Kami Chisholm's documentary casts a critical eye at Toronto's WorldPride event. Activists and historians here offer a history of the gay rights movement, including moments from America’s timeline, such as the landmark 1969 Stonewall riots. Just as Stonewall birthed a movement in the United States, 1981's bathhouse raids in Canada had a similar effect. Various pride parades followed, leading up to WorldPride, which came to Toronto in 2014. Community activist Prabha Khosla found the early parades empowering, but she sees WorldPride as a commercialized event that prioritizes capitalism. For instance, since Trojan acts as an official sponsor, instructors providing information about safe sex practices must distribute their condoms. Instead of promoting radical ideas, American Studies professor Christina Hanhardt describes WorldPride as "conservative and normative." Members of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid are particularly concerned about "pinkwashing," whereby Israel promotes itself as an LGBT-friendly tourist destination while engaging in human rights abuses against Palestinians. Although initially welcome to participate in WorldPride, the group faced a brief ban in 2010 until public outcry led to their reinstatement. Sex workers and trans people also testify about the ways in which WorldPride has left them feeling disenfranchised. While Chisholm is looking at a specific event, the broader implications are clear: corporatization involving marginalized communities runs the risk of trivializing real issues and concerns. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)
Pride Denied: Homonationalism & the Future of Queer Politics
(2016) 61 min. DVD: $34.95 ($150 w/PPR): public libraries; $280: community colleges; $350: colleges & universities. DRA. Media Education Foundation. PPR. ISBN: 1-944024-01-8. Volume 33, Issue 5
Pride Denied: Homonationalism & the Future of Queer Politics
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: