Republicans doing what? Causing what?

Republicans are against the public having healthcare for some reason.  Paxton, Texas leadership, and a good segment of the republican part simply want non-white people / all immigrants to suffer as much as possible.  As if just by living they have committed the worst possible crime.  Plus dreamers?  Look republicans keep passing laws that kids are property so they had no choice being dragged to the US with their parents.  Plus they have been here, raised here, never caused problems, added to the economy.   Denying them healthcare is stupid and just trying to hurt them.  Plus it costs taxpayers more as dreamers need care they must have but can’t afford to pay for.   Hugs

PSA: migrants desperately seeking shelter may be in your area. Call ICE asap if seen.

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Government run by gang thugs.  That is what maga and the maga republicans want.  tRump has always been a mob boss wannabe but was never good enough to really do it.  He is a school yard bully who never grew up and has only regressed over the years.  He thinks might make right, and that who ever can bully or threaten the most gets all the toys and their way on everything.   Is this how we think things should be run?  Is this for the good of the country?  And if this is the way the republicans are going to act then how should democrats respond?  Corporate media both print and video are afraid to attack tRump so they ganged up on Biden and the democrats, but they never pointed out that tRump was everything they attacked Biden for being.  Now the brownshirts and thugs are making congress people offers they don’t dare refuse.  Hugs

In recent days, allies of Trump adopted an approach that is not novel for the president-elect and his followers: Make life extremely uncomfortable for anyone who dares to oppose him. The swarm of MAGA attacks that Sen. Joni Ernst has experienced is a warning of what’s in store for others who express skepticism of his personnel choices. 

Read the full article. As I noted yesterday, among the attacks on Ernst are threats to resurface allegations of an adulterous affair.

If you are a bigot who hates gay people then you believe this false idea.  If you are a racist you believe that black / brown people are inferior and erode standards.  In fact that was said about blacks when the military was first integrated.  However that notion got totally destroyed due to the bravery and proficiency of the black divisions in the 1930s and 1940s.   Same with gay people.  Most people in the military don’t care your sex partner as longs as they are not forced against their will to join you.  It is only the bigots, the fundamentalist religious people.  It is the Christians like Hegseth who has said that the goal is to make the military Christians who want all the gay people out.  Notice it was gays he objected to, not lesbians.  The upper military brass has studied this, the idea of LGBTQ+ in the military and all the studies show that the military benefits greatly for allowing the LGBTQ+ to serve openly.  Look let’s be honest the military was full of gay people in the 1980s when I was in, both the Navy and the Army.  We just stood the chance of getting blackmailed or discharged if a bigot like Hegseth found out.  Again all of maga want desperately to return to the fantasy time of the 1950s thinking that was the best of times, but only if you were a white straight cis male.   The rest of the population suffered from the unfair laws.   Hugs.  

New: Pete Hegseth Lamented Don't Ask Don't Tell Change, Women in the MilitaryThe Trump nominee's views on women and LGBTQ+ individuals raise questions about his fitness

PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes.bsky.social) 2024-12-10T13:10:06.098Z

From the linked article which I suggest reading.

Hegseth’s views risk alienating large segments of the armed forces and undermining morale by suggesting that certain groups are inherently less capable of serving. The Department of Defense has long moved toward embracing equality and diversity as pillars of strength. A leader who dismisses these values could jeopardize decades of progress and fail to inspire trust and cohesion among service members.

In a time when military challenges require unity and innovation, the Secretary of Defense must represent the best of modern leadership—respect for diversity, evidence-based policy, and a commitment to national security above outdated biases. Pete Hegseth’s comments reveal a personal belief system with negative views which raises doubts about his fitness to lead the military

This is more gang thuggery.  Notice this part:  … as he threatened local officials to open the city and its county jail to the will of federal immigration agents.     Hugs

The very same weaponizing the government and the DOJ to attack enemies that tRump and the maga right claims is happening under Biden was routine under tRump.   Notice the use of the deep state tools to gather information including personal information which should have been protected legally.  That is why all these people who claim tRump won’t be vengeful and won’t weaponize the government are just blowing smoke, he will and he has.  Hugs

