Gay Trump Supporters to File Suit Against Charlotte Pride for Barring ‘Deplorable Pride’ (Video)

‘It was Going to be Pro-American, Pro-Trump, Pro-Gay’

A group of gay Republicans known as “Deplorable Pride” are claiming discrimination and planning to file suit against Charlotte Pride in North Carolina for barring their pro-Donald Trump entry into the event’s parade in August.

“I’m very proud of my country, proud of my president, and was once proud of my community,” Brian Talbert, co-founder of the group, told his local Fox affiliate. “I’m very proud of my vote. I don’t regret my vote. I will vote for Donald Trump again.” 

Talbert discussed his plans for the group’s entry to The Washington Post, which was to feature “a bunch of American flags,” a Statue of Liberty replica, “female impersonators” and the “most patriotic music anyone has ever heard.”

“It was going to be pro-American, pro-Trump, pro-gay,” he said. Last year, the Charlotte Pride event had an estimated 130,000 visitors over the course of its celebratory weekend, a new record for the organization.

According to Talbert, Charlotte Pride emailed him to deny the group’s entry in the parade. “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,” he said, “for them to sit back and judge me for exercising my right as an American to choose my leader without judgment is hypocritical.”

In a written statement to Charlotte’s Fox affiliate, Charlotte Pride offered the following in response:

Charlotte Pride reserves the right to decline participation at our events to groups or organizations which do not reflect the mission, vision and values of our organization, as is acknowledged in our parade rules and regulations by all groups at the time of their parade application. In the past, we have made similar decisions to decline participation from other organizations espousing anti-LGBTQ religious or public policy stances.

Charlotte Pride envisions a world in which LGBTQ people are affirmed, respected and included in the full social and civic life of their local communities, free from fear of any discrimination, rejection, and prejudice.  

Charlotte Pride invites all individuals, groups, organizations and causes which share our values to join our community’s celebration of the LGBTQ community, history, arts and culture during the Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade, Aug. 26-27, 2017.”

The group has opted to file a lawsuit against Charlotte Pride, and has begun raising money for legal fees. “We as a minority within a minority know discrimination first hand,” Deplorable Pride’s GoFundMe page reads. “We are having to fight it from those who know what it is like to be discriminated against.”

As of this publication, Deplorable Pride has raised $6,713 of their $100K goal.

“Start being proud of your country and stop being ashamed of the diversity that you claim to represent,” Talbert told his local NBC affiliate. “The only discrimination I’m receiving is from the gay community.”

Watch his full interview below:

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