On the Pride Movement
and Its Capitalist Takeover

In June 2001, Sylvia Rivera accepted Brooklyn Black Pride’s inaugural Marsha P. Johnson Award.

Before the ceremony, she spoke with activist Kristi Tho’mas.

Kristi Tho’mas (KT): Can you introduce yourself?

Sylvia Rivera (SR): My name is Sylvia Rivera. I’m co-founder of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, which is now Street Transgender Action Revolutionaries. And my co-founder was Marsha P. Johnson.

KT: What about the issues of — that there’s a lot of organizations that have included T in their bill, like ‘Lesbian, Gay, Bi, and Trans?’ Is there real inclusiveness or is it just a smokescreen? How do you feel about that?

SR: Yeah that’s the bottom line. It’s all — it’s a big smokescreen. This movement has become so capitalist. It is a capitalist movement. I see this movement becoming a “straight gay” movement, that only believes in that almighty dollar. Now what kind of logic is this? I don’t understand. We don’t owe the straight community a damn thing, so why should we be giving them our money?

I feel highly offended. So what is the purpose of us... not us, because — this is no longer my pride. I gave them their pride, but they have not given me mine.

But what is the purpose of them celebrating their pride and giving straight people — who still really don’t accept the community, the Gay and Lesbian community, for what they are — but they want that almighty dollar of ours.

Sylvia Rivera died in February 2002.

This interview is publicly available thanks to the tireless efforts of Tourmaline.