Oh wow, think of all those poor people who voted for tRump because they believe everything he says and think he is a smart businessman.  Too bad no one tried to explain to them that tariffs are paid by the consumer, that means the person buying the item.  Oh wait yes there were people trying hard to tell them that.  In fact the black woman they just couldn’t vote for was saying that very clearly as was everyone but right wing media that is deep into the cult of tRump.  Hugs 

Fox Business: “Dollar Tree could drop some products if tariffs are enacted”

PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes.bsky.social) 2024-12-10T17:58:54.369Z

This man has shown nothing but contempt for all normal behavior and respect for the those in congress.  He has done a lot to destroy the post office and to make it unreliable.  Remember that he was destroying sorting machines and shortening delivery routes during an election so many mail in ballots never got counted.  In deeply rural areas no other mail delivery service covers that area so they depend on the post office.  The post office is the only government service mandated in the constitution.  Remember DeJoy is a multimillionaire who owns a company that competes with and contracts with the post office that he is in charge of.  Sounds like a conflict of ethics that needs real instigating.  Hugs

As normal Musk is spouting off on stuff he knows nothing about.  Homelessness is caused by several factors, a major one being the cost of housing.  With hedge funds and wealthy investment companies buying up all the housing in an area and jacking up the rents while providing no maintenance support.   They don’t care, a large profit is demanded.  The fact that people can not afford to live these days because people like Musk demand ever more profit, a man who has so much money he could waste 44 billion on a whim and not suffer any lowering of his lifestyle.  That is what life is like for these clowns.  They have no conception of what life is like for the rest of us. By the way, the article he cites as his proof says the exact opposite of what Musk claims.  That is why you need to read more than the headlines and look at the pictures.  Providing housing does work, but as the article referenced states the programs need the correct amount of funding and supervision.  Hugs

 

The article does not support the contention that providing shelter to people who need it is fruitless or that all unhoused people are criminals. Rather, the article details how the converted hotels in San Francisco were “underfunded and understaffed,” leading to substandard living conditions.

Read the full article. As the linked piece notes, a large percentage of the homeless are children, veterans, queer kids rejected by their parents, and women escaping domestic violence. But they’re all violent, drug-addicted liars, according to Musk, whose tweet currently has 25 million views.

Delusion run strong in this one.  Need I say more.  A fox entertainment host is also claiming tRump will buy a large track of property for the US making more states.   Hugs

Donald Trump is once again “joking” about annexing Canada into the United States, this time calling Justin Trudeau the “Governor” of the “Great State of Canada.”Totally normal and not crazy at all

Republicans Against Trumpism (@rpsagainsttrump.bsky.social) 2024-12-10T05:53:56.198Z

“President-Elect Immunity Does Not Exist”

New York prosecutors defend Trump convictions -An Actual Brave Act

Aysha Bagchi USA TODAY (if only USAT were brave enough to state they’re election interference convictions, instead of calling them hush money convictions!)

Manhattan prosecutors urged a New York criminal court to keep President-elect Donald Trump‘s hush money case alive, even if sentencing is pushed out past Trump’s next presidential term.

“President-elect immunity does not exist,” lawyers from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office wrote in the court filing made public Tuesday. “At most, (Trump) should receive temporary accommodations during his presidency to prevent this criminal case from meaningfully interfering with his official decision-making.”

Trump was convicted May 30 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election. He was originally scheduled for sentencing in July, but the sentencing date was repeatedly pushed back.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg stands with members of his staff at a news conference following the conviction of former U.S. President Donald Trump in his hush money trial on May 30, 2024 in New York City. Trump was found guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Trump is now arguing that sentencing should be cancelled and the case should be dismissed as a result of his election.

“Burdening the Presidency with a biased prosecution by a local prosecutor would be not only unconstitutional, but also unbearably undemocratic to the people of this country who chose President Trump as their leader,” Trump’s legal team wrote in a motion calling for the case’s dismissal.

