Last weekend was marked by a series of articles giving how headline "Fraud na LGBT parade of São Paulo", a somewhat biased call, you will notice this if you go a little beyond the first lines.
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The site ACAPA investigated the case and also broke the news by listening to both sides, see more HERE.
In a note of clarification, the parade association took a position on the matter:
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NOTE OF CLARIFICATION FROM THE SÃO PAULO GLBT PRIDE PARADE ASSOCIATION – APOGLBTSP.
This Friday, November 6th, articles were published on websites and newspapers informing that irregularities were being investigated in the contracting of services by the City of São Paulo to carry out the 2015 LGBT Pride Parade.
First of all, it is necessary to make it very clear: APOGLBTSP DOES NOT RECEIVE ANY FUNDS FROM THE CITY OF SÃO PAULO.
A CGM – General Comptroller of the Municipality investigates irregularities in the contracting and execution of infrastructure services for the Parade and the closing show by the Coordination of LGBT Policies/Secretariat of Human Rights and Citizenship.
This hiring has absolutely no no relationship directly with the LGBT Pride Parade Association.
What happens is that, since the signing of the first conduct adjustment agreement, São Paulo City Hall was responsible for the security infrastructure and also committed to decisively supporting this event, one of the biggest in the city and the biggest event of its kind in the whole the world.
In fact, the City of São Paulo complies with the Public Ministry's determinations to guarantee the safety of the population, a commitment made by it when jointly signing the Conduct Adjustment Term.
It is also worth highlighting that in addition to the Parade contributing to the promotion of a city that respects diversity and human rights, all the public resources invested in this mega demonstration return in even greater amounts, when LGBT Pride month is held due to the large increase tourism in the city during this period.
We remember that the then candidate Fernando Haddad visited the headquarters of the LGBT Pride Parade in 2012 and committed to maintaining and expanding the City Hall's support for the LGBT Pride Parade.
This was effectively carried out in 2013, when almost R$2 million was invested by the City Hall and the deadlines were met, including the bidding process for contracting services being carried out on time. There was also the return of the closing show, funded in part by the city hall.
This was effectively carried out in 2013, when almost R$2 million was invested by the City Hall and the deadlines were met, including the bidding process for contracting services being carried out on time. There was also the return of the closing show, funded in part by the city hall.
In 2014 we began to have problems in dialogue with the Coordination of LGBT Policies and at the end of the Parade we released a critical assessment of the events that occurred, which was publicized by APOGLBTSP.
In 2015 the situation got much worse, with several moves carried out by the City Hall's LGBT coordinator to disqualify APOGLBT and the São Paulo LGBT Pride Parade.
Even worse: there was a significant cut in resources for infrastructure, which fell from around R$2 million to R$1,3 million reais. This brutal cut in funding for the Parade almost made the traditional Diversity Fair, which has been taking place for fifteen years and which in 2015 the City Hall stopped supporting, unviable.
This caused a serious last-minute disruption. Fortunately, the Government of São Paulo, even in a tight deadline, financed the event.
Regarding the complaints investigated by the General Comptroller of the Municipality, the coordinator of LGBT policies at the City Hall, Mr. Alessandro Melchior published the following clarification:
"A few months ago we began a process of investigating the charging of fees for electric trios, conducted by the Subprefecture Coordination Secretariat. The process was expanded to the CGM. The next steps consist of a broad and sincere dialogue with all civil society to rethink the biggest event in the city of São Paulo, especially regarding the participation of #PrefeituraSP."
Now, this text is nothing more than an attempt to damage the image of APOGLBTSP with facts that do not match reality.
The Coordinator tries to divert the focus, throwing a smokescreen over the irregularities investigated within the scope of the Secretariat for Human Rights and Citizenship/Coordination of LGBT Policies.
Let us therefore remember some facts:
a) In November 2014, APOGLBTSP filed with the City Hall letters addressed to the Mayor, the then Secretary of Human Rights Rogerio Sotilli and the Coordinator
from LGBT Policies Alessandro Melchior, requesting an agenda for discussions on the 2015 edition of the Parade;
from LGBT Policies Alessandro Melchior, requesting an agenda for discussions on the 2015 edition of the Parade;
b) We arrived in December with no response and filed new letters, also requesting an agenda with the city hall, as we were concerned about the situation of inertia, given that traditionally, at the beginning of the year, the ordinance that releases Paulista to the three annual events, including the Parade, São Silvestre and Reveillón;
c) We insistently tried to set such an agenda without any feedback, with the first meeting only taking place in March 2015 for the aforementioned negotiations;
d) Unlike previous years, the aforementioned ordinance that nominates the organizing committee and initiates the processes related to the organization of the Parade by the city hall was published in the Official Gazette only at the beginning of May, which left us overwhelmed, apprehensive and responsible for taking all measures in a much shorter period of time than usual.
In addition to these problems, in its campaign of attacks on APOGLBT, the LGBT Policy Coordination insisted that we sign a new conduct adjustment agreement (TAC), different from previous years. Among the changes imposed, they wanted to prohibit charging fees for electric trios.
Now, trio and sponsorship fees are APOGLBTSP's way of ensuring compliance with its part of the expenses during LGBT Pride Month and to guarantee its monthly costs such as rent for the headquarters, condominium, electricity, telephone and other expenses for its maintenance.
Now, we are a civil society organization that organizes the event autonomously and we have the right to sustainability mechanisms, such as charging private trios from companies and organizations with considerable revenue. It is not up to the City Hall to interfere in the internal management of APOGLBT and the organization of the Parade.
As we did not agree to sign such a term, the LGBT Policy Coordination managed together with the Sé Subprefecture to publish an ordinance with all the changes that were being imposed.
From then on, and after the Parade, the persecution of Mr. Melchior continued, with the opening of administrative proceedings against APOGLBT for charging the trios fee.
In this sense, and concerned about the 2016 LGBT Pride Parade, we have requested a hearing with Mayor Fernando Haddad and Secretary Eduardo Suplicy.
We are waiting for a response.
Finally, we reiterate that we will not accept the largest LGBT Pride Parade in the world being harmed by a public manager who is averse to dialogue, authoritarian and uncommitted to the history of the LGBT movement, as is the case with Mr. Alessandro Melchior.
There is even widespread dissatisfaction in the LGBT social movement in São Paulo due to the closure of the LGBT Municipal Council, which has completed 12 months without meeting.
We are sure that Mayor Fernando Haddad will continue with his campaign commitments, valuing and supporting LGBT policies and the holding of the LGBT Pride Parade.
São Paulo, November 6, 2015.
