New York – a Refuse Fascism contingent of about 80 people – complete with brass and drum band  – exuberantly took the message of driving out the Trump/Pence fascist regime to the Pride Parade. Thousands of people joined in with our chants enthusiastically, and many took up the call for protests around the country on July 15.

NO gay bashing, NO pussy grabbing, NO fascist USA! #NYCPride is AMAZING. #ProudlyResisting pic.twitter.com/Bie5UmmQiO

— #NoFascistUSA (@RefuseFascism) June 25, 2017

San Francisco: About 50 people marched with the Refuse Fascism contingent as part of the “Resistance Contingent” at the front of the Pride parade in San Francisco. It was a beautiful and diverse crew that came from all over the Bay Area for this. We chanted (accompanied by an amazing brass band) for two hours, in English and Español as we marched up Market Street. Many of the people watching the parade on the sidelines put their fists in the air and chanted along with us as we went by. We told the spectators: today you are on the sidelines, but tomorrow you gotta get in the streets to drive out the fascist Trump and Pence regime! Into the streets, July 15th! Trump and Pence must GO!

Houston:  The Refuse Fascism chapter here recruited people to do some lively street theater at this year’s Pride Parade and get our message out. We set up in a corner of a park with the Grim Reaper and his buddy, Donald Trump, dancing over a graveyard full of human tombstones. People mobbed the scene.  Dozens posed for photos with the pair, often flipping the bird at Trump.  At a certain point, a section of the crowd started chanting, “Fuck Donald Trump!”.   The Grim Reaper warned people they better not show up in the streets on July 15th–“OR ELSE!”–and hundreds of flyers went out.  And a number of people signed up, responding to the question, “Who wants to be an organizer for July 15th?”