Pride Month Begins With Anti-LGBTIQ Protests, Threats, and Vandalism
During the first week of Pride Month, events in communities around the country were the target of protests, threats, and vandalism.
During the first week of Pride Month, events in communities around the country were the target of protests, threats, and vandalism.
In the weeks leading up to Pride Month, far right activists and right-wing elected officials have attempted to restrict the abilities of local governments to celebrate Pride Month, and targeted LBGTIQ groups organizing Pride Month events.
Florida has banned “use of rainbow colors on lighting systems wired into its bridges,” and in response (for the second consecutive year) “Pride Month celebrants lit up a bridge in downtown Jacksonville with high-powered, hand-held lights.”
In Huntington, West Virginia, officials announced that the city would only fly “American, state and city flags at city hall in June,” city councilwoman Ally Layman, who is the first member of the city council publicly identify as LGBTIQ, is reportedly “encouraging residents who’d like to participate to ‘fill the city’ with Pride flags.”
In Portsmouth, Ohio, the city council voted against a “proposed resolution to declare Portsmouth welcoming to LGBTQ+ residents,” and the proposal was reportedly defeated after “residents expressed confusion over what the resolution did and misinformation on social media and the mayor’s and city solicitor’s imprecise statements about the legality of the resolution added to the confusion.”
Far right anti-LGBTIQ activists, including Shannon Adcock (chair of the DuPage County chapter of Moms for Liberty and head of Awake Illinois), targeted the Beverly Branch of the Chicago Public Library for hosting a drag queen story hour.
Christian Maxwell, Republican candidate for Illinois' 1st Congressional District, called for the event to be canceled, and Tedora Brown, Republican candidate for Illinois' 11th Congressional District, demanded that anyone participating should be arrested.
In response, various local grassroots activist groups are organized a counter-protest and community defense of the library, and there were reportedly several dozen supporters of the library during the drag queen story hour.
Protests Targeting Pride
Naples, Florida: Anti-LGBTIQ protesters targeted the Naples Pride Fest at Cambier Park, and there were reportedly “arguing matches were spotted outside the Norris Center where the show performances were held.” Several members of the Hurricane Coast chapter of the Proud Boys, the far right violent extremist group, were present at the Naples Pride Fest.
Coeur d'Alene: Christian fundamentalist anti-LGBTIQ protesters targeted the Pride in the Park event hosted by the North Idaho Pride Alliance.
Towanda, Pennsylvania: During Endless Mountains Pride, anti-LGBTIQ protesters reportedly “stood together on the soldiers’ monument in front of the courthouse during speeches and musical performances.” The protesters are apparently affiliated with the Hope Community Church of Warren Center and refer to themselves as “Endless Mountains Guardians.”
Vandalism and Violence Targeting Pride
Petaluma, California: Local law enforcement reportedly arrested an individual for “allegedly making criminal threats against a Petaluma City Schools District official over pride flags,” and the threats included “statement that the administrator would be ‘executed’ if the pride flags were not removed by the end of the school day.”
San Diego, California: Ascension Lutheran Church reported that their Pride Month banner had been torn down and vandalized for the second time in as many days, and “surveillance video showed a masked lookout nearby while two others tore down the framed banner.”
Stockton, California: Local law enforcement is reportedly “investigating a series of hate incidents targeting LGBTQ+ spaces and symbols just as Pride Month celebrations begin,” and there have been at least three separate incidents reported “including vandalism and multiple Pride flags being torn down.”
Boise, Idaho: Pride flags have reportedly been vandalized, and for the fifth consecutive year “at least some of those flags have been vandalized or torn down.”
Sayreville, New Jersey: Pride flag was raised outside the Sayreville Borough Hall, and within hours of being raised the flag was reportedly “damaged but still usable after the vandal tore it down.”
New York, New York: The Pride banners outside Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan were reportedly torn down “for the second year in a row.”
Apex, North Carolina: Project Rainbow, an LGBTQIA+ fitness group, reportedly “claimed their pride flag was vandalized several times in the last few weeks,” including a recent incident when an unidentified individual “deliberately removed and destroyed a pride flag” — local law enforcement is reportedly investigating.
New Holland, Pennsylvania: Local law enforcement is reportedly “trying to determine the identity of a man seen stealing and destroying multiple Pride flags from the same New Holland business,” and the man allegedly “damaged several flags last month and earlier this month.”
State College, Pennsylvania: Local law enforcement reportedly arrested an individual in “connection with a string of alleged hate-motivated acts targeting LGBTQ+ symbols and businesses downtown.” Markos Bejiga has been charged with “one felony count of causing or risking a catastrophe, one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct and three summary counts of criminal mischief.”
North Logan, Utah: Residents reportedly found “anti-gay and white supremacist messages in front of homes with pro-LGBTQ+ displays,” and local law enforcement is reportedly investigating the incidents.
Providence, Utah: Residents reportedly found “anti-gay and white supremacist messages in front of homes with pro-LGBTQ+ displays,” and local law enforcement is reportedly investigating the incidents.
Salt Lake City, Utah: Pride flags were reportedly stolen from the First Baptist Church, which is a “congregation whose LGBTQ+ ministry dates back decades earlier than many of SLC's other progressive churches.” Curtis Price, the pastor of First Baptist Church, said the church’s pride flags are stolen “almost every year,” and that the “church has received hate mail regarding the practice.”
Washington, D.C.: Local law enforcement reportedly “responded to several recent incidents of vandalism to Pride decorations,” and unidentified individuals have allegedly “tore down rainbow wraps from poles in the area.”
Far Right Groups Targeting Pride
Chaya Raichik, the far right social media influencer behind Libs of TikTok, has used anti-LGBTIQ rhetoric to targeted multiple public schools celebrating Pride Month, including schools in Arlington, Virginia; Salem, Oregon; and Howard County, Maryland.
Kelly Neidert, the self-identified Christian fascist leader of the Texas Coalition for Kids, announced a protest of the "kid-friendly witch-themed LGBT Pride festival" hosted by Higher Purpose Emporium on June 21st at the Ridglea Theater in Fort Worth, Texas.
Thank you, Teddy! The thorough job you do on all your posts helps people understand the nature, source, and extent of threats like this.
Honestly, America would be better off if we could ban public displays of Christianity.
Our world seems to have gone completely insane!