San Francisco Pride is in political turmoil after a decision to honour Bradley Manning, the gay soldier responsible for thousands of Wikileaks by making him an honorary grand marshal was rescinded on Friday April 26th. The honour, which is bestowed annually upon people who have done a service to the LGBT community, was announced the day before but SF Pride’s president Lisa Willams said the honour would not be going to Manning after all and that his votes would be “repudiated”.
Taking a surprisingly partisan and aggressive stance, Williams went on to say that a statement that Manning was to be honoured was mistaken and the employee who made it had “been disciplined”. She added that Manning was responsible for, “actions which placed in harms way [sic] the lives of our men and women in uniform” and that, “even the hint of support” for Manning’s action – even the hint (by SF Pride’s staff and supporters) – “will not be tolerated by the leadership of San Francisco Pride”.
The honour – which would have been symbolic as Bradley manning is in custody in a military prison in Kansas awaiting trial – was controversial as he doesn’t have the unqualified support of the LGBT community. But the turnaround and the vociferous condemnation by Williams has led to suspicions that SF Pride were ‘nobbled’ by the corporate sponsors. To read more go here and here