Ahmed Danny Ramadan, pictured, is a Syrian gay man living in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This week he wrote an article for Daily Xtra, addressing the recent controversy about Black Lives Matter Vancouver wanting the Vancouver Police Department's float to be withdrawn from this weekend's Vancouver Pride Parade.
Ramadan writes:
As a person who was arrested by the police back in Syria in 2012 due to my LGBT activism and my sexual orientation, I understand how the presence of police forces might be triggering, upsetting and excluding for some people of colour. It’s uncontrollable to me: I still shiver every time I hear a police siren; I still feel a bit uncomfortable when I have to interact with a police officer. That’s why, while I might not completely understand the experience of black folks, I appreciate and acknowledge the requests from Black Lives Matter Vancouver, and the other organizations supporting them, as they try to make the Pride parade accessible to its primary target audience: all LGBT-identified people. Intersectionality works in mysterious ways. READ MORERELATED
- Black Lives Matter Vancouver Wants Police Float To Be Withdrawn From Upcoming Pride Parade
- More Groups Choosing Not to Participate in Vancouver's Pride Parade to Show Solidarity with Black Lives Matter Vancouver
