🚨Weekly🏳️🌈SoCal🏳️⚧️Update🚨5
This week we witness the resurgence of a dangerous figure, the tentacles of TPUSA forming new coalitions, radical religious ideologies at a local high school, & cap it off w/SoCal orgs dedicated to protecting and uplifting the LGBTQ+ community. /1
Navy SEAL Bryce Henson, also known as “Lyin’ Daddy” Ben Richards, has resurfaced after a prolonged hiatus prompted by a military investigation into his connections with extremist groups like the Proud Boys./2
It seems Henson is back in action, mingling with familiar and new questionable figures in the extremist scene. He recently appeared at an event at TOPS alongside founder and TERF Marci Strange and California Policy Center’s Lance Christensen. /3
Henson also posted pictures of himself hanging with a bunch of young republicans at a baseball game (creep factor is at a concerning level) and with young TPUSA supporters at the Santee Street Fair on 5/25. /4
Henson’s extremist roots trace back to his TPUSA speech in Santee. Despite military warnings, he seems emboldened to tread the same troubled path that lead to his military investigation.
Speaking of TPUSA, let’s segue into their latest scheme. /5
A new “Moms for Fascism” group! That’s right, TPUSA Action now boasts a moms’ coalition to mobilize conservative voters for the 2024 election. As if that weren’t alarming enough, they’ve added a notorious spokeswoman to their ranks./6
Representative Anna Paulina Luna, known for misrepresenting her Jewish heritage and omitting her grandfather’s Nazi ties, is just the perfect character to lead the new TPUSA “Moms for Fascism.” /7
vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/a…
Now we jump to Temecula and the insane event held at TV High School yesterday by The Latin Mass-Friends and Divine Mercy Ministry of SoCal: Divine Mercy Conference & Workshop
This is a good one with Catholic priests striped of the priesthood, CNP members and…Harrison Butker?/8
The Divine Mercy Conference & Workshop presented a truly unsettling lineup of speakers, including KC NFL kicker Harrison Butker, who recently asserted that a woman’s place is as a homemaker. /9
amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
Not shocking, Butker was the least offensive of the group. Just wait until you meet event speaker Frank Pavone. /10
Former Catholic priest and Council For National Policy member Frank Povone was stripped of priesthood for being politically offensive in 2022, but his worst offense was in 2016. /11
In 2016, days before the Presidential election, Povone placed an aborted fetus on the alter of Sunday service in an appeal to Donald Trump. /12
Last year, the Divine Mercy Conference & Workshop included Joseph Strickland who heads Catholics for Catholics with CNP member Mike Flynn and Steven Bannon. They are an alarming ministry tied to extremism and should be watched. /13
As always, SCEW would like to thank all the researchers who contributed to this weeks recap, and to celebrate Pride month, we’d like to feature several organizations dedicated to serving our LGBTQ+ community! /14
❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜🤎🤍🩷🩵
Pride at the pier is a wonderful org connecting the Orange County queer community from the piers to the peaks. Please consider donating today!/15
The Rainbow Youth Project promotes the health, safety, and wellness of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual young people throughout the United States.
They also have a crisis line to call. /16
+1 (317) 643-4888
Los Angeles LGBT Center is the largest LGBTQ+ organization in the world, and has programs, services, and global advocacy that span four broad categories: Health, Social Services and Housing, Culture and Education, and Leadership and Advocacy./17
GlendaleOUT is a grass-roots organization dedicated to building, evolving, and moving forward queer voice in the narrative that is Glendale. /18
The GALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian Society:
The leading voice in advancing equality for LGBTQ+ Armenians worldwide since 1998. /19
Unity Conejo is a grassroots, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting our LGBTQIA+ youth. /20
unityconejo.org
The TransLatina Coalition (TLC) advocates for the specific needs of the Trans Latin community that resides in the U.S.A. and to plan strategies that improve our quality of life. /21
Temecula Valley Pride, whose mission is to bring LGBTQ+ people in the greater Temecula Valley area, and surrounding communities, together in solidarity and support.
/22
Pomona Pride, serving the LGBTQ+ community in the Pomona Valley since 2019. /23
There are so many great orgs serving the LGBTQ+ community in SoCal. Be sure to thread your favorites onto my weekly, and stay safe this June! /24