Seattle Pride organization disbanding, filing for bankruptcy

[flamingyouth]

Organizers of the Seattle Pride parade and festival said they are disbanding and filing for bankruptcy.

Seattle Out and Proud, the volunteer group that puts on the celebration for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, owes the city $102,000 for the 2006 event at Seattle Center.

"It's unfortunate but we are a supportive group of people that want the best for our community and hope now that someone will step up and take the events to the next level," said Weston Sprigg, vice president of Seattle Out and Proud. He said the group is meeting with bankruptcy attorneys.

Supporters of the annual event, a tradition here for 32 years, are scrambling to salvage the splashy June celebration. Sprigg said the group's dozen or so volunteers are exhausted.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003679047_webpride24m.html

[sneakythomas]

1. Moving it was a big mistake.

They annoyed a lot of their base, it should have been left on Broadway. That area has been the center of gay culture in Seattle for a very long time. Moving it may have been taken as a slap in the face by many members of the community.

[SeattleGirl]

2. I agree, sneaky.

Lots of folks were upset about that move.

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. The problem was, the community gave up their say by not participating

What happened was that people with actual ties to the community stopped attending the organizing meetings (hangs head in shame) and left the door open for people with more commercial interest to step in and take control. A few years ago, this group tried to sell the even to a commercial organizer like what happened in Los Angeles and some other cities. After the outcry (and temporarily revived interest in public participation) the committee decided to commercialize it on their own; that led to moving Pride downtown and the current economic fiasco.

I really, really hope that more people from the community will get involved this time around. More public involvement will make sure that our concerns will be addressed and should keep this from happening again.

[insleeforprez]

4. Meh

Vancouver's Pride is better anyway.