{"id":576926,"date":"2023-06-01T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/pride-month-feels-different-as-threats-fear-of-violence-grows\/"},"modified":"2023-06-01T19:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-06-01T16:00:00","slug":"pride-month-feels-different-as-threats-fear-of-violence-grows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/pride-month-feels-different-as-threats-fear-of-violence-grows\/","title":{"rendered":"#Pride Month feels different as threats, fear of violence grows"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/06\/news-illustration_053123thehill-getty_pride-month.png?w=900\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>For the residents of St. Cloud, Fla., a small city on the outskirts of Orlando, Pride Month feels different this year \u2014 and it looks different, too.<\/p>\n<p>There will be no procession of rainbow Pride flags, or drag entertainers or street vendors this June.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>In fact, there won\u2019t be an official Pride Month celebration in St. Cloud this year at all. A festival scheduled for June 10 was canceled last month by its primary organizer, who cited a \u201cclimate of fear\u201d and hostility toward LGBTQ people in a\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/258518346566430\/?active_tab=discussion\">post on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis 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,\u201d Kristina Bozanich, the owner of Bozanich Photography Collaborative in St. Cloud, wrote in the post.<\/p>\n<p>In an interview with The Hill, Bozanich said a recent slate of laws passed in Florida that target LGBTQ people ultimately drove her to pull the plug on the event. At least four anti-LGBTQ laws have been\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights?state=FL\">signed this year<\/a>\u00a0by the state\u2019s Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who\u00a0launched an expected bid for the White House\u00a0last week.<\/p>\n<p>When Bozanich created a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a> event in early May for St. Cloud\u2019s second annual Pride festival, she was met with a handful of negative comments, which she said she had anticipated. But things began to change after several laws\u00a0condemned by LGBTQ advocacy groups\u00a0took effect in Florida, and nebulous threats quickly turned into calls for explicit violence.<\/p>\n<p>On May 18, one day after the laws were signed, a digital traffic sign in nearby Lake Nona was\u00a0hacked and altered\u00a0to read \u201cKILL ALL GAYS.\u201d The Orlando Police Department said the incident is under investigation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was a big thing for us,\u201d Bozanich said, referring to herself and her co-organizers, a team consisting of several local business owners.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Negative Facebook comments were one thing, but an act of overt hate playing out in the real world, so close to home \u2014 in blue Osceola County, no less \u2014 was something entirely different. The county voted overwhelmingly for President Biden in 2020, and voters there have sent Rep. Darren Soto, a Democrat, to Congress four times.<\/p>\n<p>To make matters worse, Bozanich\u2019s headliners, a group of drag performers, backed out of the event over fear that one of the laws, which restricts drag shows, could land them into legal trouble or attract violence. At least 166 drag events between January and April were\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.glaad.org\/blog\/anti-drag-report#:~:text=GLAAD%20found%20166%20incidents%20of,through%20the%20midterm%20election%20cycle.\">targeted by threats, protests and violent action<\/a>, according to GLAAD, an LGBTQ media watchdog.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey felt it wasn\u2019t a safe environment or event for them to be at, given what\u2019s been going on,\u201d Bozanich said of the performers.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cWe had to assess whether we could handle if anything extreme were to h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>en,\u201d she added. In the end, she and her co-organizers decided they could not; they didn\u2019t have enough money to hire the security they felt they needed, and they called the whole thing off.<\/p>\n<p>The experiences in St. Cloud are not unique. Across the nation, Pride organizers are recalibrating and reshaping what their celebrations will look like amid a\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights?state=\">record-shattering year for anti-LGBTQ legislation<\/a>\u00a0that has altered the legal landscape and galvanized hate groups.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve definitely seen movement with regard to some organizations that have either outright canceled or retooled what they\u2019re doing, especially with regard to these vague laws about drag shows,\u201d said Marsha Levine, a co-president of the U.S. Association of Prides. \u201cIt\u2019s just not clear to them what they should do.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr4_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Four states \u2014 Florida, Tennessee, Montana and Texas \u2014 have passed laws or policies this year that ban or heavily restrict certain drag performances.<\/p>\n<p>For Vanessa Rodley, the president and festival director of Mid-South Pride in Tennessee, the path forward is clear, albeit littered with cumbersome obstacles that have made putting this year\u2019s Pride celebration together the most difficult in her 12-year career.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the roughest year I\u2019ve ever had,\u201d Rodley told The Hill in a recent interview. \u201cMore stressful than COVID.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr5_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s very scary and we\u2019re nervous, but we do it for our community,\u201d Rodley said, \u201cbecause our community deserves it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In March, Tennessee\u00a0became the first state\u00a0in the nation to enact a law explicitly targeting drag shows, attaching criminal penalties to certain performances that take place in public or where they may be seen by minors. A federal judge temporarily halted the law on March 31, just hours before it was set to take effect, and a final ruling is due by June 2.