Subject: Fwd: Coors Boycott --SF Pride parade re-affirms boycott
From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 20:11:21 EST

To: [email-masked]
From: [email-masked] (Teddy Witherington)
Subject: Coors Boycott

Michael,

I thought I'd just clarify for you the position of IALGBTPC (The
International Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Pride
Coordinators), commonly referred to as InterPride, and our own local Pride
here in San Francisco.

In 1996 InterPride voted to rescind its earlier resolutions boycotting
Adolph Coors in favor of adopting a 'neutral' stance. What this equates to,
in practice, is that InterPride does not accept funding from Coors and
InterPride's sponsorship protocol specifically excludes Coors by name.
InterPride has never received Coors money and overtures have been rebuffed.
Clause 3 (iv) of the Tertiary Rules relating the the Sponsorship and
Marketing Committee of InterPride (as published in our Policies &
Procedures manual) reads :

        "Specifically the SMC [Sponsorship & Marketing Committee] shall not
        approach Adolph Coors nor accept unsolicited moneys from that
Company in
        accordance with the neutral stance adopted by the IALGPC at Interpride
        '96"

InterPride is a networking organization and is not a regularatory
authority. As such it cannot bind it's members (Pride Committees) to act or
omit to act in any fashion. Individual Pride Committees do as they please
and make the choices, hopefully, which are right for their own communities.
The reason for adopting the "neutral" stance was the embodiment of the dual
principles of regional self-determination and that InterPride is not
Pride's Police Officer.

Many of the individual member pride committees of InterPride, such as Long
Beach and Christopher Street West have been at the forefront of the Boycott
and continue to be so.

As far as San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride is
concerned, Coors remain on the "banned list". This decision was reaffirmed
by the new board at its first meeting held on October 5 this year. On a
personal level I do my best to ensure that the newer Pride organizations
are educated as to the history of the Boycott and the reasons why it is
just as vital today as it was 20 years ago.

Teddy Witherington

Executive Director      :       San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
                                Transgender Pride Celebration Committee
Inc.
                                1390 Market Street, Suite 1225, San Francisco,
                                CA 94102, USA.

                                Tel :   (415) 864 3733
                                Fax :   (415) 864 5889
                                Web :   www.sf-pride.org

Co-President InterPride :       The International Association of Lesbian,
Gay,
                                Bisexual, Transgender Pride Coordinators

                                Web :   www.interpride.org

                                Joint Co-President : Julie Siska