Diane Abbott and David Lammy are among signatories to letter saying British Airways cannot claim to be an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community

It is unacceptable for British Airways to be a sponsor of Brighton and Hove Pride in light of its controversial record of accepting contracts from the Home Office to forcibly deport migrants – including LGBTQIA+ people seeking asylum.

Last month, after campaigning from migrant and solidarity groups and just before Pride in London, Virgin Atlantic announced that it will no longer carry out such deportations. To show a true spirit of solidarity at Brighton and Hove Pride, British Airways should follow Virgin’s example by refusing to remain complicit in the deportations.

Pride is a celebration of the advancement of equality in which the whole queer community, including migrants, should feel welcome. The presence of companies that profit from deportations is an affront to the vision of freedom that Pride represents. It is an added insult that many of those deported on British Airways are LGBTQIA+ people who should be marching with us at the parade but are instead brutally rounded up and ejected from the UK to face poverty, persecution and, in some cases, death.

Pride is about so much more than rainbows, glitter and celebratory speeches. It is about the queer community coming together to challenge injustice. British Airways cannot claim to be an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community while it continues to be part of the government’s “hostile environment” – a policy that is destroying the lives of racial and ethnic minorities across Britain. There is no pride in deporting human beings.



MPs/MEPs:

Diane Abbott MP Shadow home secretary

David Lammy MP Tottenham

Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP Kemptown and Peacehaven

Julie Ward MEP North West England

Aimee Challenor Equalities (LGBTIQA+) spokesperson, Green party of England and Wales

Campaigners:

Matt Beard Executive director, All Out

Zita Holbourne National chair, Barac UK

Bisi Alimi Director, Bisi Alimi Foundation

Rachel Krengel Co-organiser, Women’s March London

Anton Johnson Greater London TUC LGBT+ officer

Rev Jak Davis Metropolitan Community Church

Sue Sanders Advisory group of cross-government hate crime board

Philip Jones 1st Wednesdays

Diane Frost Senior lecturer sociology, social policy and criminology, Liverpool University

Ray Harvey LGBT+ human rights campaigner since 1971

Sian Summers-Rees Chief officer of City of Sanctuary UK

Ben Walters and Tim Crocker-Buqué Queer Spaces network

Stuart Feather Activist and author of Blowing the Lid

Neil Prince & QBoy R&She

Jill Power Southbank changemaker for the economic and social inclusion of LGBTI refugees and asylum seekers.

Mike Jackson Co-founder Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (in a personal capacity)

Dave Lewis Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (in a personal capacity)

Dr Laura Harvey Senior lecturer, Brighton University

Matty Gladstone Head of programmes, Help Refugees

Elaine Ortiz Director and founder, Hummingbird Project

Maude Casey Brighton-based writer and activist

Aloysius Ssali Say it Loud Club

Crag Gent Senior editor, Novara Media

Dalia Gebrial Novara Media

Michael Walker Novara Media

Clare Hymer Novara Media

Concepta Cassar Writer; branch secretary, South Telford Constituency Labour party

Joni Cohen Women’s Strike

Artists and businesses:

Andrew Garfield

Travis Alabanza

Alfie Ordinary

Tramfau

Kehman Breon Bob

FOC it up

Chiyo Gomes

Sister Fibrosis

Lily SnatchDragon

Lolo Brow

Scarlett O’Hora

LADS

Tracy Barlow

Herr

Felix Le Freak

Jacob Berkson

Her Upsairs

Tuckshop Managment

Clare Summerskill

Ophelea Love

Mynxie Monroe

XANA

Persephone Pearl ONCA

Sarah Savage Transpride Brighton

Fox & Owl Film-makers

Sarah Choudrey

Ama Josephine Batty Mama

Joey Fafia

Prudence Rae

Dickie Beau Performer

Effie Fowler ED Fowler Band

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