We received a response from @readingprideuk this morning and are very disappointed. We are now planning next steps, and in the meantime felt it necessary to share Reading Pride’s response publicly for the benefit of those who signed the open letter.

Email in images and copy and pasted into comments below.

We urge performers, artists, creatives and partners of Reading Pride to boycott the festival until they drop Doritos and (any other yet to be announced sponsors investing in G3n0c1d3) as a sponsor. Please apply to @theladfund to help with lost pay.

Dear Ollie, George, Milly, Emeline and George,

Thank you for your email regarding sponsorship of Reading Pride. For over two decades, Reading Pride has promoted diversity, equity and inclusivity. As one of the largest free Pride Festivals in the country, we offer an accessible space for LGBTQ+ equality in the Thames Valley.

This is only possible by the generous support of those that raise money, sponsor or donate directly to Reading Pride. The festival is a complex operation and requires many funds and lots of hard work from dedicated volunteers around the year (none are paid) to enable it to take place.

While we understand your position, we have spoken to PepsiCo, and have received the following response, which we feel provides adequate reassurance and does not necessitate us to end the sponsorship with a company who has supported Reading Pride for the past 15 years.

'PepsiCo UK is proud to be a long-term supporter of Reading Pride and we're looking forward to being part of the festival again this year. With Reading being the home of our UK head office, the relationship with Reading Pride is an important part of the engagement with our local community and is led by our LGBTQ+ employee resource group, EQUAL.

PepsiCo UK is part of a global food and beverages company, present in 200 countries and regions including the Middle East. Neither PepsiCo nor any of our brands are affiliated with any government or military in the conflict. We care deeply about the safety and well-being of everyone in these communities and are horrified by the violence and suffering taking place. We have provided millions in aid to those suffering in the region and will continue to do so.'

Reading Pride remains committed to fighting hate and inequality until Love Unites us all. We still have a fight to ban conversion therapy and while the recent change in Government is positive in this regard, we need to see this through to completion. We also need to work to improve the lives of Trans* people, who have come under increasing pressure in their daily lives.

While our charitable objectives somewhat restrict activities that we can undertake directly, we do support your concerns regarding the Middle East. Therefore, if you set-up a shared fund-raising account for one or more of you to fly to Palestine to support the relief effort in person, and in an LGBTQ+ capacity, as local individuals we can help promote your cause to a wider audience. We could possibly assist you in working with aid organisations, so you can directly help the people of Palestine.

In unity,

Reading Pride Trustees

*updated due to error missing out part of the text - see ‘we want Reading Pride to:’

We emailed Reading Pride on 4th June to let them know that Doritos is owned by PepsiCo, a company that invests in Israel and the genocide of Palestinians. We have received no response to our email.

PepsiCo bought SodaStream in 2018, and also co-owns the brand Sabra - both of which are on the Palestinian run Boycott, Divest and Sanction list.

SodaStream is actively complicit in Israel's policy of displacing the indigenous Bedouin-Palestinian citizens of Israel in the Naqab (Negev). SodaStream have a long history of mistreatment of and discrimination against Palestinian workers. Sabra hummus is a joint venture between PepsiCo and the Strauss Group, an Israeli food company that provides financial support to the Israeli army.

It is deeply troubling to us as part of the Reading queer community to see Reading Pride accept sponsorship and support from companies investing in the genocide of Palestinian people.

We are calling on our community to sign an open letter to Reading Pride urging them to take action. We want Reading Pride to:

• Drop Doritos and any other sponsors yet to be announced investing in Israel as a sponsor in solidarity with the BDS movement.

• Publicly call for a ceasefire and a free Palestine.

There is no pride in genocide. We refuse to allow pinkwashing to justify the brutal repression of Palestinians, using queer people to legitimise this horrific violence.

Head to the link in our bio to sign your name on our open letter for Pride.

If you are due to perform at Reading Pride and wish to remove your labour in solidarity, the LAD fund are doing incredible work to provide much needed funds to replace pay lost. Head to @theladfund to find out more.

We are not free until we are all free. Free Palestine 🇵🇸