Pride Denied

Largely shot during World Pride in Toronto in June 2014, Pride Denied is a political essay documentary that explores the stakes of contemporary LGBT politics, organizations, and celebrations. In particular, Pride Denied traces the transformation of contemporary pride events from activist roots to large, corporate-sponsored events that actively displace street-based folks such as sex workers and the homeless/underhoused. Pride Denied also looks at how state governments and corporations increasingly invoke rhetorics of LGBT inclusion to proffer a progressive image of themselves a practice known as pinkwashing in order to distract attention from imperial wars, settler colonialism, environmental destruction, and other human rights abuses. Lastly, the film explores how LGBT movements and organizing on issues such as marriage primarily address the interests of wealthy LGBT people while largely ignoring the needs of everyone else especially people of color, transgender folks, and non-citizens.

Pride Denied addresses these topics and more though interviews, event footage, and archival research. The film primarily targets audiences at post-secondary educational institutions as well as queer and trans community activists.