Rescinding Approval for the London Dyke March
Miscommunication, why we’re rescinding our approval, and what the plan is now.
(Please read the entire post. Do not be disrespectful to any organiser.)
Image Description: Greta Mauch, dressed in all pink (including her mask), holds up a sign that reads “Remember our history. Dykes protect the immunodeficient. Ask me for a free mask.”
Timeline:
The day after the 2024 London Dyke March, Breathe Easy London lead organiser Greta Mauch publicly posted a statement of concern that masks were not required, even for the Disabled section, as they are in both the DC and New York City dyke marches.
London Dyke March organisers reposted the statement and invited Greta to help with this task for 2025.
On 20th May, the London Dyke March organisers called Greta to ask how she recommend this is implemented, saying that masks will in fact be required for the 2025 London Dyke March and that they just need help with explaining and enforcing.
Later that day, Greta sent a thoroughly researched copy for the London Dyke March to use, explaining current COVID case rates, the effects of Long COVID on the Disabled, Trans, and POC communities, and the importance of lesbian solidarity on this issue. Greta asked how it would be implemented, and the London Dyke March organisers asked Greta to write the enforcement policy. Greta wrote one and sent it on 22nd May, writing that masks should be provided and if they cannot be (or someone refuses to wear them), that unmasked individuals will be moved to the back, away from the Disabled section.
This did not receive a response, and when followed up, the London Dyke March organisers said something would be posted soon.
On 12th June, the London Dyke March Instagram account posted information about the march, saying masks would be required in the Disabled section only.
On 13th June, Greta contacted the London Dyke March asking to clarify if they will be posting the mask requirement for the entire march later or if the plan had changed to just the Disabled section (for which Breathe Easy London would still give approval).
On 16th June, Greta left another voice note, asking them to clarify for whom masks are required. Recognising that the London Dyke March understandably does not have the funds to provide masks for everyone, she suggested publicly requiring them anyway in order to show solidarity and increase the overall number of masks (and therefore safety), and enforcing the requirement by moving unmasked individuals to the back.
On 17th June, the London Dyke March posted that masks would be encouraged in the Disabled block only. Greta sent a message to the organiser she’d been in contact with saying that this language either needs to be corrected or Breathe Easy London will rescind our approval.
Discussion and Solutions:
30 minutes later, Greta received a phone call from a different London Dyke March organiser explaining the miscommunication.
They explained that the plan was always to only require masks for the Disabled block, and apologised for that miscommunication (which we appreciate). They also explained that there is concern on the following issues:
They did not want to use “exemptions” language, as this felt too close to “policing disabilities.”
They did not want people to feel as though they are going to be singled out for not masking.
They wanted to be mindful that it is expected to be 29 degrees and this may masking difficult for some people.
They did not feel they could adequately enforce masking for the entire march, both in terms of finances and logistics.
They felt that asking everyone to COVID test and not come if experiencing symptoms would be the best they can do.
After some discussion, the following solutions were agreed upon:
Breathe Easy London will rescind our approval and post this explanation.
The London Dyke March will change the language back to “required” and “exemptions,” but include a bit about not policing this directly.
The London Dyke March will post stronger language about encouraging everyone to mask, including statistics on how Disabled people, Trans people, and people of colour are affected by Long COVID, and calling on the lesbian community to take responsibility for others and step up on their own accord.
The London Dyke March will announce these statistics and this call at the beginning of the march, encouraging everyone who can to mask.
Both Greta and the London Dyke March team will supply masks and COVID tests to the Disabled block.
Greta will host a mask-required section at the park gathering after the march.
Statement:
“I am disappointed that the communication with London Dyke March was so difficult and untransparent, though I do appreciate their recognition of that, their apology, and the solutions agreed upon. I still believe that much more could be done to protect the Disabled community and demonstrate community safety in general.
There are 5,000 people expected to come, and for everyone 1 person with COVID, 5-6 more are infected. With a minimum 30% risk of Long COVID from every infection, this would mean if only 10% of people showed up with COVID (symptomatic or not), 750 people would be permanently disabled because of the march. It is simply not safe, especially when the actual rate of Long COVID for trans people, people of colour, and women is much higher.
Moreover, Disabled people are the ones killed by COVID most, 4 times higher than everyone else.
Disabled people will never be safe or integrated until organisers are willing to make people uncomfortable and do logistically difficult things to protect us. Those who refuse to mask and do their part to protect their community should feel unwelcome, the same way anyone else known to cause harm is.
I know for a fact that if there was an airborne disease that killed women at a rate four times higher than men, and all the women were masking and pleading with the men to mask, that so many more people would rightfully call misogyny, and frankly violence, on their cries of “It’s uncomfortable” or “We don’t want to exclude people.” It is no different when that’s the response to the Disabled community. We deserve strong, unwavering commitment to our survival.
Moreover, it’s shocking that those who are pro-trans people are not more willing to make people uncomfortable to protect them, when 15% of trans people have Long COVID, and their general risk of being disabled by COVID is 48%. I’m glad they’re vocally disallowing people who are causing emotional and societal harm to trans people. There’s no doubt the London Dyke March team have done loads to be trans-inclusive and that the march will be emotionally safe and welcoming for trans people. However, we urge organisers to consider more aspects of making their spaces physically safe as well. That includes taking on inconvenience or unpopularity to disallow people who will permanently physically harm trans people with an airborne virus. I don’t think concerns over “policing” or “unwelcoming” or “uncomfortable” outweigh trans people’s right to complete safety either.
We did not get a stronger commitment to safety here, and it is very distressing to say the least. It speaks to the overall issue within queer communities of abandoning each other over COVID. Frankly, the fact that any dyke march would need to require masks to get people to wear them is disgusting. It is not in line with the history of lesbians protecting the LGBT community in the face of an immunocompromising virus the government ignores, and we need to call on the London lesbian community– and London as a whole– to step up much more than they are now.
I’m glad we could come to some kind of agreement in terms of being stronger in our language and still having some safety in place. I do genuinely commend them for that, and it is absolutely an effortful improvement over last year. I think any progress in infection prevention or even discussion of COVID is helpful, even if one fewer person gets COVID. But again, it does not show true commitment to safety nor courage in their commitment to community.
I encourage the London Dyke March, to, again, follow New York and DC in a stronger mask requirement and commit to standing with Disabled people with the same strength. As always, I am here to help at any step of the way (the sooner the better). I do not hold the miscommunication against them (organising is always difficult, and I have empathy for those doing such important work). Rather, I think the policies themselves deserve a more critical eye, especially when we put in significant labour into giving step-by-step instructions on how to improve them (which were disregarded). I don’t think issues, disagreements, or miscommunications like this should be uncomfortable or barriers to creating safe, caring communities that we both want, and I would genuinely love to help with this (the sooner the better). Any organiser that wants to improve their COVID safety, and therefore Disabled integration, will always be met with kindness, open arms, and solidarity by the Breathe Easy London team.”
-Greta Mauch, Breathe Easy London lead organiser