Straight Pride Modesto ‘21
Image: Proud Boys run past the Sonic restaurant parking lot while fighting continues behind them. Pink Knight Press.
08.28.2021 | “The purpose of the California Straight Pride Coalition is to defend the children noted above. This is inclusive of preventing the current and future generations of all races and colors from being destroyed by the inherent malevolence of the Homosexual Movement” - National Straight Pride Coalition website (1), the host of today’s event.
The day began with a 10 AM Queer Pride event at Roosevelt Park, planned in opposition to the Straight Pride event. There were as many as fifty attendees, and many booths, stickers, and an array of flags could be found. Two people, including Sean Adam K (local Proud Boys chapter leader), watched from afar with a “We the People” banner.
At 12 PM, in front of the local Planned Parenthood (a nonprofit medical clinic), the Straight Pride event began, with local right-wing personalities such as Sean Adam K, local chapter leader for the Proud Boys, and Don Grundmann, founder of the National Straight Pride Coalition. Numerous Proud Boys were in attendance.
At 1 PM, the Queer Pride event was dispersing; there was talk of confronting the Straight Pride parade, but with the concern of violence there was broad agreement that it would be better left alone. Just minutes after this consensus was reached, images surfaced in group chats of six or seven counter-protesters who were being harassed at the Straight Pride event, at which point Queer Pride attendees sprung to action to head that way and defend the counter-protesters.
The counter-protesters were quickly extracted upon arrival, but not without injuries. The Proud Boys outnumbered their counter-protesters 60 to 20, and when this became clear they charged, macing and throwing blows. Several counter-protesters went down and Proud Boys began attacking the downed, including a kick to one protester’s head. Anti-LGBTQ rhetoric was being screamed as this went on.
After allowing the fighting to continue for some time, police intervened, leading to at least one known arrest at this time. Riot police separated the group but refused, even on request, to stop small groups of Proud Boys who were chasing people down in the surrounding blocks. The police declared it an unlawful assembly and it dispersed.
The following year’s event was successfully canceled by counter-protesters. Read more here.
