Bad weather and disruptive protesters fail to stop Pride Month rally in La Center

Norman Helgason / [email protected]

Despite the presence of heavy rain and a hate group, the Clark County LGBTQ+ community completed its fourth annual Rainbow Walk without a hitch on Sunday, June 2, in La Center.

About 100 people attended the rally and fair organized by Clark County Pride, a rural LGBTQ+ rights group.

The march to kick off Pride Month started at the La Center Road Bridge and ended at Holley Park, where the annual festival took place. The participants’ umbrellas and multi-colored coats prevented the rain from spoiling the fun, and dozens of cars honked their horns in support of the rally group. The rally was stopped by the presence of anti-LGBTQ+ protesters who were waiting halfway in front of La Center primary school.

The hecklers brandished LGBTQ+ hate symbols, and several members shouted, “You’re all going to hell” at the oncoming group.

Their presence, however, did not stop the gathering. Within a minute, volunteers hid the protesters with umbrellas, allowing participants to cross the road safely. Anti-LGBTQ+ chants were overwhelmed by volunteers shouting in unison: “We are here, we are queer.” One of the community members who held back the protesters said the presence of hatred was not new to their rural community.

“Whether they’re preachers or whether they’re cultists, we usually see them,” said the person, who asked to remain anonymous. “And most of the time they’re harmless, but the community is supportive because there’s always that chance that they’re the opposite of harmless.”

Protesters were held back throughout the march thanks to the coordinated efforts of participants. Rainbow Walk participants reached the Holley Park Rainbow Walk Fair safely without being directly confronted by the hate group. About a dozen protesters circled the park throughout the fair, but were held back through de-escalation tactics.

“We know we are not going to undo years of ideology that has been ingrained in them since they were children,” the volunteer said. “At this point, we’re trying to get them to leave the premises, and if no one can get anywhere, we’ll take on the role of someone they can target and stay in contact with.”

Police were not present during altercations at the march and fair. A Clark County Sheriff’s Office vehicle parked across the street from the fairgrounds, but was not involved in the de-escalation.

“We don’t call the cops. We don’t talk to the cops,” the volunteer said. “Historically, cops don’t have the craziest relationship with the queer community, you know. So we firmly believe that we can keep ourselves safe and that we can take care of each other.

Clark County Pride Secretary Missy Fant was happy to see the fair continue despite the presence of protesters. She said some La Center residents have caused trouble in the past, but had never tried to block a gathering before Sunday.

“We had people honking from their cars and yelling, but none of them really stopped it like they did this year,” Fant said. “I’ve seen them yelling at the kids, (and) I don’t like it.”

The Rainbow Walk fair continued without interruption. A drag show hosted by the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Raintree Empire, an LGBTQ+ charity and volunteer organization, drew a large crowd to the event. Attendees cheered as the drag queens demonstrated their dancing skills during the live show.

“It’s nice to see everyone coming together to support the community, and it’s nice to see that even if there’s some bullshit trying to ruin everything, we can still have a good time,” said declared a de-escalator. said.

Clark County Pride is an LGBTQ+ advocacy group for La Center and rural Clark County. To learn more about the organization, visit Clark Countypride.com.