A federal judge has told a pair of New York promoters “shame on you” for using the words NYC Pride to pump their bashes during Gay Pride Week.
But one of the promoters slapped with a preliminary injunction for trademark infringement, Brandon Voss, calls the decision “absurd.” The battle has divided the gay community, a source said, adding, “Suing other gay guys seems ugly during Pride Week.”
NYC Pride — which includes events from a rally on Tuesday to a closing Demi Lovato show on Sunday — is run by nonprofit Heritage of Pride. Official partners range from Macy’s to the Out NYC Hotel.
Heritage claimed that after it approached Voss to launch a party that didn’t come off, he and Jake Resnicow used the NYC Pride name for their parties, called Matinee and Supreme, anyway, and used “nycpride” e-mail addresses.
Voss said: “It is absurd that any organization should own the word ‘Pride’ used next to the name of our city.” Heritage’s Chris Frederick said: “The defendants have tried to spin this as us trying to own NYC Pride, when they’re the for-profit producers.”