Boston Pride is apologizing for posting a link to an article that angered some in the transgender community and prompted calls for a boycott of two Pride events this weekend.
“We acknowledge that our actions, past and recent, have caused harm to members of our community, particularly in the transgender community,’’ the organization wrote in a note posted on its website. “We deeply apologize for using language and for posting content on social media that yielded such harm and pain. The impact of these actions has done members of our community wrong and caused divisiveness within our community. And for that, we are profoundly sorry.’’
At issue is an article, posted by a Boston Pride volunteer on the group’s Facebook page, characterizing recent comments made by transgender activist/author Juno Dawson in an interview with Attitude magazine. Dawson — a successful young adult novelist who previously was James Dawson — had some provocative things to say in the interview. For example, she claimed some gay people may not actually be gay.
“I think that there are a lot of gay men in the world who had the same personal misdiagnosis, because we didn’t have the information that we have now,’’ she said in the interview. “I think there are a lot of gay men out there who are gay men as a consolation prize because they couldn’t be women. That was certainly true of me.’’
Dawson’s comments angered some people, as did the article that Boston Pride posted summarizing the interview. Boston Pride eventually removed the Facebook post and apologized.
“As an organization, we vow to be accountable for our mistakes and to our entire community: We will work to make amends, and to rebuild trust with trans* members of our community; we pledge our commitment to ensuring that our actions do not perpetuate such harm or hostility,’’ the group wrote. “Boston Pride will continue to engage with individuals and organizations in the trans* community to ensure that all our events are truly and fully inclusive, safe and welcoming of every member of our community.’’
In an e-mail, Dawson said she’s aware of the controversy. She said her comments were “not intended to be divisive,’’ but added that the piece posted by Boston Pride was “hugely transphobic’’ in the language it used to discuss Dawson’s remarks.
Some in the city’s gay and transgender communities are still upset about the Boston Pride post. We were told that GLAD and the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition had said they might boycott Sunday’s Stronger Together Rally, but a GLAD spokesperson said the organization will be present. The MTPC did not respond to a call or e-mail.
Asked about the controversy, Arline Isaacson, a longtime gay activist and cochair of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, called it unfortunate.
“Oppressed populations tend to form their firing squads in a circle,’’ Isaacson said in an e-mail. “We wouldn’t be the first community to do so.’’
