“As Trans Queer Pueblo explained to New Times on Friday, their message was a simple one: They want Pride to be inclusive and stand up for the rights of LGBT undocumented immigrants.
That means getting rid of the police float, refusing corporate sponsorships from banks that have funded immigration detention centers, and using the group’s political influence to lobby against laws that predominantly affect LGBT people of color.
The response was ugly. Parade attendees shouted racial slurs, pushed and shoved protesters, and attempted to start physical fights. Others chanted “Get out of our Pride” and “Go home.” Groups of bystanders booed as the protesters began marching down the parade route.”
“We went in with an understanding what we were in a safe place where our concerns were going to be taken seriously,” Dagoberto Bailon, Trans Queer Pueblo’s general assistant, says. “But we were greeted by Pride immediately calling the police, which caused a lot of fear since many of us are undocumented.”