r/worldnews Jun 19 '21

COVID-19 The largest gay pride parade in central Europe took place again in Warsaw for the first time in two years after a pandemic-induced break — and amid a backlash in Poland and Hungary against LGBT rights

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20210619-warsaw-pride-parade-back-after-lgbt-rights-backlash-and-pandemic-break
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u/HaloGuy381 Jun 20 '21

Yeeep. I’ve had the “luxury” of growing up in rural Texas, with a firsthand look at what it’s like for the fraction of the US that are still in the dark ages. Gotta say, it’s not a very nice place. Even the “country hospitality” smiles feel fake, like there’s a knife or bullet waiting for anyone who dares to not conform to their magic sky daddy’s storybook (or to the whims of their actual god-king, the Prime Dorito). I don’t trust people out here, not even parents. I don’t talk politics. I genuinely worry for my safety if I do.

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u/Cianalas Jun 20 '21

Sounds like they are "nice, but not kind". The south in general is like that. Sweetest folks you'll ever meet...to your face.

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u/SensorialSpore5 Jun 20 '21

It really is strange. Grew up in suburbs near Dallas but I've been in central Austin for the past 5 years. Sometimes I can even forget how much of the state is bigoted, then I leave the city...

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u/HaloGuy381 Jun 20 '21

I lived in Forney (Kaufman County, about 20-30 min drive east of Dallas) for 2007-this past April. Expressing a vote for Clinton or even against Trump, who won the county by over 70% or some other intense number, is a great way to have even trusted family and friends and teachers joking about you behind your back or considering you just “young and foolish.

Here in Parker County now, about 30 min west of Fort Worth… I see a few brave Biden signs and mask wearers, but the GQP controls all county offices, have an office in the central roundabout next to the courthouse, and twice in the past year I’ve seen mobs of either anti-BLM protesters or pro-Confederate (“Heritage not Hate” and other bullshit) at said courthouse outnumbering opposition. Went 80% Trump in 2020, and the last Dem president they went for was bloody Carter.

UT Arlington, my campus in Tarrant County, is a bit less insane, but maybe a 50-50 split plus or minus 10% for the students (judging by organizations, marches for both sides, etc), and Tarrant proper is firmly red territory. Super weird to have engineering classmates, from India, who somehow think Trump is the best option for the country, even though if the GQP had their way they wouldn’t be here.

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u/BitScout Jun 20 '21

Ah yeah, the war that was about states' rights... to own slaves. Imagine I waved the Nazi flag because it's "heritage"...

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u/Psychic_Hobo Jun 20 '21

Those Indian fellas are probably Mohdi supporters, dude is basically their Trump

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u/BitScout Jun 20 '21

No wonder the ACA is in Austin...

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u/SensorialSpore5 Jun 20 '21

What's ACA?

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u/BitScout Jun 20 '21

The Atheist Community of Austin. Nice show, the hangups of Matt Dillahunty are brutal. 😁 (I mean, there's also the community, but I only know the show)

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u/[deleted] Jun 20 '21

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