The showing of the movie Pride was a huge success! Remarks from Pride at Work - Rochester Finger Lakes chapter President Bess Watts:
"Good
afternoon! My name is Bess Watts, I’m
the President of the Rochester chapter of Pride at Work AFL-CIO, a labor constituency
group that represents the interests of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender
& queer workers. Anyone can belong
to Pride at Work as long as you support LGBTQ workers and unions.
I’d
like to welcome you to the showing of the 2014 British film PRIDE,
made possible by the generous support of the
Ronald G Pettengill Labor Education
Fund. This
award-winning biographical comedy-drama was inspired
by an extraordinary true story.
In
the summer of 1984, Ronald Reagan was in the White House and his evil twin, Prime
Minister Margaret Thatcher was in power in Great Britain. More than 100,000
coal miners held the longest strike in British history against the closing of
20 coal pits, which would lay off tens of thousands of workers and effectively
bust the mineworker’s union. This
bitter strike prompted a group of gay and lesbian activists to try to raise
money to support the strikers’ families.
After all, both groups were being victimized by the same government. Helping
blue collar strikers turned out to be a big challenge when anti-gay bias and
discrimination stood in the way.
Many
people who are depicted in the film, both miners and former lesbian and gay activists,
have expressed appreciation for how honestly their struggles are portrayed. The movie depicts what it means for ordinary
people to work together overcoming obstacles for the common good while facing
insurmountable odds. That’s a message we
can use today!
Our
chapter of Pride at Work had our own version of Pride in 2010 when the Mott’s
workers in Williamson went on strike against the Texas owned
Dr Pepper Snapple Group. The new management tried to cut worker pay,
benefits and health coverage and a strike was called. During this time our chapter of obviously
LGBTQ+ people, walked the picket line, provided food, money and support in
Williamson, at a remote plant not known for their diversity and
inclusion.
Workers
went months without paychecks while watching scab workers cross picket lines,
so it wasn’t long until Pride at Work members were wholeheartedly welcomed by
strikers when we visited.
Proof
of changed hearts and minds came when the struggling workers asked to march in
the 2010 Rochester Pride Parade for visibility. We built them an 8-foot sign to
pull along and they distributed 5000 leaflets to the crowd. They were amazed
by the wildly supportive response. It was a shot in the arm that they
needed.
It
took another two months before worker demands were met and the strike ended in
September 2010. The gratitude expressed to Pride at Work was heartfelt and we
celebrated their victory.
In
our community today we all have opportunities to support workers who are
fighting for fair contracts, whether it is the newly Unionized Starbuck stores
or Rochester Union of Nurses and Allied Professionals at Rochester General Hospital. Workers need a collective voice and they need
our collective support as they fight corporations who invest millions in
anti-union efforts.
And
this same type of “collective voice” will be needed as we combat the extremist
hatred and authoritarianism that is rising in our country. Minorities are under
attack… Women, immigrants, people of color, LGBTQs, workers, non-Christians, academics,
libraries…the very foundations of democracy are at risk.
It
will take “unlikely alliances” and courage to fight this threat as authoritarian-embracing
legislation and laws sweep across our country, inciting violence and hatred.
But
solidarity is powerful and will triumph for the common good.
For now, please enjoy this movie PRIDE as it highlights that solidarity is not always easy, but it is always worth it!
Thank
you and Happy Pride!"
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