06/03/2008
Twin Falls, Idaho Parade Allows Gay Float with No Markings
Pride vs. Prejudice. Which won?
Every year, Twin Falls, Idaho holds a Western Days parade featuring floats from local community businesses and groups, and until this year banned local gays and lesbians from having their own float, citing the area's "conservative, religous and family values."
This year they allowed them to participate, with one stipulation: the float could not have anything on it that identified the group as gay or lesbian.
According to Today's 6 News: "Tens of thousands of people line the streets to see high school bands, firefighters, local businesses and other groups that are all easily identifiable, with just one exception. A float that carries a big question mark because the parade committee only let the southern Idaho gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community center participate if they didn't make any reference to sexual orientation or gender identity. No rainbows. No colors. No flyers with their message. 'They didn't want us in it at all,' member Mitch Sylvester told 'Today's 6 News.' 'I don't know if they let us in to relieve some pressure that they got put on them by media and other influences last year.'"
The only people vocally supporting the group, the Times News reports, were a group of high school students.
KIVI reports: "The float participated in the parade without incident."
Which makes sense. Nobody knew what it was.
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 8:49 AM EST by Andy in Gay Pride, Gay Rights, Idaho, News | Permalink
Like it?
Subscribe to FREE Towleroad daily headlines with our RSS feed!
RECENT STORIES:
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
if they played Kylie loud, and danced... fun is infectious.
Posted by: A.J. | Jun 3, 2008 9:02:51 AM
It's nice that the folks in Twin Falls believe in freedom of speech and assembly . . . or . . well . . . at least assembly.
Posted by: westcoastkid | Jun 3, 2008 9:09:49 AM
EXCUSE ME...BUT - WHAT COUNTRY ARE WE IN HERE? Who the hell do they think they are....? Another Black mark on America's supposed Hypocritcal idea of LIberty and Justice for All?? What the Hell? This is plain BS! Another state to avoid!
Posted by: Disgusted American | Jun 3, 2008 9:55:25 AM
..I still get over the fact that this is SUPPOSED to be America..WTF..."they can have a Float,as long as no-one knows who they are"???? You couldn't pay me to go to that state - EVER! Go EFF yourself S.Dakota!
Posted by: Disgusted American | Jun 3, 2008 10:06:20 AM
Right on Twin Falls! I'm proud of the folks who made a float and rode it through town in spite of the restrictions. Things are slow to change out here in the provinces, but these are some brave homos who are making a difference. They may not have had a bull horn to shout our message, but stepping up and in a calm reasonable tone they said "we are here, we are queer, get used to it". It's a cliche now, but it still needs to be said. Those Idaho bitches are fierce. Props from Utah.
Posted by: Rikard | Jun 3, 2008 10:47:09 AM
As long as it was the parade organizers and not the town authorities (or one and the same) then the restrictions were legally fine. I suppose they could try to have a pride parade too.
Posted by: anon | Jun 3, 2008 11:32:23 AM
It's a shame to hear that such an amazing place like Idaho is suffering from the same type of mentality as the Middle East, yet another reason why religion should not be taught until peope are adults, and even then it should be shown as what NOT to do. I just love how easily christians throw out morality to suit their own needs.
Posted by: downwithchristians | Jun 3, 2008 11:49:43 AM
If the parade was sponsored by the city or another unit of state government, they could not suppress the message of the marchers. Here, however, the parade was organized by a private group (the chamber of commerce). The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that private organizations CAN control the message of their parades (they did that in the Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade Case called Hurley). As much as I hate that ruling, I recognize it is also the rule that keeps us from letting Fred Phelps march in a gay pride parade.
All in all, I love this country, and I love its laws. I am not happy with the decision to suppress the message of the marchers in Idaho, but I celebrate their courage in keeping up the fight (and the march).
Thanks.
Posted by: Mark W | Jun 3, 2008 4:33:32 PM
i'm from twin falls, id and i can confirm the hatred for anything not religious (one group in particular) is out of theis world. it's sickening.
i'm glad to see they were at least allowed to participate and if it makes anyone feel better the Times News ran an ad(s) leading up to the parade that let people know they would be participateing. that caused a huge backlash by the local community. ;-)
knowing the Times News did what they did knowing it would cause publicity is rewarding enough.
Posted by: john | Jun 4, 2008 12:54:57 AM
Besides the obvious negatives... This remonds me - and hopefully EVERYONE else how F-ing funny the GLBT's are!!!
I hope they had one hell of a party afterward with lots of cheers and toasts for one another, and a lot of laughter!
Courageous!
Posted by: MQuadrucci | Jun 8, 2008 1:55:23 PM