There is no place for hate within 2SLGBTQ+ communities. More than ever, we must work together to confront bullying and harassment and all forms of oppression, including transphobia, homophobia, racism, sexism, ableism, xenophobia, or otherwise.
The conduct of Yaya Torres and Haus of Torres is unacceptable. Capital Pride is not currently working with either party and we confirm we will not be working together in the future.
It has also been made evident that our 2021 Ms. Capital Pride, Babe Kelly, has engaged in unacceptable behaviour rooted in racism and transphobia. This conduct fails to meet the communities’ expectations of a Capital Pride titleholder and violates our code of conduct for pageant contestants and winning titleholders.
Today, Capital Pride met with Babe Kelly and accepted her resignation as Ms. Capital Pride 2021. While this is a serious decision, we believe the consequences reflect the severity of the current situation and that the outcome is inline with Capital Pride’s mission to respect the full diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
This week’s news also demonstrates that these issues were not isolated. In the coming weeks, we are committed to working with the local drag community, event organizers and establishments, and community groups to develop an awareness campaign that seeks to confront hate within our spaces. We will also support the drag community as they seek to create positive change and address some of the underlying issues that have come to light over the last few days.
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