Prosecutors float option of not sentencing Trump

Trump is making various legal arguments for getting the case tossed out, including that its continued existence – even with sentencing pushed out past his next presidential term – would improperly interfere with his upcoming presidency.

It “would be egregious and unlawful for this Court to hold the prospect of a 2029 sentencing over President Trump’s head while he continues his service to this Country,” Trump’s legal team wrote in his motion.

But Manhattan prosecutors said in the new filing that there are multiple options short of throwing out the jury’s verdict that would address concerns about interfering with Trump’s upcoming presidency.

If Trump isn’t sentenced before he takes office, remaining steps in the case could be paused until his term is over, prosecutors said.

Or, if Judge Juan Merchan is worried that simply pausing the case would improperly burden Trump’s presidency, Merchan could close the case while still putting a note in the court record stating that the jury’s verdict removed Trump’s presumption of innocence but he was never sentenced and his conviction was neither upheld nor struck down on appeal.

“On the one hand, this remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding,” prosecutors said. (snip-MORE)

Montana Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Families & Doctors, Blocks Ban on Healthcare for Transgender Youth

AffiliateACLU of Montana
December 11, 2024 1:15 pm

Incredible news! Montana’s Supreme Court just affirmed that the state’s gender affirming care ban is likely unconstitutional.

Incredible news! Montana’s Supreme Court just affirmed that the state’s gender affirming care ban is likely unconstitutional.This makes the state the first state Supreme Court to rule that trans medical care is protected.This applies REGARDLESS of what the US Supreme Court does.

Erin Reed (@erininthemorning.com) 2024-12-11T18:36:24.478Z

If you find my journalism important, including breaking huge news like this, subscribe to support it at http://www.ErinInTheMorn.com/subscribe.Full decision is not yet available but I’ll release it when I get it.

Erin Reed (@erininthemorning.com) 2024-12-11T18:43:34.987Z

Peace & Justice History 12/11

December 11, 1946

The General Assembly of the United Nations voted to establish the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to provide health and rehabilitation to children living in countries devastated by World War II.
What does UNICEF do today? 
December 11, 1946
The United Nations General Assembly unanimously passed Resolution 95 affirming the principles of international law recognized by the charter and judgment of the Nuremberg Tribunal. These Principles of International Law were formulated and published by the International Law Commission on July 29, 1950:
These Principles of International Law were formulated and published by the
International Law Commission on July 29, 1950:

Read the UN Resolution 95  (pdf)
December 11, 1961
Two U.S. Army air cavalry helicopter companies arrived in Vietnam, including 33 Shawnee H-21C helicopters and 425 ground and flight crewmen. They were to be used to airlift South Vietnamese Army troops into combat, the first direct military combat involvement of U.S. military personnel.President Kennedy had sent them to bolster the U.S. advisors, in the country since the 1950s, in light of the inability of the Government of Vietnam’s armed forces to resist the Viet Cong insurgency movement and the Army of the Republic of [North] Vietnam.

Shawnee helicopter
December 11, 1961
A U.S. Supreme Court decision outlawed the use of disorderly conduct statutes as grounds for arresting African Americans sitting-in at segregated public facilities to obtain equal service.
The case began in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where a group of negro Southern University students bought some items then sat at the lunch counter of Kress Department Store. Their polite requests to order food were ignored because the lunch counter was only for the use of whites, and police arrived to arrest them. Convicted of “disturbing the peace,” they were expelled from Southern University and barred from all public colleges and universities in the state of Louisiana.
The Court overturned their convictions because there was no evidence indicating a breach of the peace.

The decision in Garner v. Louisiana 
December 11, 1972
New Zealand Prime Minister Norman Kirk (Labour Party) announced withdrawal of his country’s troops from Vietnam and a phase-out of his country’s draft just three days after taking office.

Prime Minister Norman Kirk


Anti-War demo Parliament Buildings in Wellington, 1969
3,890 New Zealand military personnel had served there, suffering 37 dead and 187 wounded. This had given rise to a large and vocal anti-war movement.
History of the anti-war movement in New Zealand 
December 11, 1980
President Carter signed a law creating a $1.6 billion environmental Superfund to pay for cleanup of chemical spills and toxic waste dumps.
Do You Live Near Toxic Waste?   See 1,317 of the Most Polluted Spots in the U.S.
December 11, 1984
More than 20,000 women turned out for an anti-nuclear demonstration at Greenham Common Air Base in England, where U.S. nuclear-armed cruise missiles were deployed. Some tried to rip down the fence surrounding the base. 

