Residents Swarm Council Meeting After Plan for LGBTQ+ Festival Draws Scowls
Newsweek reached out for comment to the city of Broadview Heights via email on Wednesday night.Anti-LGBTQ+ arguments and sentiments have recently been at the heart of political culture war debates, with Republican lawmakers across the country attempting to pass laws that roll back transgender rights and access to health care in particular.Jennifer Speer, president of the BBH Pride Organization, told Cleveland Fox affiliate WJW that members of her group were surprised by the onslaught despite being warned of the possibility prior to arriving at the meeting to discuss plans for staging the festival."We were made aware that residents would come and maybe voice their displeasure," Speer said. "We came into a room that was clearly not friendly.
We were not prepared for the messaging.""We did not feel safe, I'll be honest with you," she added. "When all of us left, we were either on the phone with spouses, family or 911."Kilo told WJW that Speer's concerns were "ridiculous," insisting that those protesting did not have "any animosity towards people" and only wanted to express that the Pride event was not "good for Broadview Heights."Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground..
