That is right out of the First Amendment, you know the one that that the Republicans are always quoting? They have a hard time reading it after freedom of religion.
“However, we have recently become aware of a number of factors that make it unsafe to hold this event at this time”LA BladeBy Brody LevesqueMay 21, 2023The organizers of the upcoming ‘PRIDE in St. Cloud’ scheduled for June 10 cancelled the event on Friday.In a Facebook post and in social media, a spokesperson for Bozanich Photography Collaborative the primary organization wrote: “This decision was not made lightly. We have been working hard to plan this event for months, and we were excited to celebrate our community with you. However, we have recently become aware of a number of factors that make it unsafe to hold this event at this time”On Thursday, Orlando media outlets reported on a traffic sign in suburban Lake Nona, located 12 miles north of St. Cloud, at Lake Nona Boulevard and Nemours Parkway, had its traffic message altered to flash the message “KILL ALL GAYS” in the pre-dawn hours on Wednesday.
Florida just enacted a slew of new restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights.Huff PostBy Sara BoboltzMay 18, 2023An LGTBQ+ pride event usually held along the riverwalk in Tampa, Florida, has been canceled after hard-right Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bevy of anti-LGBTQ+ bills into law this week.Tampa Pride President Carrie West confirmed to several local news outlets that the event, called Tampa Pride on the River, would not go ahead in September because it features drag performances at a public venue. One of the state’s new laws targets drag where it might be visible to minors.“In the end, we didn’t want to take any chances,” West told the Tampa Bay Times on Thursday.“Really, I’m sorry,” West told WFLA, an NBC affiliate.The event usually draws around 20,000 people to downtown Tampa for food, drinks and entertainment in an area without any fencing, according to a St. Petersburg CBS affiliate.It is at least the second pride event to be canceled as Florida Republicans continue to attack the LGBTQ+ community. Officials in Port St. Lucie — a city north of West Palm Beach — axed a pride parade last month.
One group said that a “climate of fear” has overtaken the state in the wake of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ extreme new anti-LGBTQ+ laws.Huff PostBy Sara BoboltzMay 20, 2023Organizers in St. Cloud, Florida, announced this week they would be canceling an LGBTQ+ Pride festival next month, joining at least two other events as casualties of Florida’s extreme new anti-LGBTQ+ laws while other event organizers double down.The St. Cloud organizers wrote on social media that their decision to cancel the event in June — which is Pride Month — was “difficult” and “not made lightly.”
“This is the goal, they want to eliminate LGBTQ people from public life,” said one LGBTQ advocate.TruthoutBy Zane McNeillMay 15, 2023As LGBTQ Pride Month approaches, anti-drag bills are endangering pride events and businesses that serve LGBTQ people across the country, LGBTQ organizers have warned.Just since April, Port St. Lucie, Florida, canceled its pride parade after Florida lawmakers passed a bill targeting businesses that host drag performances; the largest performing arts center in northwest Arkansas announced that it would no longer be hosting a pride event; and the only lesbian bar in Houston, Texas, was denied insurance because the bar hosts drag shows, which may force the business to shutter its doors.“This is the goal, they want to eliminate LGBTQ people from public life,” said Alejandra Caraballo, a trans rights activist and civil rights attorney.
The Hill has an article that says not all Pride organization are backing down,
As other community organizations have canceled events, Florida’s Lake City Pride shared in a Facebook post that it “will never back down” and it “stood firm and united in fighting against the ‘Drag Ban.'”“No unconstitutional law will keep us from celebrating our PRIDE event,” the post added.
Unbowed, Proud Boys are planning now for their biggest Pride Month disruptions ever, extremism watchdogs warn
- The Proud Boys are more active than ever despite the J6 sedition convictions of four ex-leaders.
- The extremist group is planning anti-Pride protests and social media campaigns nationwide, watchdogs say.
- "I don't see how we don't end up having more violence next month," one extremism expert warns.
InsiderBy Laura ItalianoMay 20, 2023Unbowed by the recent January 6 sedition convictions of four former group leaders, the Proud Boys are now more active than ever, and are busy planning disruptive protests at Pride month celebrations across the country in June, according to extremism watchdogs and their own social media.The group is calling their counter-offensive "Proud" month, a celebration of "straight pride" and "Western values" designed to provoke violence, grow their membership, and — as one member posted recently on an internal planning channel on Telegram — "challenge this perversion of the Nuclear Family and Gender."[…]"What happened last year, it was probably just a whiff of what we might see this year, after 12 months of organizing," Bierich said."It's a dangerous thing, because the Proud Boys are all about violence, and so are the Patriot Front, she said. "Not necessarily firearms, but with bats, shields, and — most usually — with their fists."The Proud Boys have been planning their Pride offensive on a series of Telegram channels for at least two months.They are using the channels to share anti-trans vitriol and memes, including one joking that "LGBTQ" stands for "Let's Go Bully The Queers," and others mocking transgender — or "tranny" — suicide.
Pride was began as a rebellion against oppression and then it turned into a celebration of the community… and now?
We have seen this before when NAZI Germany had their Brownshirt attack Jews, Gypsies, and us.
Amendment ICongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
The amendments were written to keep government from doing just what Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas, and the other Republican states from doing just what they are doing now.
Businesses are backing away from us after Bud Light and they are running scared.
KABCByChristiane Cordero, Marc Cota-Robles, and Rob HayesMay 20, 2023The Los Angeles Dodgers are facing mounting criticism over its decision to withdraw an invitation it extended to a group called The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to participate in the team's annual LGBTQ+ Pride Night.Ahead of its June 16 Pride Night, the organization decided the nonprofit it intended to honor would no longer be invited due to backlash from Catholic organizations who find the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to be "mocking" them."I was shocked to be completely honest," said Sister Bearonce Knows of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. "I was shocked that the Dodgers caved so quickly."[…]The Dodgers said they removed the Sisters from this year's group of honorees given the strong feelings of people who have been offended, and to not distract from Pride Night.Backlash came primarily from three directions: out-of-state based organizations Catholic Vote and Catholic League, plus Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's office.
As the Tale of Two Cities begins with,
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it
We are entering the season of darkness.
I love being in a Blue state!
I just got an invite to table at the Capitol building for... June 5th “Pride Day at the Capitol while the legislature is in session. (It ends on June 7). Do you think Florida or Texas would hold a Pride Day at the Capitol?
One of the problems with using the constitution of the U.S is that these neo-Nazis, neo-Fascists, Proud Boys, etc do not respect it. Or they like the fascist republicans only respect it to their advantage and are using the legal system to legislate against us. So what do we do, go and gather because the constitution says we can, call out the National Guard or police to protect us (hopefully they are not in cahoots with the neo-fascists, which many are) hold the Pride celebrations regardless and get beat up, or pray like the dickens that all of their threats are just nonsense. It will have to be the younger generation to solve this problem and I hope by the time while the crap is hitting the fan that they are ready and not full of fluff and trinkets and think that it can't happen here or that the war is just against drag queens and the transgender community. What I have come to understand over the years that many LGB folks are iffy to say the least when it comes to others. You know the crowd; "I got my rights now go get yours," and once marriage and the military issue was solved in their favor they went home to their little mommy and daddy lifestyle and once again proclaimed, "We are just like you." But all the while the right says, "NO you are degenerate, you are sinners, you are disgusting." (of course in degrees) I have no longer any desire to go to PRIDE celebrations as they are no longer appealing to my politics.
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