Poster of Broken Missile taped to the fence of Greenham Common by a protester, 1982
A Greenham Peace Camp scrapbook
December 11, 1992
The three major U.S. television networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) agreed on joint standards to limit entertainment violence by the start of the following season. 
Violence in the Media – Psychologists Help Protect Children from Harmful Effects 
December 11, 1994
In the largest Russian military offensive since its 1979 invasion of Afghanistan, thousands of troops and hundreds of tanks crossed the border into the Muslim republic of Chechnya. Just two weeks prior, a Russian covert operation to undermine the government in Grozny, the capital, had been foiled and Dzhokhar Dudaev, Chechnya’s first elected president, had threatened to have the perpetrators executed.The Chechens had declared their independence from the Commonwealth of Independent States, comprising Russia and most of the countries previously part of the Soviet Union. Chechnya had been a Russian colony since 1859, and in 1943 Josef Stalin deported the population en masse, their return to their homeland not allowed until 1957.


Russian President Boris Yeltsin, who ordered the invasion, would not deal with Dudaev, and had raised him to the rank of chief enemy, ignoring Chechen-Russian history. The main attack was halted by the deputy commander of Russian ground forces, Colonel-General Eduard Vorobyov, who resigned in protest, stating that he would not attack fellow Russians. Yeltsin’s advisor on nationality affairs, Emil Pain, and Russia’s Deputy Minister of Defense, Colonel-General Boris Gromov (esteemed hero of the Soviet-Afghan War), also resigned in protest of the invasion, as did Major-General Borys Poliakov. More than 800 professional soldiers and officers refused to take part in the operation. Of these, 83 were convicted by military courts, and the rest were discharged.

https://www.peacebuttons.info/E-News/peacehistorydecember.htm#december11

New Jersey governor signs law blocking book bans

We need more of these laws protecting the representation of minorities and the ideas the fundamentalist right hate, such as female autonomy.   The only way to get more states to do this is to elect more progressives, become more vocal over what we want, and to support those who advocate for the full support of equality and inclusion of everyone in society, sometimes called DEI.   Hugs

=============================================================

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signs legislation aimed at barring public libraries and schools from banning books on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at the Princeton Public Library. (Mike Catalini / AP)
 
Gov. Phil Murphy, at the Princeton Public Library, signs legislation Monday aimed at barring public libraries and schools from banning books.
 

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, signed a law Monday prohibiting public schools and libraries from banning books and protecting librarians who obey state law.

Murphy’s signing of the Freedom to Read Act comes amid an ongoing push by conservative lawmakers and activists across the country to challenge books they consider inappropriate for minors, particularly those about LGBTQ issues and race. Lawmakers in at least 13 states this year have introduced legislation to disrupt library services or limit their materials, according to an NBC News tally.

“Across the nation, we have seen attempts to suppress and censor the stories and experiences of others,” Murphy said in a statement. “I’m proud to amplify the voices of our past and present, as there is no better way for our children to prepare for the future than to read freely.”

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy during an interview in New York, on Nov. 22, 2024.  (Jeenah Moon / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
 
Murphy during an interview in New York on Nov. 22.

In September, PEN America, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting free speech, reported that the number of books being removed from school shelves during the 2023-24 school year had tripled from the previous year, to more than 10,000.

 

The PEN America report, along with one from the American Library Association released that same month, outlined how frequently challenged books are often about or written by people of color or those who identify as LGBTQ.

In 2023, the American Library Association’s list of the 10 most challenged books nationwide included Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” a novel about a young Black girl who grew up after the Great Depression; Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” a graphic memoir about the author’s exploration of gender identity from adolescence to young adulthood; and George M. Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” a coming-of-age memoir about a queer Black man.

