Fashion Cares Bollywood Cowboy: Media Statement
Toronto, June 9, 2005 -- The AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) apologizes that it did not consult more broadly when ideas were originally being developed for this year’s Fashion Cares theme so that ACT's participation in planning meetings could have been informed by this input.
ACT also apologizes for the potentially offensive use of an image on the cover of a program and as an insert to a gift bag that were provided only to gala patrons. In the time available between hearing concerns and the event, the Fashion Cares Committee was able to remove the image from all marketing materials and from the show itself.
Like many organizations engaging diverse communities, ACT sometimes make mistakes. ACT's leadership takes full responsibility for the lack of consultation and for the use of an image that may have offended members of Toronto's South Asian communities. We sincerely regret any offence that was caused.
ACT is committed to continuing our broad-based consultations with different ethnocultural and other stakeholder communities as we undertake our HIV prevention and support activities. ACT is also committed to developing a broader consultative process for the planning and development of similar fundraising activities in the future.
ACT strives for ethnocultural competence and representation at the level of the Board, staff, and volunteers and in all aspects of the agency’s work. ACT will only achieve the goal of ethnocultural competence by sharing our experiences with our community partners and other affected communities and having them share their experiences with us. Collegiality and partnership are the hallmarks of our best work in the HIV/AIDS movement.
ACT thanks the members of Toronto's South Asian communities who have both supported and raised concerns about the theme and imagery used for Fashion Cares this year. This dialogue has provided an important learning opportunity for the agency.
John Lavis, Chair, ACT Board of Directors
Karim Karsan, Member, ACT Board of Directors