The latest drama at Pride HQ brings the LGBT community into even more disrepute, if that is possible.

Pride’s row with Aeon Events PR Ltd  the owners of the Wild Fruit brand, the company contracted to supply alcohol at Pride on Preston Park on August 7, comes as no surprise to many within the LGBT community.

The delivery of a successful Pride depends on the statutory authorities, the LGBT business sector and LGBT voluntary sector organisations working together. The role of Pride, the organisation, should be to facilitate and build trust and confidence within these three sectors to make the event happen. They are painfully failing to do this. There is little trust and confidence from the LGBT business and voluntary sector in the present board to deliver the Pride that people seem to want. Pride simply do not listen!

This is the reason that Aeon Events PR Ltd asked to see evidence that Pride could stage and pay for this years event before handing over any money to the organisation. It was good business practice and any business man would ask the same questions before investing money in this type of event, especially after the cancellation of the Beach Down festival last year.

The City Council have confirmed that they were shown financial information by Pride in January this year to secure a £20,000 loan. So, just five months later, why did the same board feel they could not offer the same courtesy to the main local gay owned business still supporting Pride, Aeon Events PR Ltd, who were investing £71,000 and have been Prides biggest fundraiser and supporter for the last fifteen years?

After Pride’s disastrous efforts to try and railroad through changes to the event at the end of 2009, two forums were set up to liaise with the local LGBT business community and voluntary sector. Five months after these forums were set up, both forums are complaining of a lack of information about this years Pride.

Many local LGBT businesses and some voluntary sector organisations tell me they have lost confidence in the Pride board to deliver the Pride that they want.

Just two years ago we had a successful event serviced by loyal and trusted suppliers, local LGBT businesses and the LGBT voluntary sector. Two years on the event is in chaos. The Board need to take responsibility for this.

The present fiasco has been deeply damaging to cohesion within the LGBT community and in order to reassure the community at large that we’re going to get an event in August, Pride should open their books right away to an independent auditor and indicate that they can indeed pay for the event that they’ve been promising everyone that they’re going to deliver in August.

Budgets on the park have been slashed and promises broken by Pride to organisations such as the Women’s Tent organisers. A major LGBT organisation have told me they will not be on the park this year.

Pride continues to limp on, fire fighting daily. People are so desperate to have a Pride they will put up with anything.

The bottom line is that we get the Pride that we deserve. If you’re not happy with the event, it is because you have not taken care of it and allowed the organisation to fall into the hands of people who in my view just don’t understand the sensitivities of the LGBT voluntary sector and LGBT business community. Pride has misread the vocal opposition that has been stacking up against them now for the last seven months. The signing of a new Bars Contract does not solve Pride’s problems, it only eases them.

It is all very, very sad.