Anti-Trump LGBTQ Rally to Hit Crockett? Messenger Exclusive
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT – The Messenger learned of a rally being planned Monday, Feb. 10 to protest President Donald Trump’s policies and advocate for LGBTQ rights. Investigation into the event led to more questions that answers.
Fliers for the event found online are calling for a protest to begin at 11 a.m. in downtown Crockett, moving around several of the downtown streets, before finishing at the “Mousehead” Cafe. Referring to Trump as an “orange dictator”, the advert lists recommended chants for rally goers and welcomes participants to bring flags if they wish.
The Messenger reached out to law enforcement to ask if they knew about the rally and both Crockett Police Department and Houston County Sheriff’s Office were aware of the planned event.
Houston County not being the first place anti-Trump activists might choose to hold a rally, The Messenger decided to dig for more information and try and contact the organizer to find out more. The young man’s name will not be used in this article, because the encounter sparked some doubt over what exactly is being planned and by whom.
Sources had told The Messenger they were familiar with the young man, who had requested information about how to attend Trump’s inauguration. The man’s exact age was in question, with some speculating he might still be a teenager.
Contacted by The Messenger, the young man was eager to speak with us about the rally. Wanting to make sure we could use his name and quotes in writing, he was asked his age and answered he was 18, studying online courses and planning to be a medical assistant. His online media posts show him often in blue medical scrubs and he even gives advice on what kind of long nails can be used on which medical jobs.
Claiming he wanted no violence, the young man said the rally would be a way to call out Trump for his “dictatorial” policies and advocate for gay and lesbian rights. Knowing this could spark counter protests, he said he wouldn’t mind this, as long as people were willing to have a conversation and share their views.
A law enforcement source was consulted after the interview who checked their records and confirmed the organizer is, in fact, a boy of 12-years-old, who seemingly lied about this when speaking with The Messenger. Another resident contacted this reporter today to confirm they had seen the young man at a local store wearing medical scrubs, which unfortunately, proves nothing, either way.
As it is unclear what the exact age and situation of the young man is, The Messenger has opted to leave out his name and direct quotes from the conversation. If the information regarding his age was false, the very rally itself could well be a hoax, designed to provoke residents into reacting to nothing. He did say he expected several people to attend, although admitted he had no way of knowing how many may come.
With online being online, there is no way to know how far and wide the invitations for the rallies have gone and if other groups from outside the area might attend such a rally, even if the original invitation was meant as a practical joke of some kind.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
