Shielding Kids From Hate

Hello Patrollers, Friends and Family! Pride Season is officially over but we're busier than ever! We work year 'round to shield kids and families at LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC events. There are still DQST/DSHs happening, Pride Festivals, BIPOC Fairs and more happening. And sadly, with the return of school, there are hate groups targets our youngest and most vulnerable. We have events happening across the country! Plenty of Pride Festivals happen outside of June in the cooler Fall weather. 

I'm sure many of you are aware of our 501c3 nonprofit organization, Parasol Patrol. We shield children and young people from protesters at LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC events. We've faced off against Proud Boys, Patriot Front, the Blood Tribe, QAnon and the Westboro Baptist Church to name a few. We use umbrellas to create a visual barrier while we walk children and their families past the signs and angry faces of those who might do them harm. We even have noise canceling ear protection for the littlest ones so they won't have to hear the vitriolic jeers usually shouted at them through bullhorns by grown adults.

One recent Fall Pride Celebration was held in Castle Rock, CO a couple of weekends ago. The night before, they venue was tagged by a, "middle aged woman," caught in video tagging homophobic slurs with spray paint. Over 100 protesters we're both inside and outside the event. It made national news when Patriot Front yelled at families outside with bullhorns and signs harassing everyone as they tried to exit the event. Other families came to us because they were being accosted by protesters taking video of them and following them in the parking lot. Protesters we're doing donuts in the parking lot with trucks. An elected official brought a lawyer in to argue first ammendment rights and gained access for protesters to enter the area set aside exclusively for kids and families to enjoy crafts, listen to stories and rest in the air conditioning. Our Patrollers helped families leave using the emergency exit. And most notoriously, over 100 men and women invaded the stage taking as many seats as possible to prevent attendees from bring seated. The grown men then stood, took off their jackets and shirts to reveal matching slogans telling us to Protect Children. Little ones were frightened, crying, they blocked aisles, wouldn't let people through,... Turns out, they were organized by a local alt-right, evangelical Christian militia training organization who tried to deny it until emails we're made public, exposing them. 

Upcoming, just this month, we are shielding a Pride in Utah where last year, protesters literally walked in a line, arm in arm, plowing through the venue forcing attendees out of the park. We are shielding a DSH in Illinois, Prides in Kentucky, in Iowa and our old friends from the Westboro Baptist Church are protesting at Arrowhead Lake, CA at churches, a school and where Lauri Carleton was murdered because of the Pride Flag she displayed at her business.

We need your help. Sometimes situations require our co-founders to attend in person to events like we did for Wadsworth, Ohio. (Trigger Warning! If you Google, "Wadsworth Ohio Drag Story Time," be prepared for some truly vile stuff, including Knot Zee imagery, especially videos.) Also, every chapter we open in other states cost at least a thousand dollars to establish. We need First Aid/Trauma Kits, extra umbrellas, ear protection, radios, etc. Won't you please help? Either with a cash donation our Amazon wishlist or with Airline Points? 

We're so grateful for all your support! Thank you, thank you! 

Venmo: @ParasolPatrol

Paypal: @RLRIParasolPatrol

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www dot amazon dot com/hz/wishlist/ls/1W1N9UKHKHNZ9?ref_=wl_share