North Carolina parade canceled after deciding LGBTQ families can’t march

The Holiday Caravan Parade was an annual Thanksgiving tradition in Spencer, North Carolina, and the neighboring town of Salisbury. Last year, organizers decided that LGBTQ families weren’t welcome to participate.

Parade organizers banned a float sponsored by AVITA Pharmacy because the company invited members of the local PFLAG chapter to ride and march with them. Donna Brown Odrosky, president of the chapter, said at the time that organizers objected to their rainbow paraphernalia and black PFLAG t-shirts.

via LGBTQ Nation

Organizers said that the pharmacy violated the rules by allowing another group to advertise their message with “signage, apparel, fliers” without prior approval.

After Odrosky accused them of discrimination, the organizers allegedly received hate mail and threats to protest the 2018 parade from outraged residents and from around the nation.

Now they’re blaming the response they got to their decision to ban the LGBTQ group for canceling the 58-year tradition altogether.