Phoenix Pride's detractors say the organization isn't listening

LOOKOUT interviewed two-dozen people, from local business owners to volunteers, who said that while Phoenix Pride is welcome, they need to do more than throw a party.

A protester stands in between others and officers with the Phoenix Police Department during the Phoenix Pride Parade in 2017. (Courtesy of Trans Queer Pueblo)

Phoenix Pride is one of the largest LGBTQ+ nonprofits in the state, with a multi-million dollar budget built off organizing events such as the Rainbow Festival and the annual Phoenix Pride Festival held in Steele Indian School Park.

And while their events attract tens of thousands of attendees each year, a growing number of people have expressed concerns about the organization’s business model and relationship with the community.

LOOKOUT spoke with two dozen people over three months who said that while they are happy Phoenix Pride exists and supports what it does, they are disappointed by the organization’s silence at a time when anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric is spreading across the state and said that Phoenix Pride could do more to engage with the community.

Many of the people LOOKOUT interviewed agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity. Some have received grants from the organization, others do business at the festivals, or are concerned about retaliation from those aligned with Phoenix Pride. To ensure accuracy, LOOKOUT asked for messages, emails, and other documents to support the claims from anonymous sources whenever possible.

Complaints from those interviews varied, from the organization’s use of police officers at the festival—where they serve as both peacekeepers and participants at a booth—to the $35 entry fee for a festival that one person described as “a corporate fairground.”

However, some argue Phoenix Pride is doing what is necessary for the community: creating event spaces and fundraising for local groups through grants and student scholarships (Phoenix Pride has cumulatively awarded over $1 million to students and local LGBTQ+ groups over the past decade).

But even those who support Phoenix Pride took issue with the festival’s ticket cost and expressed an overarching fear of speaking out against the organization.