Pride Month Confrontations + Support for Haiti + Stop Passing Gas + More

On this edition of the Weekly Roundup of Protest Events - June 20, 2023

Jun 20, 2023

Brought to you by discursus.io, social data for journalists, researchers and analysts.

Friends,

We’ve talked about cultural wars in North America and how Gender Identity questions are central to that confrontation. With Pride Month underway, things are heating up.

From the start of June 2023, our platform has detected and tracked 186 gender identity protest events, documented across 411 distinct news articles. This data clearly shows that the conflict over values isn't limited to physical protests—it's also echoed and amplified through the media landscape, broadening its reach and impact.

In our weekly highlight, we’ll explore the geography and actors of that confrontation.

Olivier

Visit our interactive dashboard of weekly protests for more in-depth data.

🏳️‍⚧️ Pride Month Confrontations

Geography

Our data analysis has revealed specific regions across North America that have emerged as focal points for protests and counter-protests. These activities are largely driven by responses to LGBTQ+ legislation, school policies, and community events like drag storytelling.

California
- Young activists in San Francisco led a protest against anti-trans laws during pride month celebrations. The ACLU reports that nearly 500 bills have been introduced this year alone, aiming to curtail LGBTQ+ rights and targeting the transgender and drag queen communities.
  (ABC News - Left-Center bias and High credibility score by MBFC)
- Protesters and counter-protesters gathered outside the San Lorenzo library in California during a drag story hour event. Some believed that it was inappropriate to have a person dressed in drag reading to children, while others supported the event. The event was disrupted by a group of men believed to be associated with the far-right extremist group the Proud Boys at the same library last year.
  (KTVU - Fox Television Stations - Least biased and High credibility score by MBFC)
Florida
- Abigail Disney, granddaughter of Disney co-founder Roy O. Disney, expressed disgust at the sight of demonstrators holding nazi flags and Ron DeSantis signs outside of Disney World in Orlando. Disney has been the target of DeSantis since the former Disney CEO denounced DeSantis’ “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
  (The Daily Beast - Left bias and Medium credibility score by MBFC)
Canada
- Canadian MP Joel Harden, who suffered a small cut to his face during an anti-trans protest, has said he would take a punch for trans and queer youth “any day”. Harden was taking part in a counter-protest in Ottawa on Friday, opposing an anti-trans rally when he sustained the injury.
  (The Pink News - Left bias and High credibility score by MBFC)
- A mayor in southwestern Ontario has condemned protesters who disrupted two drag queen storytime events over the weekend. Ingersoll mayor Brian Petrie attended both events at Oxford County library branches in Ingersoll and Tillsonburg and saw adults yelling at children, displays of "white power symbols", and men arguing with police while holding bibles. Libraries have hosted drag storytime events for years, but they have increasingly become the target of anti-LGBTQ demonstrations
  (Strathroy Age Dispatch)

Actors

Ron DeSantis - Florida's governor has emerged as a central figure in the Gender Identity protest movements. His sustained campaign against what he labels as 'wokeness' and controversial legislations like the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, have stirred widespread polarization among different groups within Florida and across the United States.
Saticoy Elementary School - This educational institution in California has become a flashpoint for intense confrontations between protesters and counter-protesters. Sparked by the school's decision to host a Pride Month event, protesters view the event as an act of indoctrination. In contrast, counter-protesters see any attempt to suppress such an event as a threat to the rights of children to be educated about gender identity.
Harvey Milk - This pioneering figure, recognized as the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, has been controversially drawn into the culture wars. The incident occurred when board members of the Temecula Valley Unified School District refused to accept a social studies textbook, making unfounded claims that Milk was a pedophile.

Board president Dr. Joseph Komrosky responded: “My question is why even mention a pedophile? Why even mention that? What has that got to do with our curriculum in schools? That’s a form of activism.”
(CNN - Left bias and High credibility score by MBFC)

Elsewhere

🔥 Die-in protest - Fifty protesters staged a "die-in" in front of the office of Canada's environment minister on Thursday to draw attention to the government's inaction over the ecological crisis, which they say is linked to the forest fires in Quebec. The protesters lay on the ground for almost half an hour in the "engaged conceptual work", according to the Coalition Étudiante Pour Un Virage Environnemental Et Social.
(Journal Metro)

✍️ Writers still fighting for better conditions - The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) staged a protest outside Apple's visitor centre during the company's worldwide developers conference, citing unfair wages and job security. The guild is engaged in a labour dispute with the motion picture and television producers alliance and is looking for a $17m annual deal with Apple TV+.
(KTVU - Fox Television Stations - Least biased and High credibility score by MBFC)

🌳 Conflicting views over land protection - Native American activists clashed outside Chaco culture national historical park in northwest New Mexico, leading to the cancellation of a visit by US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to celebrate a buffer surrounding the world heritage site. The buffer protects Chaco Canyon from oil and gas drilling and was recently extended to 20 years by the Biden administration. while some activists celebrated the buffer, Navajo land allotment owners blocked the road leading to the park in protest.
(Albuquerque Journal - Right-center bias and High credibility score by MBFC)

🏜️ Trump army not showing up - Donald Trump's arraignment on criminal charges was not the predicted chaotic event, with only a handful of protesters showing up. Trump pled not guilty to all thirty-seven counts brought against him by the feds, with the case potentially dragging out into the 2024 presidential race.
(The Spectator - Right-center bias and High credibility score by MBFC)

💨 Stop passing gas - Protesters in Boston dropped their pants to reveal letters spelling out "Stop Passing Gas!" on their bare backsides during a senate debate on a proposed tax relief package. The protesters were promoting swifter action against fossil fuels and were part of the group Extinction Rebellion, which has staged other protests at the Massachusetts statehouse. the group is calling for legislation banning new fossil fuel infrastructure, and protests will continue until lawmakers approve such measures. Eight protesters were arrested and charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct, and indecent exposure.
(Toronto Star - Left-center and High credibility score by MBFC)