We here at Iron Troll send our condolences to those involved in the tragic accident at the Pride Festival in Wilton Manors Florida on Saturday, and to all of you impacted by the tragedy during what was supposed to be a celebration of being you.

Despite first impressions, all indications are that this was an accident and not an attack. The victims and the driver were members of the Gay Men’s Chorus, an organization which is a long established part of the gay community in South Florida.

It’s a sad sign of the times we live in, that first reactions to this accident were that it was a deliberate attack upon the gay community. But this wasn’t a rush to judgement. For those of us in the gay community, violence because of who we love is something many of us have experienced. It’s very much a part of gay history and the history of Pride parades and festivals.

America has made progress toward being an inclusive society where all citizen’s have the same rights, regardless of race, religion, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation, but the Trump era was a BIG step backwards. The Former Guy gave his worshippers permission to act on their hate and their fear.

Even though Trump is out of office, his influence lives on. There are still efforts to stop an inclusive society where everyone has equal rights. There’s a small group of white heterosexual men who are so afraid of becoming a minority and losing their civil rights, that they’ll do whatever they can to keep everyone else from getting theirs. Even though they’re already a minority, they’re somehow still in power, so the fight for your civil rights isn’t over.
Stay safe but stay informed and stay involved,

Zile and Bea