The party is headlined by Milo Yiannopoulos, the outspoken gay conservative, andPam Geller of Counter-Jihad. Other guests include Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom, conservative author Ann Coulter, Tea Party leader Amy Kremer, long-time Trump loyalist and political consultant Roger Stone, among others.
Sounds like it could be a riot. Some may see a disconnect between the queer community and those supporting Donald Trump, but they want to make their case.
The party is the outcome of discussions among a group of gay Republicans following the tragic massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando in June, which killed 49 people and wounded 53 others. The tragedy and response by liberal politicians prompted popular conservative blogger-activist Jim Hoft, founder of The Gateway Pundit, to come out of closet. "Orlando really moved me to come out," says Hoft, "A lot more gay people support Donald Trump than you might think."
This sparked conversations between co-organizers Jim, Chris, and Jeff Giesea to plan the pro-Trump "Wake Up" party at the RNC in Cleveland.
"We have a message for America and the LGBT community," said Chris Barron, former co-founder of GOProud, current head of LGBTrump, and an organizer of the event. "Radical Islam is the number one gay rights issue in the world, and Donald Trump is the only candidate taking this threat seriously."
"LGBT Americans need to wake up — this election isn't about bathrooms or who will bake our wedding cakes. This election is about life or death," continued Barron. "It's about confronting an ideology that seeks to exterminate LGBT people across the globe."
"After Orlando, I felt I could no longer remain silent," said Jeff Giesea, one of the organizers. "Radical Islam is a barbaric ideology that is the single greatest threat to liberty in today's world. Before the attack, Omar Mateen pledged allegiance to ISIS – this is a group that regularly throws gay men off of buildings to their deaths."
"Instead of recognizing that the attack in Orlando was an act of terror in furtherance of radical Islam, too many on the left tried to make it about guns and little more than an isolated hate crime. We felt we needed to raise awareness of what the stakes are for LGBT Americans and indeed all Americans if we do not openly address this threat," added Giesea. "Organizing this party is our small contribution to fighting back — by speaking out, telling the truth, and raising awareness, all while having a fabulous time."
"The Islamic terrorists will not win. We will not be cowed by them. Our party will not only raise awareness, but we will do so while enjoying great music, strong drinks, and a crowd that accepts LGBT people," continued Barron. "We will be happily violating many aspects of Sharia law."
The party takes places as LGBT voters are beginning to give Donald Trump a second look following the Orlando shooting. A Reuters poll earlier this month showed 20% support for Trump among registered LGBT voters, up from 14% in June.
"Donald Trump has a long business record of excellence when it comes to gay people, and in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Orlando, Mr. Trump has made an impassioned case for defending the LGBT community from radical Islam," said Barron. "Hillary Clinton is happy to have gay people serve as an ATM for her campaign, while taking tens of millions from Islamic regimes that brutalize and murder gay people. She is happy to use gay people as political props by marching for a couple of blocks in a pride parade, but refuses to stand up for us in the face of Islamic terror. The bottom line is that Donald Trump is a far better choice for LGBT Americans – and indeed all Americans – than Hillary Clinton."
The opinion of Jim Steranko on his work being used is not known. Of course, he may have his own plans.