Members of a pro-Trump gay group say they have been banned from participating in the Charlotte Pride Parade because of their support for President Trump.
Brian Talbert told WJZY that he and another gay Trump supporter of the group “Gays for Trump” applied to have their float featured in Charlotte’s Pride Parade this year but received an email from Charlotte Pride rejecting his application.
“We wanted to show that we weren’t the racist, bigot, misogynist whatevers. We wanted to show that we are Americans, love our country and our president. We wanted to be there to celebrate gay pride,” Talbert said.
“For a group of people to claim to want tolerance, acceptance, and give it to every single person you can imagine to give it to, for them to sit back and judge me for exercising my right as an American to choose my leader without judgment is hypocritical,” he added.
A Charlotte Pride spokesperson said they have a right to turn away groups that “do not reflect the mission, vision, and values of our organization.”
Talbert said he plans to sue Charlotte Pride for discrimination and is already raising money for his legal fees on a GoFundMe page. The campaign has raised $3,100 as of Thursday afternoon.
He also set up a website called Deplorable Pride, which contains information on events that he is planning as alternatives to Charlotte Pride and his fundraising page.
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