Wausau, WI's First Gay Pride Parade Stirs Controversies
By Amy Cavanaugh in News on Jun 15, 2013 4:00PM
Wausau, Wisconsin is hosting its first gay pride parade on June 22, and people in town are not pleased.
The parade was organized by California resident Daxx Bouvier, who owns property in Wausau and vacations there.
"There are a lot more people in the (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community in Wausau than people realize," he told the Daily Herald, estimating he would put $15,000 of his own money into the event to show young people "there is support."
It's not remotely surprising that a conservative family group is raising a fuss—Wisconsin Family Voice's president, Julaine Appling said pride parades are "nothing more than a display of immorality and propaganda." City alderman David Nutting said at a City Council meeting that the parade is inappropriate. However, the rest of the Wausau LGBT community thinks that something is amiss.
Shannon Thomas, owner of event planning firm One Girl Creative, "said lack of communication between organizer Daxx Bouvier and anyone in the Wausau lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community has her concerned that the parade either is a hoax or will misrepresent the local LGBT community."
Thomas has planned a march for equality at at the same time and place as the planned gay pride parade.
According to the Wasau Daily Herald, "Thomas said members of the committee who organize the Heart of Wisconsin Pride event each summer have tried to contact Bouvier with no response. They invited him to a committee meeting to discuss ways that they could support each other, but Bouvier didn’t attend."
Both events are scheduled for June 22.