BLVD, a restaurant in Minneapolis/St Paul, recently made headlines for refusing service to Jake Lang, a known known far-right, neo-Nazi, antisemitic, white supremacist agitator and an overall shitbag of a human being.

Wait, is he the J6er who attacked Capitol and Metro Police? The one who was captured on film violently attacking officers. Yes, that's the guy.

Oh, is he the Proud Boy who cried and pissed his pants when he realized that Minnesota Nice doesn’t mean Minnesota Weak? And who is only alive because he was protected by a courageous young black man who escorted him to safety—despite his unapologetic racism before and after that public humiliation? Same dude.

Was he also the cosplay kid who kicked over the “Prosecute ICE” sculpture in the most unimpressive and unathletic fashion possible? Bingo.

Well, the good folks at BLVD (some of whom actually served our country) located in West St. Paul weren’t having any of his bullshit. So they showed him, and his very proud bois, the door. Their courageous stand against hate and fascism has inspired many of us, not just in Minnesota but across the world. As someone who isn’t from Minnesota, I was moved by their actions and wanted to find a way to show support. In a time when it can feel difficult to make a difference, BLVD’s actions remind us that courage is contagious and that small acts of resistance matter.

So, let's buy well-deserved drinks, and maybe a bite to eat, for Minnesotans who have all been through some shit these past few weeks. Show them that all of us around the world see what they are doing, and that we appreciate their efforts to protect their community, and without hyperbole, our democracy, from people like Jake Lang.

This round is on us, BLVD and all you brave and decent Minnesotans. Thanks for standing up to the real bullies.

(Thanks to all the generous donations so far. If you can swing a big donation like some of the donors have already made, thank you. But even a $5 beer goes a real long way. I would rather thousands of small donations than hundreds of big ones. It goes beyond a monetary value, but more so as a symbol of solidarity and community. And if you're broke, you can still make a huge difference by spreading the word!)