Is Pride the right target for Just Stop Oil? Yes, when it’s letting our common enemy off the hook

‘While some people have objected to the very notion of protesting against a Pride event, there is a long history of activists doing so.’ Photograph: Sinai Noor/Shutterstock

Queer members of Just Stop Oil issued Pride in London with a set of demands this week, arguing that “the climate crisis is the biggest threat to LGBTQ+ rights, due to social collapse”. This comes after Pride faced accusations of “pinkwashing” over its decision to make United Airlines the headline sponsor of this year’s event.

Just Stop Oil is calling for transparency around which companies Pride in London accepts money from, and how these decisions are made; a statement from the organisers demanding an end to new oil and gas; and a public meeting with its volunteers about joining the fight for climate justice. Failure to meet these demands, Just Stop Oil suggested, “may or may not” result in protest action during Saturday’s event.