Open Hearts, Open Minds: Questions & Answers

Below is a summary of the questions asked at the October 30th, 2025 Open Hearts, Open Minds Event.

Note: Several questions were asked with overlapping themes and inquiries, so some questions below have been combined to answer the central theme.

Question:
Can you clarify if board member’s posts name and call out Pride London Festival and the Well, does Wortley Pride feel these comments (all of them) do not constitute an issue with regards to Wortley Pride’s bylaws specifically regarding online posts and interactions by board members?

Answer:
As a diverse volunteer board, all members are able to express themselves in their own spaces, both digitally and physically, as is their right to free speech. However, expressions must be balanced with the conduct expected by board members as members agreed to in the Wortley Pride Code of Conduct (specially sections  2.7, 17.1 17.2, A2 and A4 for more details). While we acknowledge that our board members are human (therefore can make mistakes and learn from them) we have not had anyone violate any Code of Conduct to date.

Question:
Why does there seem to be a lack of media literacy for your social media pages?

Answer: 
While our volunteers do have experience with social media and have basic media literacy, this situation has highlighted issues with the process of how we create posts. This process has been re-designed by the board and changes have been made (a review period, multiple reviewers, post previews to ensure formatting, etc.).

Question:
Why did you delete the comments holding your members accountable from the “apology” post?

Answer:
The post was initially kept up with comments on for public discussion to maintain transparency and accountability. However, when the comments shifted from engagement (i.e. viable links for Palestinian support, suggestions for bias training, historical context for the situation, etc.) to a combative and violent nature, this prompted the removal of commenting to prevent further violent behaviour. Note that all prior comments were recorded before commenting was removed and the board is following up on the commenters’ suggestions.

Question:
Are you using AI in your posts?

Answer:
As a small, volunteer group we are often limited in our capacity and in times of shortened capacity we have used AI imagery. To date, all worded posts are self-written and/or drawn from cited sources, with AI imagery having been used in only a few event posters.

Question:
Why do you have someone who would publicly condemn October 7th on your team? Those ideologies are not aligned. This begs the question, what kind of background checks are you doing on your members?”

Answer:
The post made on Oct 7th was a mistake, and although it was done with a well-meaning heart, it didn’t address the genocide and erasure of Palestinian peoples that is linked to the date. As a result of the post’s community engagement and board discussion, there has been improved education of the situation and changes to internal processes to help vet posts (imagery and text) prior to release.

Regarding background checks, prospective board members are vetted through an induction process involving a trial period where opinions are shared and understood, along with formal checks (police checks, previous volunteerism). Founding board members have a solid understanding of the code of conduct and complete annual background police checks.

Question:
Why was the meeting framed as a community conversation without addressing the reason prompting the meeting?

Answer:
The Oct 7th post prompted a variety of feedback from the community – some specifically regarding the content of the post, but most feedback on aspects of general board conduct, operations, and logistics. Given the wide range of questions, we needed a meeting that would allow for a wider community discussion. The framing for a community conversation was done specifically to invite people in for a discussion in a safe and open space while not creating political fodder for those outside the community.

Question:
You have stated you reached out to professionals for help – do they have political ties and why ask for their help?

Answer: 
Our volunteer board is made up of many individuals with diverse experiences, cultural backgrounds, faiths, skillsets, and knowledge, but none of us are experts on international relations or communications specialists. Given this, we did reach out to organizations with experience and high ethical standards (i.e. Pillar Non-Profit Network) for general guidance regarding how to best support the community in this context. None of the groups have political affiliations and provide support to the public across sectors – they have no known ties to Zionism.

Question:
Why have you been silent about the ongoing genocide in Palestine?

Answer:
As a volunteer group of diverse queer community members and allies, Wortley Pride was created to support the local queer community and has limited capacity and ability to advocate even within our local area. This means our skillset, knowledge, and planning is tailored to local queer community needs, not global affairs which are far outside our bounds. The post prompting this discussion was a mistake as it goes outside of what we have capacity for. It is important to note that while the organization has been silent until now, individual board members have been active in their support for Palestinian within their own capacities and spaces.

Question:
Why did your post mention the Israeli lives lost on October 7th, 2023, but not the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians lives which have been taken by Israel since?

Answer:
While the intention behind the post was to highlight human suffering, it was a mistake  as it did not address the wider situational context including the larger difference of Palestinian lives lost – in no way was it intended to highlight the Israeli government. The image used to share that sentiment was wrong and insensitive to the situation – we sincerely apologise for the harm caused to our Palestinian and queer allies.

Question:
What are you willing to do to confront and correct anti-Palestinian hatred, racism, and misinformation within your organization and at your events?

Answer: 
As a small, diverse group of volunteers, we are personally committed to continuous learning and are willing to confront hatred, bigotry, racism, transphobia, homophobia, and all forms of violence against humanity, as well as misinformation. We have always been committed to this cause and will continue to do so through our activities, starting with actions including more in-depth bias training for all board members.

Question:
Are you willing to commit to BDS guidelines (Boycott, Sanction & Divest – https://www.bdsmovement.net/bds-guidelines) to ensure that your organization is not further complicit in normalizing or supporting the genocidal, apartheid state of Israel? Will this extend to your sponsors, too?

Answer:
While we work to ensure that our resources and sponsors are reputable, as volunteers we do not have the capacity to commit that every sponsor meets specific guidelines. That said, our board has reviewed our current sponsors and resource groups have been in alignment with the BDS guidelines to the extent of our knowledge.

Question:
How will you prepare your members to respond/engage when there is inevitable backlash from Zionist/pro-Israel lobbying groups?

Answer:
We stand committed to confront hatred, bigotry, racism, transphobia, homophobia, and all forms of violence against humanity. Any backlash will be addressed from these grounds.

Question:
Will you consult with Palestinians through these processes?

Answer:
We maintain open hearts and minds and are willing to consult with Palestinians to continue to speak out against genocide and sufferings of Palestinian peoples

Question:
Do you acknowledge that, like Canada, Israel is a settler-colonial state founded on the dispossession and erasure of the Indigenous population? Are you committed to learning about the impacts of colonialism and work within decolonial frameworks?

Answer:
We are committed to confront hatred, bigotry, racism, transphobia, homophobia, and all forms of violence against humanity, but, given our knowledge as a board at this time we do not have enough education to make any claims to know. However, we continue to stay committed to inner work, learning, and community work towards Truth and Reconciliation and remain welcoming to opportunities to continue this learning and support groups and communities that overlap with Wortley Pride’s purpose.