“Indeed, many participants were confused and saddened when they realized that those sabotaging the celebration of the LGBT community were those who identified as LGBT.”
Saturday was supposed to mark the beginning of Pride Month in the nation’s capital with the annual Capital Pride Parade. The parade route was marked by rainbow-colored crosswalks that had been approved by the District Department of Transportation; the celebration was scheduled to wind its 200 floats a mile and a half through the Dupont Circle neighborhood.
However, the event was disrupted three times by angry protestors shouting slurs and blocking the parade route; they refused to let the parade continue. According to the Washington Post, one of the marchers lamented, “I fought 20 years for this and now you are going to ruin the parade.” Indeed, many participants were confused and saddened when they realized that those sabotaging the celebration of the LGBT community were those who identified as LGBT.
Shouting accusations of racism and anti-police rhetoric, the protestors insisted that the 42-year-old gay pride parade needed to somehow address prison reform, the Dakota Access Pipeline, and deportations of illegal immigrants. While the #NoJusticeNoPride protestors initially claimed that they were upset over corporate sponsorship of the event, it rapidly became an issue of race and police; protestors claimed that pride was for those who were gay, trans, brown, Muslim, or female but explicitly not police officers. They also demonstrated that white homosexuals or those who identified as trans were not welcome.
In a show of true class, the official Capital Pride Twitter account notified followers of the adjusted parade route with an image that simply stated “All You Need Is Love.” This contrasts starkly with the protestors who tweeted things such as, “Why should black LGBTQ have to march w the cops that brutalize them? #nojusticenopride.”
This completely ignores the fact that the police at the parade were protecting the participants from violence while allowing protestors the opportunity to shout whatever they wanted at the people attempting to celebrate Pride Month.
These protests are further evidence that no matter how progressive you are, it will never be enough for those who want their agenda to be the center of all discussion. When you disagree, it is due to “white privilege”; the reason why is because you’re racist. The radical far left screams about diversity and inclusion but acts violently intolerant of anyone who doesn’t share their exact beliefs. Not praising them is evidence of your white supremacy or [insert any accusation of “ism” here].
The original goal of progressives led to changes in civil rights during the 20th century. However, their radical evolution in this century almost seems like a deliberate effort to undo the accomplishments of equality that have been made. Now, we see a tribal mindset that promotes division over inclusion.
As Allen West once said, “I’m tired of liberals dividing this country up into little groups, setting them upon each other, breeding spite and envy, and then having the nerve to accuse conservatives of hatred.”
