When Labels Divide - Fighting for Unity Amid Hostility at Pueblo Pride

At this year’s Pueblo LGBTQ+ Pride Festival, the theme was "Community & Unity." But beneath the celebrations, political tensions simmered. Tommy Farrell, Grand Marshal and board treasurer of the Southern Colorado Equality Alliance (SCEA), said, "Celebrating Pride is as important as ever." He’s right. In an era of rising misinformation and hate, Pride is crucial—a space for authenticity, joy, and solidarity.

As a gay man, Pride isn't just a yearly event for me. It's who I am every day. So when the Colorado Republican Party circulated an anti-LGBTQ+ email and even called for the burning of pride flags, I rejected their endorsement publicly. I’m a Republican, yes—but I'm also gay, and I will never compromise on standing up for our community.

I’m also Shoshone, with a deep connection to this land, and as a Hispanic-American, I value the rich, multicultural community in District 1. Yet, at an event meant to celebrate love and diversity, I faced hostility—not for my heritage or orientation, but for my political identity.

As President of the Colorado Log Cabin Republicans, we partnered with the Pueblo County GOP to run a booth at Pueblo Pride, showing that being Republican and LGBTQ+ are not mutually exclusive. However, the booth next to ours displayed signs like, "There is no such thing as a Gay Republican" and "Although it’s not true that all conservatives are stupid, most stupid people are conservatives." We responded with love, putting up our own sign: "We love our neighbors because love is love." But the hate continued, with accusations that we were a threat to the trans community.

Amid this, a teenage girl approached our booth with a note: "I apologize for the hate you’ve received today. You are still human beings despite your political stance. Keep on loving." That small gesture was a powerful reminder that empathy and understanding persist even in the face of hostility.

I wear many labels—gay, Shoshone, Hispanic-American—but the one that seems to draw the most hate is "Republican." In a country that celebrates diversity, the one label that sparks the most irrational anger shouldn’t be political. This isn’t a problem with who I am; it’s a problem with our political culture. If people ignore everything I’ve done and the communities I fight for just because I’m a Republican, we have a deeper issue at hand. My mission is to change that narrative.

The real threat to diversity isn't the labels we wear, but how we let those labels divide us. No one should be dehumanized because of their political affiliation. True unity demands that we rise above this hostility, recognizing that diversity includes everyone—even those who think differently. We need to stop demonizing one another over politics and start focusing on our shared humanity.

I’m calling on all of us, regardless of our political views, to live out the love and acceptance we preach. Let’s build a movement that celebrates not just the differences we’re comfortable with but also those that challenge us. With compassion and open hearts, we can change this toxic narrative and create real unity. In the end, it's not the labels that define us, but how we treat each other.