May 29, 2020
The vision of Louisville Pride is to bring communities together. We believe in providing leadership through service, and do not generally speak out on controversial political issues. We prefer to let our actions speak for us.
However, there are times when a clear and forceful statement is needed. The escalating situation following the death of Breonna Taylor at the hands of the Louisville Metro Police Department is such a situation.
We stand with those who call for justice for Breonna’s family, and we stand with those who call for long overdue, significant structural reforms to prevent this from happening again. We are not the leaders in this fight, but we are in it, as LGBTQ people and allies, as people of color and allies, and as Louisvillians.
Police abuse is an LGBTQ issue. Moreover, police abuse affects LGBTQ people of color disproportionately. Systems must be implemented to hold police accountable and restore the trust in the community. We support the calls for reform and proposals put forth by the ACLU, the Fairness Campaign, and the NAACP. We support Black Lives Matter Louisville and Showing Up For Racial Justice for the work they are doing in speaking up against racial injustice and their efforts in community organizing.
Louisville Pride will continue to hold anti-racism as a core principle in our work, which is to bring communities together through collaboration, empowerment, and celebration.
We are starting a fundraiser to give bail funds to The Bail Project with a $500 contribution from our operating budget.