We thought we'd written the last word on the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee's recent series of mismanaged crises when we issued our "report card" a couple of weeks ago. But we were wrong. In fact, we are gravely concerned about the continued lack of transparency and accountability exhibited by the board and executive staff of SF Pride.
We were thrilled this week to hear from Supervisor David Campos that he and Supervisor Scott Wiener intend to hold a hearing on SF Pride so the board and community could hear from officials themselves. It seems that Campos's involvement is the only way we can get some answers. (It was Campos, after all, who told Pride officials that they needed to hold a community forum on the Bradley Manning fiasco before the June 30 parade and, in fact, Pride officials did hold such a meeting in late May.) Campos couldn't say exactly when the hearing will be held, but he and Wiener confirmed to us that it will happen.
This time, the issue isn't about Manning, but about moving forward and the sustainability of the event, as well as making the board more accountable to the community. Campos told us this week that he wants to check in with Pride to see how the organization is doing, and to review the safety issues and the shooting that marred this year's festival. He and Wiener also want to ask Pride leaders how they're doing implementing the recommendations of a three-year-old report from the controller's office that cited a need for Pride to tighten fiscal controls, rebuild senior management, and institute board training. (Pride has, since then, hired a new leader and this year finally repaid all its debt.)
That is all welcome news to us, and should be to the community, too. After all, Pride receives city funding to help put on the parade and festival, and its success directly impacts local hotels, restaurants, bars, and other businesses.
Meanwhile, the mysteries continue at Pride's offices. On Monday, July 8 Pride members received an email informing them that a membership meeting set for July 9 had been canceled. The notice contained no information on rescheduling the meeting, and it appears that Pride officials aren't even following their own bylaws, which state that "regular meetings shall take place on the dates and times set by annual calendar, recommended by the board, and ratified by the membership at its annual meeting." The July 9 date was so ratified by a vote of the membership.
It may seem like a small detail, but one of the agenda items for the meeting is the nomination for directors, which will open in July and close at the August meeting. On Tuesday, we received word that the meeting is rescheduled for July 16. But the bylaws issue remains. There's a problem if an organization can't even follow its own policies. If Pride staff had announced the rescheduling at the same time as the cancellation that would be one thing, but this wait-a-day approach just shows that when it comes to public relations, Pride is its own worst enemy.