New Jersey -is the third state to sign a law prohibiting the banning of books at public schools and libraries, following Illinois and Minnesota.

The new law is set to take effect in a year from the governor’s signing. However, the state education commissioner and the New Jersey state librarian are permitted to start implementing it immediately “as may be necessary,” the law states.

“Through this legislation, we are protecting the integrity of our libraries that are curated by dedicated professionals and making those resources available to help every student to grow as a critical thinker,” New Jersey acting Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer said in a statement.

Scary stuff

As you can see below, that “sifting” has already begun.

Last month, Davis, who was among Trump’s candidates for Attorney General, posted this about Trump’s critics: “I want to drag their dead political bodies through the streets, burn them, and throw them off the wall.”

Davis last appeared here with he threatened to imprison “fat ass” New York Attorney General Letitia James.

In August 2024, Davis appeared here when he threatened to sue any publication or social media user who referred to Trump as a “convicted felon.”

In April 2024, he appeared here when he vowed to imprison Trump’s critics and prosecute Barack Obama for murder.

In February 2024, we heard from him when he declared, “What’s so bad about Christian nationalism?”

His first appearance here came last year when he threatened to “arrest and deport” journalist Mehdi Hasan and throw gay reporter Tim Miller in a women’s prison.

 

Welker: Economists of all stripes say that ultimately, consumers pay the price of tariffs.Trump: I don't believe that.Welker: Can you guarantee American families won't pay more?Trump: I can't guarantee anything..

Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) 2024-12-08T15:25:29.405Z

More right wing … diarrhea on the country.

Trump NIH pick "considering a plan to link likelihood of receiving research grants to some measure of academic freedom…Bhattacharya wants to counter what he sees as a culture of conformity that ostracized him over his views on masking and school closures" http://www.wsj.com/health/healt…

Richard Sever (@richardsever.bsky.social) 2024-12-06T16:20:39.999Z

The list compiled by the American Accountability Foundation includes 20 general officers or senior admirals and a disproportionate number of female officers.  Those on the list in many cases seem to be targeted for public comments they made either in interviews or at events on diversity, and in some cases for retweeting posts that promote diversity.

The above-named group is a dark money organization that does not reveal its donors. Their leader is a former staffer for nutbag Sen. Ron Johnson.

These people what a Russian style military of only white cis straight males which Ted Cruz gave such praise to over our US military.  The thing is the Russian military was stopped and driven out of a country by the rag tag Ukrainian military with gifted supplies dripping in.  A diverse military of the entire population is the strongest one, which has been demonstrated over and over again.  Talk about a group wanting purity in a place, this is what these bigot racist haters want.  Hugs

Among Hegseth’s alleged “mistakes” are sexual assault, countless incidents of adultery (including with a coworker), at last one bastard child, drunkenly attempting to climb onto a strip club stage, on the job drinking, being fall down drunk at corporate events, shouting “kill all Muslims,” having white supremacist tattoos, belonging to a far-right misogynist Christian nationalist church, and running two nonprofits for veterans into the ground with what former colleagues call questionable spending on partying and travel. It’s what Jesus would want.

So much for draining the swamp!

1. Bondi asked for a $25,000 campaign donation from Trump, and got it.
2. Then she dropped her state’s investigation into Trump University.
3. Now she’s Trump’s nominee for Attorney General.

Watch the clip and you’ll see an excited Lummis wave a copy of her bill, calling it a “present for President Trump.” Hayes calls the bill an “enormous heist” and an “explicit bailout” of bitcoin holders should the price plummet

Trump Judge Overrules Alabama Town, Allows Local LGBTQ Pride Group To Participate In Christmas Parade

I posted about this before.  Now I need to post an update.  Rule by gang violence must always be rejected and pushed back against as hard as possible.   Hugs

==============================================================

 

The Birmingham News reports:

A few hours before the city of Prattville’s annual Christmas parade was to start, a federal judge ordered the city to allow an LGBTQ pride group’s float to be included. Prattville Pride called the order “a powerful affirmation of the importance of visibility, representation, and inclusion for all members of our community,” in a Facebook post.

