Tag: Straight Pride

Posted on

Podcast: Pete Buttigieg, RuPaul, Tom Goss & The Epic Fail Of ‘Straight Pride’

The Randy Report podcast

The Randy Report podcast delivers the week's top stories in a quick, convenient podcast - 'the 60 Minutes of gay news - only shorter' In this week’s podcast: • Sen. Kamala Harris calls Mayor Pete Buttigieg “naive” for relating his experience as a gay man to other marginalized communities. • A homophobic photographer in Kentucky has filed a lawsuit to block Louisville’s Fairness Ordinance just in case a gay couple were to ask her to shoot their wedding. • Three federal judges have blocked a new rule announced by the Health and Human Services Department that would allow healthcare professionals to deny service to LGBTQs. • The Straight Pride event in Dallas was the biggest fail yet. • Netflix releases teaser video for RuPaul’s upcoming scripted comedy series AJ and The Queen. • Out singer/songwriter Tom Goss’s new album explores new emotional Territories. All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.

Posted on

Dallas ‘Straight Pride’ Event Draws A Crowd Of Two

(photo: Soraya Colli)
The highly anticipated (I’m joking) ‘Straight Pride’ parade/event in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday turned out to be the most epic fail yet for the ‘Straight Pride’ movement. Although the organizers promised discussions of abortion rights (they say it’s murder), traditional marriage (only one man + one woman), and gender identity (only two!!!!), we’re not sure how long those panels were since only two people showed up. According to the Dallas Voice, the two participants weren’t even from Dallas. Or Texas. The duo, presumably a part of Super Happy Fun America which produced the Boston ‘Straight Pride’ event this summer, were vastly outnumbered by approximately 20 protesters who showed up at the City Hall Plaza “event.” Local activist Soraya Colli shared video footage on Facebook and was sharing details via Twitter:

The story was similar on August 31 in Boston where 200 attendees were greeted by thousands of pro-LGBTQ protesters. The second ‘Straight Pride’ event, which was planned to occur in Modesto, California, couldn’t obtain a permit due to lack of insurance and was reduced to a handful of people protesting in front of a Planned Parenthood location. The Dallas Voice reports that one of the straight Pride participants in Dallas yelled insults at transgender protesters saying, “We know there are only two genders.” He also insisted, “I’m part of the oppressed majority.” And when the space between the protesters and the two Straight Pride attendees began to close, police separated them, putting an end to the fireworks. The local organizer of the Dallas event, Teresa Stephens Richenberger, didn’t bother to show up. In a statement posted on Facebook, Richenberger said the event had to be ‘postponed’ due to the city of Dallas “PRICE GOUGING us and asked for enormous amouts [sic] of money.” We’re guessing she didn’t bother to tell the guys from Boston who traveled to the Lone Star state for her shindig? Richenberger went on to say they would “regroup” and set a date for sometime in the future. She closed her post by shouting, “I AM NOT BACKING DOWN; AND NOT RUNNING;;; WE WILL HAVE OUR PARADE/MARCH.” “SOON……” added Richenberger.

Posted on

California ‘Straight Pride’ Event Fails Big-Time

Members of the so-called ‘Straight Pride Coalition’ in Modesto, California, found themselves outnumbered by counter-protesters when the group staged a demonstration in front of a Planned Parenthood. According to local NBC News affiliate KCRA, the Straight Pride crowd of 20 participants – holding signs in support of Donald Trump and his policies – was soon faced with over 200 counter-protesters. From KCRA:

Don Grundmann, the coalition’s director, said the group believes that “the LGBT community is trying to destroy America by destroying the culture.”

“Straight culture is under attack. I’ll call it normal, natural, healthy, sane is under attack, and we’re going to illustrate that in the election cycle upcoming,” Grundman said. “We’re going to illustrate our point, and we’re going to bring sanity back to the nation.”

In the lead-up to the demonstration, more than 100 members of the LGBTQ community and their supporters joined together at Enslen Park to counter the coalition’s message.

“I want to celebrate each and every ally,” James Varble said into a microphone before those in attendance.

“This is all of Modesto and a big part of the valley coming together for us to say we’re not going to stand for bigotry. We’re not going to stand for hate. We’re going to look after each other, and we’re going to embrace each other,” he said.

The counter-protesters then made their way from Enslen Park to the straight pride demonstration, where they faced down the coalition chanting, “No hate, no fear. Straight pride is not welcome here.”

(images via screen capture/KCRA)