LGBT group says it was rejected from pride parade for being pro-Trump

A gay pride parade. — (Image credit: Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images)

A North Carolina LGBT group says it is being barred from having a float in the Charlotte Pride Parade because it supports President Trump.

The Deplorable Pride float would have included Trump's "Make America Great Again" message and a dancer dressed to look like first lady Melania Trump, but co-founder Derek Van Cleve told CNN Thursday the group's entry was rejected three weeks after they applied to participate in the parade. "The LGBT community is known for including everyone," he said. "Pretty sure that the organizers for this parade have decided not to include both parties."

Charlotte Pride told Fox 46 Charlotte it "reserves the right to decline participation at our events to groups or organizations which do not reflect the mission, vision, and values of our organization. In the past, we have made similar decisions to decline participation from other organizations espousing anti-LGBTQ religious or public policy stances." Van Cleve said his group will now do its "own thing," and is raising money to hold a Deplorable Pride Ball.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.