In his order, U.S. District Judge R. Austin Huffaker of the Middle District of Alabama wrote: “While there are areas of unprotected speech, such as incitement of violence, the City makes no argument and provides no evidence that Prattville Pride has engaged in any speech or behavior that would remotely fall into an unprotected speech category. It is undisputed that Prattville Pride has complied with the City’s regulations.“

“The City removed Prattville Pride from the parade based on its belief that certain members of the public who oppose Prattville Pride, and what is stands for, would react in a disruptive way. But discrimination based on a message’s content “cannot be tolerated under the First Amendment,” the order continued.

From yesterday’s Alabama Political Reporter report:

An LGBTQ+ float has been denied participation in the Prattville Christmas parade, with Mayor Bill Gillespie citing safety concerns. “This morning, it was brought to the City’s attention from Prattville Pride that there are serious safety concerns regarding Prattville Pride’s participation in the Christmas parade,” Gillespie said in a statement Thursday morning.

Asked to clarify these safety concerns, Gillespie said the safety concerns were brought to the attention of the city by Prattville Pride itself in a Thursday morning email:

“Subsequent to the city council meeting held on Dec. 3, there have been some additional threats made against our organization referencing harmful actions to be taken against us and our float during the Prattville Christmas Parade. At this time, Prattville Pride is requesting Prattville police officers to specifically monitor us and our surroundings during staging, as well as assign two officers to walk near the crowd alongside our float.”

From yesterday’s Courthouse News report:

After a hearing for an emergency injunction Friday morning, an Alabama LGBTQ organization is waiting for a ruling from federal judge about whether it can participate in the city of Prattville’s annual Christmas parade, scheduled for Friday evening. Prattville Pride filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the city after it withdrew permission for the organization to march.

Caryl Lawson, vice president and co-founder of Pratville Pride, told the council the group had been subjected to “hateful pushback and rhetoric.” On social media forums, there have been suggestions the group will be clad in lingerie or will toss sex toys and LGBTQ literature to children along the parade route. There were also threats to vandalize the group’s float or toss objects including “rotten tomatoes” at members of the organization.

From my first report last month:

Prattville Pride was the very first organization to enter the City of Prattville’s annual Christmas parade this year. The group paid the fee like other organizations and says they plan to abide by the city’s rules. However, Clean Up Alabama, the group that originally formed to challenge LGBTQ+ titles in the Prattville library, is calling on the city to reverse course and deny Prattville Pride the opportunity to participate.

“The Christmas parade is a celebration of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ the Messiah. It is NOT a time to celebrate someone’s sexual preferences. And it is certainly not a place for a drag show,” Clean Up Alabama said in an email pushing for the removal of Prattville Pride. The fervor started after a far-right website highlighted Prattville Pride’s participation in the event.

Trump nominated Judge Huffaker to the federal bench in 2019 and he was confirmed by the Senate in a lopsided 89-4 vote with the support of Democratic then-US Sen. Doug Jones. There’s more in the video report below. Prattville Pride is celebrating with a suggestion for donations to the Trevor Project.

Prattville Pride

soSrdtonpe5eci3 5b Prl1h76c3a : c1Defeug1g5a6h0utt6c049913Mm  · 

**Official Statement from Prattville Pride**

We are thrilled to share the news that a federal court has granted us an injunction upholding Prattville Prides right to participate in the city’s Christmas parade. This ruling is a powerful affirmation of the importance of visibility, representation, and inclusion for all members of our community. The Christmas parade is a cherished holiday tradition, and we are excited to celebrate alongside our neighbors and friends in the spirit of love, joy, and unity.

We want to express our deepest gratitude to our attorney, Julia Collins, and the Harris Law Firm for their incredible support and timely response. Their willingness to prioritize this case as soon as they heard about the city’s decision was crucial in getting the motion filed in time. We also want to extend a special thank you to Keirsten Wallace for her invaluable assistance in preparing parts of the brief. Her hard work and dedication played an important role in this success.

