An update as of 7/2/24:
Our previous statement regarding protests at Denver Pride has been removed from our social media. This post was not archived to silence your voices, but to express that we are listening and we hear you. We apologize for the hurt our initial statement caused, and the breeding ground for hate speech that our comment section became, and we are committed to doing better.
We reaffirm our stance against the antisemitic remarks that were reported at Denver Pride. We also recognize that we failed to condemn islamophobia and anti-Arab sentiment. We want to be clear - we condemn hate speech in any form.
Going forward, we understand that we have work to do and that starts with taking accountability for the negative effects caused by our previous statement. The entire staff has come together to address this issue, and we are doing hard internal work to better understand the needs of the greater LGBTQIA+ community.
We acknowledge that this statement alone is not a solution. We intend to meet with groups in our community to take in diverse perspectives so that we can move forward in a way that serves our LGBTQIA+ community more holistically. We are grateful that our community feels empowered to share their perspectives and push us to be a more accountable organization.
In the spirit of transparency, the original statement remains on our website as a point of reference, with the addition of this update.
-The Staff of The Center on Colfax
Original Statement, posted 6/28/24:
Celebrations at Denver PrideFest were marred by incidents of hate speech and The Center on Colfax hereby makes clear that we do not endorse or condone these incidents.
Protestors rallied at Denver PrideFest in support of Palestine and against Israel and those that support Israel. They criticized The Center for some of our corporate sponsor relationships because of their ties to Israel, including weapons manufacturing. Protestors interrupted the parade twice and then briefly took over the Center Stage at the festival. The group was not registered to walk in the parade, nor were they approved to be on stage. In order to deescalate the situation, our safety and stage teams made an in-the-moment decision that the best course at that time was to make space for the protesters and briefly delay the parade and stage performances for the safety of all. We are grateful that this helped to prevent any injuries or arrests, which could have made a bad situation so much worse. At the same time, we are sorry for the impact and harm caused by the actions and words of the protestors.
The mission of The Center on Colfax is to engage, enrich, empower and advance the LGBTQIA+ community of Colorado. We recognize that the pride movement was born in protest. We support the rights of free speech and assembly.
Regarding Israel and Gaza, our position is simple. We support calls for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the region. However, we cannot accept incidents of hate speech that occurred at the festival. Following the protests at the parade and festival, we received several reports of antisemitic language used by protesters. These incidents included statements such as “Jews and Zionists do not belong at PrideFest” and worse, along with harassment of Jewish community members at their booth.
To be clear: this is unacceptable. The Center does not endorse or condone the hateful language used by people in the protest group. Just as we would condemn homophobic or transphobic incidents, we condemn hate speech in any form, including antisemitism.
We did not learn of some of these incidents until they were over. These statements were made without our consent. With hindsight, we regret that during a difficult and tense confrontation, we did not speak out immediately to condemn antisemitic language. We know how painful this must have been to our friends and allies in the Jewish community, many of whom are actively engaged with The Center.
In addition to the hurt and fear that these incidents caused, an upsetting element to these protests is that they succeeded in causing ill will and division within our community. There are many forces aligned against the LGBTQIA+ community and we must be united in opposing those who intend us harm.
While many festival goers were not aware of the protests or the impact they had, for many in our community, this protest pitted us against each other rather than bringing us together.
Denver PrideFest is the culmination of thousands of hours of work on the part of staff and hundreds of community volunteers who want to build something positive for our community. These incidents of hate speech undermined that goal. It was a stain on an otherwise joyful celebration of the community.
Rex Fuller, CEO
The Center on Colfax and Denver PrideFest