and it seemed that they saw my
position as a threat.
An associate of mine, Activist and Diversity Role Model Champion,
Ferhan Khan, speaks of their experience also:
“I feel as though the LGBT identity is being used as a shield of
impunity by perpetrators of racial hate and that in the minds of the
general public, Muslims such as myself are ‘fair-game’ due to the reputation the faith of Islam has of homophobia and of opposition to so-called ‘western ideals’ or ‘British values’.
This leaves Muslims that identify as LGBTQIA+ in a very difficult situation;
having to defend our faith identity, as well as our racial identity and sexual and
gender identities in a constant and never-ending cycle.
This is taxing to the mental wellbeing of Muslims that identify as LGBTQIA+.”
These are but two examples that illustrate the dynamic between
inclusion, equity, access and power that I hope will give you an
understanding of the uphill battles BAME LGBTQ+ individuals face when
trying to access mainstream spaces or work in many LGBTQ+
organization's.
This situation is unacceptable when we consider the high rates of young
male suicide in London borough’s, compounded by Covid19.
The Equality Act 2010, brings into a statutory framework, the nuances
that can form a part of what we consider discrimination and when it
comes to race, microaggressions are now recognized as having a
debilitating effect on mental health, professional outcomes and in
general a healthy interaction for BAME’s within organizations.
Pride London, for instance, gains public funds to cater to the
communities that make up London - it being one of the most ethnic and
culturally diverse cities on the planet. It is most dis-heartening for many
of us in this community to see a person with a leading role leave, because
of Pride London's reluctance to understand the impact some of their
decision making would have on BAME communities.
Notwithstanding the resignation of five of its board members,
we, the undersigned, call for greater transparency and accountability,
for LGBTQ+ organization's who purport to be inclusive to move beyond
token gestures and lip-service when it applies to employment,
decision-making and the dispersal of funding for topics that concern
BAME communities. my organisation alongside three other organization's
that have a strong record in delivering services, would appreciate meeting to
table the issues at hand.
Most importantly, this letter is an attempt to draw your attention to how
mental health disparities are widening in the BAME LGBTQ+
communities, especially post Covid19.
We see that there is an urgent need to address this issue with the planning
of culturally appropriate programme's and applicable routes to funding .
The individuals and organization's listed below hope that we can begin these
difficult conversations, in order to redirect the wheels of social injustice within some
organization's, that flies under the radar at the expense of the mental health of
BAME LGBTQ+ communitie/s.
Sincerely,
Shaun Wallace | Director Arc of Triumph
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