While we celebrate this important step forward, we must also acknowledge the challenges and hateful rhetoric that have been directed towards our organization and the LGBTQ+ community during this process. Such negativity can have a profound and damaging effect on LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly youth, who often face heightened risks of isolation, mental health struggles, and rejection.

This is why Prattville Pride exists—to ensure that LGBTQ+ individuals feel safe, seen, and supported. Our participation in the Christmas parade is more than just a celebration; it is a statement of belonging and a reminder that love and acceptance are integral to the fabric of our community.

In addition to our ongoing Point of Pride fundraiser, we are calling on our supporters to consider donating to The Trevor Project, a vital organization dedicated to serving at-risk LGBTQ+ youth. By contributing, we can help ensure that young people in our community and beyond receive the support and resources they need to thrive.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has stood by us and advocated for equality. Together, we are building a more inclusive Prattville where everyone has a place to belong. We look forward to spreading holiday cheer and representing the spirit of pride and love during this year’s Christmas parade.

Thank you for your continued support. Let’s keep working together to create a community where every individual feels valued and celebrated.

With pride and gratitude,

**Prattville Pride Leadership**

https://give.thetrevorproject.org/give/63307…

Donate to The Trevor Project

give.thetrevorproject.org

Donate to The Trevor Project

Your life-saving gift today will help us provide them with the affirmation

Alabama Town Boots LGBTQ Group From Xmas Parade After Group Received Threats And Asked For Protection

Some more to the story.  Please notice the religious hate and bigotry along with the crazy idea the Christmas a country wide holiday belongs only to Christians due to their beliefs.  Notice the misinformation deliberately thrown out to confuse and mislead the public over what the Pride float was about.  Notice the attempt to make the LGBTQ+ in to degenerate perverts trying to corrupt and harm children.  Save the kids from a threat that doesn’t exist by banning the Pride float along with LGBTQ+ people.  It is the entire Russian playbook being enacted here by religious and maga gang thugs.  Hugs

============================================================

 

The Alabama Political Reporter reports:

An LGBTQ+ float has been denied participation in the Prattville Christmas parade, with Mayor Bill Gillespie citing safety concerns. “This morning, it was brought to the City’s attention from Prattville Pride that there are serious safety concerns regarding Prattville Pride’s participation in the Christmas parade,” Gillespie said in a statement Thursday morning.

Asked to clarify these safety concerns, Gillespie said the safety concerns were brought to the attention of the city by Prattville Pride itself in a Thursday morning email:

“Subsequent to the city council meeting held on Dec. 3, there have been some additional threats made against our organization referencing harmful actions to be taken against us and our float during the Prattville Christmas Parade. At this time, Prattville Pride is requesting Prattville police officers to specifically monitor us and our surroundings during staging, as well as assign two officers to walk near the crowd alongside our float.”

Courthouse News reports:

After a hearing for an emergency injunction Friday morning, an Alabama LGBTQ organization is waiting for a ruling from federal judge about whether it can participate in the city of Prattville’s annual Christmas parade, scheduled for Friday evening. Prattville Pride filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the city after it withdrew permission for the organization to march.

Caryl Lawson, vice president and co-founder of Pratville Pride, told the council the group had been subjected to “hateful pushback and rhetoric.” On social media forums, there have been suggestions the group will be clad in lingerie or will toss sex toys and LGBTQ literature to children along the parade route. There were also threats to vandalize the group’s float or toss objects including “rotten tomatoes” at members of the organization.

From my first report last month:

Prattville Pride was the very first organization to enter the City of Prattville’s annual Christmas parade this year. The group paid the fee like other organizations and says they plan to abide by the city’s rules. However, Clean Up Alabama, the group that originally formed to challenge LGBTQ+ titles in the Prattville library, is calling on the city to reverse course and deny Prattville Pride the opportunity to participate.

“The Christmas parade is a celebration of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ the Messiah. It is NOT a time to celebrate someone’s sexual preferences. And it is certainly not a place for a drag show,” Clean Up Alabama said in an email pushing for the removal of Prattville Pride. The fervor started after a far-right website highlighted Prattville Pride’s participation in the event.

There’s much more at the first link above.