The Northern California city of Modesto on Friday told a group that wanted to hold a straight pride event in two weeks that it cannot use a city park for the event.
The city suggested another location and gave the group — the National Straight Pride Coalition — a Tuesday deadline to accept.
City officials wrote in a news release that, based on security concerns, they determined the proposed event was not consistent with what the park is used for and the event would not be compatible with other things going on in the greenspace on August 24.
And organizers didn’t prove they had insurance.
“The city has been informed that the certificate of liability insurance for the proposed event has been voided. Liability insurance is a requirement for renting many city facilities,” the city said.
The straight pride group will need to secure insurance by Tuesday to use the alternate facility.
On Wednesday, the city council held a meeting where almost 30 constituents spoke against the event. Organizer Don Grundmann made news when singled out council member Kristi Ah You, accusing her of “pulling the race card” and allegedly inflaming tensions by “attacking us as racists.”
“We haven’t done anything,” he said. “We’re a totally peaceful, racist group.”
The crowd erupted in laughter.
As Grundmann tried to regain control of the room, he said his group was “here to defend all races” and claimed that Planned Parenthood was the “greatest mass murderer of blacks in this nation’s history.”