In a stunning display of bravery and resistance, a group of Pride parade attendees took to the streets of Austin this week to courageously chant expletives at a comedy club owned by controversial media personality Joe Rogan. The chant, which erupted spontaneously as the parade passed by Comedy Mothership on Sixth Street, was a powerful statement against Rogan's alleged transphobic remarks.
"Many seemed to have gotten some joy from their message to Joe Rogan," said Roadkill, the core organizer of Queerbomb, the local anti-corporate grassroots Pride event behind the parade. And why wouldn't they? After all, what better way to celebrate Pride than by shouting profanities at a building?
But the parade-goers weren't just shouting into the void. Some people appeared to be recording the parade as it passed in front of the venue, ensuring that their message of love and acceptance would be heard far and wide.
The backlash against Rogan has been brewing for some time now, with LGBTQ+ writers and advocates pointing to comments he made on his podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience," as evidence of his transphobia. In one particularly damning conversation with "Jackass" comedian Steve-O, Rogan implied that many transgender people are simply "[expletive] perverts" who get a "turn on by pretending to be a woman."
It's a good thing we have brave activists like the Queerbomb attendees to stand up to Rogan and his dangerous rhetoric. Without their courageous efforts, who knows how many more people might be exposed to his hateful ideas? So let's all take a moment to thank these heroes for their service, and for reminding us all what Pride is really about: shouting expletives at comedy clubs.