JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — LGBTQ+ advocates respond with outrage after a Facebook post from a local Republican group appeared to tie Pride Month to notorious criminals, including serial killers and sex offenders.
The post, shared by the Mandarin Republican Club, included the caption: “Happy Pride Month. So glad our Acosta Bridge was lit in their honor.” Below were images of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky, and a Georgia couple convicted of sexually assaulting their children.
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Also included in the post was a photo of Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan with Andrew Gillum, a former Florida gubernatorial candidate who was involved in a sex scandal but never faced any criminal charges.
LGBTQ+ community leader James Eddy called the post offensive and hateful.
“In this day and age, people on Facebook feel like they can put anything,” Eddy said.
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“It’s sad that it came from the Republican Party.”
Eddy said he “really was disgusted… the fact that you associate Pride—because they said ‘Happy Pride’ in it—with pictures of like Jeffrey Dahmer.”
The post appeared to criticize a peaceful protest where supporters lit up the Acosta Bridge with flashlights. That protest was in response to a state ban on lighting public structures in specific colors, which LGBTQ+ advocates believe targets Pride celebrations.
“You know, when something is taken away, you try to fight against it,” Eddy added.
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After Action News Jax began asking questions, the post was deleted.
The Duval County Republican Party responded with a statement:
“We did not push it out. We did not approve it. We did not sanction it.”
Attempts to contact the head of the Mandarin Republican Club were unsuccessful.
The mayor’s office declined to comment.
As of now, it is still unclear who within the Mandarin Republican Club was responsible for the post.
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