A pair of Seattle LGBT Pride event organizers, who complained to city officials that a separate pride event seeking to charge white people up to $50 for 'reparations' to attend was reverse racism have apologized after sparking a backlash.
Philip Lipson and Charlette LeFevre are organizers of Capitol Hill Pride in Seattle. They issued their apology on Facebook over the weekend.
The pair had complained to the city about a separate event, called 'Taking B[l]ack Pride,' which is set to be held Saturday and is charging white people up to $50 to attend as 'reparations.' They said such a fee was reverse racism.
But their complaints sparked a furious woke backlash - and the pair apologized, saying their complaint was 'not meant to be an attack or divide but to ensure equality for all.' Still, they have stood by their criticism that the charge is wrong, they told DailyMail.com
Organizers of the black-focused event, meanwhile, still are set to charge the $50 fee after the city stood behind them.
Lipson and LeFevre, who said she is part Asian, sparked controversy after the Seattle Human Rights Commission, which advises the City Council, shared their initial complaint to the city. That complaint asked if the $50 charge violated any laws.
But the commission slammed the complaint on Friday - saying the pair needed to 'educate' themselves.
LeFevre, however, maintains that charging only white people for attendance regardless of the circumstance is wrong.
'Dr. King once said he had a dream that we would live in a nation where a person should not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,' she told Daily Mail.com. 'I think that says it all.'
Taking B[l]ack Pride, is free, but organizers, Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network and Queer the Land, have told 'white allies and accomplices' they 'will be charged a $10 to $50 reparations fee that will be used to keep this event free of cost for Black and brown trans and queer community.'
Neither event is associated with Seattle Pride, the city's main LGBTQ event, which is hosting its events virtually this year. Lipson and LeFevre's pride event also is separate from the city's main pride celebration.
Capitol Hill Pride organizers Philip Lipson and Cherlette LeFevre apologized after issuing a complaint to the City of Seattle that a separate pride event requiring up to $50 'reparations fee' for white attendees constituted reverse discrimination
In their complaint Lipson and LeFevre, wrote to the City of Seattle saying: 'It has come to our attention that an event called Take B(l)ack Pride at the Jimi Hendrix public park June 26th is charging whites only admission as reparations.
'We consider this reverse discrimination in its worse (sic) form and we feel we are being attacked for not supporting due to disparaging and hostile e-mails.
'Please review this event's stated admission policy as we feel this event is violating Seattle, King County, State and Federal equality laws.'
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