GayRVA.com reported today that Hampton Roads Pride has accepted a vendor exhibitor application from the local Gays for Trump organization. They will be present at tomorrow’s Pridefest in Town Point Park.
The group is largely spearheaded by a 757 local, Scott Presler, who worked for the Trump campaign under gubernatorial failure and Confederate Flag fetishist Corey Stewart until they lead a protest at the Republican National Committee headquarters in DC prompting Trump to fire him. Presler most recently spoke at and organized an anti-Muslim rally at Virginia Beach’s Mt. Trashmore earlier this month.
Presler’s name is listed on an Eventbright listing for the Gays for Trump event at HR Pride this weekend.
The Trump administration, despite promising to be a “friend of the gays” on the campaign trail, has undertaken a laundry list of anti-LGBTQ actions, from rolling back protections for transgender students in public schools, to removing any mention of LGBTQ from federal employment policies, to removing sexual orientation and gender identity questions from the 2020 census, too being the first President in eight years to not proclaim June LGBTQ Pride Month… and much much much more.
Yesterday, Trump rolled back protections for LGBTQ Commerce Department employees
A statement sent to GayRVA from Michael Berlucchi, HR Pride’s Board President, said Gays for Trump submitted an application and was approved “in accordance with our standard polices and procedures.”
“Hampton Roads Pride has a longstanding practice of welcoming many different political and community organizations to PrideFest,” read the statement. “We value our nation’s freedoms and tradition of protecting speech and the rights of individuals and organizations to express ideas.”
Berlucchi said a vendor’s presence at the event does not imply an endorsement from the group and that they hope folks will still join them at their block party tomorrow.
Read the entire story at GayRVA.com.
