On Saturday the annual Warrensburg Pride Festival took place at the same venue as last year. The well-attended family friendly event included vendors, information, activities, entertainment, music, discussions, speeches, swag, food (and an outdoor food truck!). There were protesters.

Several statewide and local Democratic Party candidates attended and spoke at the event.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade (D), a candidate for Governor, attended, spoke to the crowd, and visited one-on-one with attendees.

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Crystal Quade (D): [….] What I want you all to know is, um, we have a lot at stake in 2024. And, and I appreciate the time to talk about politics in this space because, unfortunately, they have made every space about politics. They did that. But since they did we’re gonna take advantage of that and also do that.

Because what’s going on this year, for folks who may not know, we have an opportunity in the fall to take back reproductive freedom in our state, because [applause], yes, let’s clap for that, because we had over 380,000 people sign a piece of paper saying, ‘You have gone too far, and this is too extreme for my state.’ So we have that opportunity.

We have an opportunity to raise the minimum wage and give mandatory earned sick leave to everyone in the State of Missouri. [applause] Huge. [applause]

We also have an opportunity to get rid of Josh Hawley [r]. [cheers, applause]

We have an opportunity to take back the Governor’s mansion. [cheers, applause] And, as mentioned, we are so very close to breaking the Republican super-majority in the state House and Senate. We need to flip three seats red to blue. As in my time as leader we’ve already flipped six, so flipping three is gonna be real easy. [applause] But what that means is that when I’m Governor and they file the next nonsense that they do, I can veto it and we can uphold that veto and it will not become law.

Missouri is a place that I know everyone here feels it, that often feels like there’s no way out, and sometimes can feel very overwhelming. But what I hope that you all know about this election cycle is we actually have an opportunity to pull Missouri back on track and be a state where folks feel safe and welcome to be here.

[….]

Previously:

Warrensburg Pride Festival – June 26, 2021 (June 26, 2021)

Local busybodies engage in pearl clutching (June 3, 2022)

“I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians, they are so unlike your Christ.” (June 4, 2022)

Pride Festival – Warrensburg, Missouri – June 4, 2022 (June 4, 2022)

The pearl clutching right wingnut bigots among us (April 19, 2023)

Always the other (April 21, 2023)

Meta – The pearl clutching right wingnut bigots among us (April 22, 2023)

Unified Field Theory of Right Wingnut Pearl Clutching, Self-Righteousness, and Victimhood (April 22, 2023)

Addressing Bigotry – Warrensburg, Missouri City Council – April 24, 2023 (April 25, 2023)

Addressing Bigotry – Warrensburg, Missouri City Council – April 24, 2023 – part 2 (April 26, 2023)

Addressing Bigotry – Warrensburg, Missouri City Council Meeting – May 8, 2023 (May 9, 2023)

Addressing Bigotry – Warrensburg, Missouri City Council Meeting – May 8, 2023 – part 2 (May 9, 2023)

Addressing Bigotry – Warrensburg, Missouri City Council Meeting – May 8, 2023 – part 3 (May 9, 2023)

Addressing Bigotry – Warrensburg, Missouri City Council Meeting – May 8, 2023 – part 4 (May 9, 2023)

Addressing Bigotry – Warrensburg, Missouri City Council Meeting – May 8, 2023 – part 5 (May 10, 2023)

Living in a self-imposed cultural vacuum (May 10, 2023)

A downward spiral…of pearl clutching (May 25, 2023)

Warrensburg Pride Festival – June 3, 2023 – Returning to Family Friendly Format (May 26, 2023)

Thoughts and… (May 27, 2023)

Everyone is here for the ratio (May 28, 2023)

All means all (May 29, 2023)

Warrenburg, Missouri Pride Festival – before the crowd – June 3, 2023 (June 3, 2023)

Warrensburg, Missouri Pride Festival – hand wringing, pearl clutching, and sign waving in the noonday sun – June 3, 2023 (June 3, 2023)

Warrensburg, Missouri Pride Festival – June 3, 2023 (June 3, 2023)

Warrensburg, Missouri Pride Festival – June 1, 2024 (May 19, 2024)

Warrensburg Pride Festival – June 1, 2024 – Starting at 11:00 a.m. (June 1, 2024)

Warrensburg Pride Festival – June 1, 2024 – Across the street (June 1, 2024)

Warrensburg Pride Festival – June 1, 2024 – on being an Ally (June 1, 2024)

Warrensburg Pride Festival – June 1, 2024 – Same Planet, Different Worlds (June 2, 2024)

Warrensburg Pride Festival – June 1, 2024 – useless platitudes pave the road to self-righteous certainty (June 2, 2024)

Breaking News: Pearl Clutchers Clutch Pearls (June 3, 2024)