The organizers of the local LGBT Pride festival convened last week to address what they say is discriminatory language in the bylaws of its parent organization.
Coordinators for Philly Pride Presents met before the group’s general membership meeting Dec. 10 to remediate a policy they contend discriminates against trans people in the bylaws of InterPride, the International Association of LGBT Pride Coordinators.
InterPride bylaws provide for six executive-committee positions on its board: one “male-identified” and one “female-identified” president, and two male and two female vice presidents.
A motion to include a “trans-identified” executive position was defeated at InterPride’s general membership meeting this fall.
“It is a two-year process to change the bylaws,” explained Philly Pride Presents senior advisor Chuck Volz. “The motion passed the first year with 57 percent of the vote, but the second year required a super majority to pass it, 67 percent, and it only got 63 percent.”
Last week, Philly Pride adopted a resolution, which Volz dubbed the “Trans Need-Not-Apply Resolution,” calling for the policy to be revised. The organization will withhold payment of 2015 dues and future annual dues to InterPride until at least one of three stipulations is satisfied: A “trans-identified” executive position is approved for inclusion in InterPride bylaws; all sex-identified executive positions are removed from InterPride bylaws; or other remedial action is taken to resolve the matter.
Philly Pride is the first LGBT organization to formally protest the language.
“I think male- and female-identified roles are something of the past,” said Volz. “None of us like the whole alphabet-soup thing, you know, but this trans-inclusive motion had momentum but failed because it’s cumbersome to change the bylaws.”
Volz said the dues-withholding protest is the only chance Philly Pride has of effecting the desired changes. Next year’s Inter Pride meeting will be held in Las Vegas, and the year after that in France — events Volz says Philly Pride will not be able to afford to attend.
“You have to attend the meetings in order to vote. There is no absentee vote,” he said.
InterPride did not respond to a request for comment by presstime.