<\/p>\n<p>Rodley said her team has made certain changes to this year\u2019s Pride festival \u2014 which will kick off June 3 in Memphis \u2014 taking the state\u2019s new restrictions on drag shows into consideration. She made it clear, however, that the more than 50 drag entertainers booked to perform aren\u2019t going anywhere, regardless of whether the law is allowed to take effect.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr6_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cWe will not alienate or take away any part of our community,\u201d Rodley said. \u201cWe will not have an event where drag entertainers or trans people or anyone who just decides to wear a wig or a mustache that day cannot participate or be part of our event.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In addition to prohibiting \u201cadult cabaret performances\u201d from taking place within 1,000 feet of schools, public parks and places of worship, Tennessee\u2019s drag law expands the state\u2019s obscenity laws to include restrictions on performances that feature certain \u201cmale or female impersonators,\u201d a provision that has been criticized as an attack on transgender and gender non-conforming people.<\/p>\n<p>That said, Rodley has taken some precautions ahead of this year\u2019s Pride celebration, including instructing drag performers not to remove any articles of clothing during their performances, even if they are fully clothed underneath. Drag entertainers have also been asked to not accept cash tips on stage this year, Rodley said, to make the experience feel less like a \u201ccabaret show.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr7_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>People attending this year\u2019s Pride festival will also be charged a $1 entry fee for the first time, Rodley said, to compel guests to adhere to a code of conduct and prevent disruptive or violent anti-LGBTQ protests from taking place. An annual Pride parade, also slated for June 3, will include members of local law enforcement and the district attorney.<\/p>\n<p>Beefing up security is top of mind for other Pride organizers this year as well. Kevin Hamm, the president of Montana Pride, has been working with law enforcement and community leaders in cities across the state in anticipation of an annual Pride celebration in August.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an unfortunate but vital consideration, Hamm told The Hill, especially in Montana,\u00a0ranked highest\u00a0among all 50 states in terms of hate groups per capita.<\/p>\n<p>Last month, a Pride parade in Bozeman \u2014 the city\u2019s first in more than a decade \u2014 was disrupted by members of a white supremacist group holding signs with anti-LGBTQ slurs written on them. One person was pepper-sprayed by the group,\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.montanarightnow.com\/bozeman\/bozeman-man-pepper-sprayed-by-group-carrying-white-supremacy-anti-lgbtq-signs-at-bozeman-pride\/article_38005b92-f76b-11ed-927c-fb3a83cc5d56.html\">according to local news reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The following week, a transgender couple at a Target in Missoula was\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/missoulian.com\/news\/local\/trans-couple-rattled-after-harassment-in-missoula-target-lgbtq-merchandise-thrown-on-floor\/article_7bf45d2c-fbd9-11ed-a6d6-67227d45a3b0.html\">harassed and threatened<\/a>\u00a0by a man throwing merchandise from the retail giant\u2019s Pride collection onto the floor. Target in May\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/corporate.target.com\/press\/releases\/2023\/05\/Target-Statement-on-2023-Pride-Collection\">announced it was removing items<\/a>\u00a0from its annual Pride collection, citing threats made to employees at locations across the country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m hoping they don\u2019t show up [in August],\u201d Hamm said of anti-LGBTQ protesters, \u201cbut we\u2019re taking all the necessary precautions to have all the authorities in place.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Hamm said hate groups like the Proud Boys and the Patriot Front, both of which have been known to target drag events, in Montana have been emboldened by the state\u2019s legislative session, during which lawmakers passed no fewer than five anti-LGBTQ laws,\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights?state=MT\">according to the ACLU<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re exhausting,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we deal with them, and we stand tall, we stand together and we move forward and we have a better life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe must remember that the reason that we have Pride is not because everything\u2019s hunky dory and we can just celebrate our lives,\u201d Hamm said. \u201cThe reason we have Pride is because we still have a fight to fight every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/lgbtq\/4029960-pride-month-feels-different-as-threats-fear-of-violence-grows\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the residents of St. Cloud, Fla., a small city on the outskirts of Orlando, Pride Month feels different this year \u2014 and it looks different, too. There will be no procession of rainbow Pride flags, or drag entertainers or street vendors this June. In fact, there won\u2019t be an official Pride Month celebration in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":576927,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/06\/news-illustration_053123thehill-getty_pride-month.png?w=1280","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[134355,143691,134661,134447,70610,73014,124783,23261,115,29102],"class_list":["post-576926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-1230-report","tag-darren-soto","tag-energy-environment","tag-energy-and-environment","tag-finance","tag-health-care","tag-international","tag-lgbtq","tag-news","tag-ron-desantis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=576926"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576926\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/576927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=576926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=576926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=576926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}