My husband and I chose small-town Alabama life over city life for a reason. One of those reasons is the historical continuity and the traditional practices. The clock at our city hall is analog and chimes the hour, something I find pretty darn cool in this digital/AI world. Other traditions like local games, local fairs and events, and old-timey parades – especially at Christmas – lend to that feeling of continuity and sameness.
Our local Christmas parade was on Thursday, and it was super fun, even with below-freezing temperatures. All the kids rushed to get the candy tossed from the holiday-festooned trucks and trailers; marching bands, majorettes, and twirlers were in formation; people were in their chairs or standing along the road cheering their kids or oohing and ahhing over the holiday lights. It appeared everyone was having a good time. Being waved to by people in elf costumes or those acting as Tigger and Grinch characters, while also watching local businesses participate in ushering in the season did my heart good and was a delight to see.
You know what I didn’t see? Anything unrelated to peace, goodwill or holiday style. I would expect the children walked away from that parade crowing about how much candy they got, gushing about the fun music, or complaining about the cold.
But those same children did not have to ask what a drag queen was, nor its connection to Christmas.
Sadly, Prattville continues its ongoing battles with the need of its pride community to upend traditions for the sake of themselves. What does the Bible say about the Advent? “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Whether they care or not, there is a pronounced lack of good will in Prattville Pride’s intention to have the “gayest and merriest” float featuring a drag queen participate in the city’s annual Christmas parade.
“Prattville’s Christmas parade is a source of pride for the city, drawing viewers and participants from across the state,” 1819 News’ Craig Monger reported. “So much so that there is currently a waitlist for those wishing to have a float in the parade since all spots for this year have already been filled since September.”
Riddle me this: What does gay pride have to do with Christmas or the holidays? Sorry, not sorry, but when I think about “Christmas joy,” a pride-themed float is not in the mental lexicon. It is not traditional, seasonal or culturally relevant.
But it is cognitive dissonance. As an adult, I have the capacity to parse, reason and ascertain the nuances of cultural and traditional norms. If I am experiencing dissonance, what must a child who lacks those capacities be feeling?
Prattville residents and the advocacy group Clean Up Alabama expressed their concern to the city council, and the city council all but ignored these outcries. The city attorney cited the First Amendment as a reason to tread carefully. However, at least one longtime parade participant, St. Joseph's Catholic Church, chose to pull their participation due to the inclusion of the pride float.
Once again, where does peace and good will exist in this insistence on inclusion?
On Thursday, Prattville Mayor Bill Gillespie put the kybosh on the float appearing in the parade, citing “safety concerns for Prattville Pride, participants and attendees.” According to Clean Up Alabama, this was just an excuse to deflect blame. The group blasted the mayor and the Prattville City Council in an X thread:
Prattville city mayor and council had the opportunity to keep drag queen perversion away from kids and the famiku [sic] friendly Christmas parade for valid concerns over the protection of children an exposing then to drag queens. Instead, they chose not to...
Now, they claim to remove it due to yet to be specified threat of violence. That's all on the mayor and the city council who still refuse to acknowledge the threat posed to children from the very beginning. We have seen what these 'family friendly drag queen' events turn to..
And instead focus on safety concerns with no acknowledgement about the protection of kids from this perversion in the first place.
So, how is it hateful to ensure the innocence of children, and their laser-focus on Santa Claus, presents, sweets, and the baby Jesus is preserved? How is the insertion of themes that have nothing to do with Christmas traditions benefiting anyone?
Alabama Reporter had its multi-colored panties in a bunch with this spurious headline: “Prattville caves to threats, pulls LGBTQ float out of Christmas parade.” But from the reporting I read, there were no threats made.
Here’s the real deal: People just want to enjoy the holidays with their families and their communities. Like me, they enjoy the one time a year where tradition and continuity is a feature, not a bug. Christmas carols that have been sung for hundreds, even thousands of years, stories passed down from generation to generation, themes that are universal, unifying, and agenda-free.
This pride float ain’t it.
Sadly, Prattville Pride is doubling down. 1819 News reported that the group filed an injunction against the City of Prattville to have their float included, along with asking for additional protection over these supposed threats of violence.
For Prattville citizens who just wanted to usher in the season with that same continuity present in past celebrations, there is no good will, and thanks to Prattville Pride, there will be no peace either.
If Prattville Pride’s intended end was to get national news and cause chaos and confusion in what was previously a sweet tradition unifying the community, then they’ve succeeded. But if their goal was for more acceptance and inclusion, then they’ve blown that out of the water. When you take a timeless celebration that’s not about you, and make it all about YOU, you’ve pretty much lost the argument.
Jennifer Oliver O'Connell, As the Girl Turns, is an investigative journalist, author, opinion analyst, and contributor to 1819 News, Redstate, and other publications. Jennifer writes on Politics and Pop Culture, with occasional detours into Reinvention, Yoga, and Food. You can read more about Jennifer's world at her As the Girl Turns website. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Telegram.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819news.com.
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