North Carolina group changes Pride event name following 'nasty' response

Yahoo! News - Apr 29th, 2025

LGBTQ+ activists in North Carolina are organizing protests at an upcoming Newton City Council meeting in response to derogatory comments from residents and a council member regarding a planned Pride celebration. The event, initially titled the 'Newton Pride Takeover,' faced hostility, leading to a name change to 'Newton Rainbow Celebration.' Newton City Council member Jon McClure opposed the event and made comments against the transgender community, which intensified backlash and threats towards local businesses supporting the event.

The controversy highlights deep-rooted tensions in the community, as the county is predominantly Republican and has not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 2000. Despite the backlash, organizers emphasize substantial support for the Pride event, aiming to bring attention to LGBTQ+ rights. The incident underscores ongoing challenges faced by LGBTQ+ communities in conservative areas and the broader societal debate over LGBTQ+ rights and recognition.

Lgbtq+ Rights Protests Pride Celebration Newton City Council Jon Mc Clure Catawba County

Story submitted by Fairstory

RATING

6.4

Moderately Fair

Read with skepticism

The article provides a comprehensive overview of the controversy surrounding the Newton Pride event, effectively highlighting the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in a conservative area. It successfully captures the tension between event organizers and critics, offering a window into local political dynamics. While the story is clear and timely, it could benefit from more diverse sources and greater transparency in its reporting methodology. Overall, it addresses important public interest issues and has the potential to influence public discourse and local policy discussions.

Accuracy

The story provides a largely accurate account of the events surrounding the Newton Pride event, including the name change from 'Newton Pride Takeover' to 'Newton Rainbow Celebration' due to backlash and threats. The quotes attributed to Jon McClure and other individuals appear consistent with the reported sentiments. However, the story could benefit from more detailed verification of specific threats made against businesses and the exact nature of community support and opposition. The political context of Newton being a predominantly Republican area is also accurately described, but further evidence or citations would strengthen these claims.

Balance

The article presents viewpoints from both the LGBTQ+ community organizers and their critics, including a city council member. However, there is a slight imbalance as the narrative leans towards the perspective of the event organizers, emphasizing the hostility they faced. While the article does mention some positive community responses, it could provide a more balanced view by including more detailed arguments from those opposing the event, beyond the brief quotes provided.

Clarity

The article is generally clear and well-structured, making it easy to follow the sequence of events and understand the issues at hand. The language is straightforward, and the quotes are used effectively to illustrate the points being made. However, the inclusion of more background information on the stakeholders involved could further enhance clarity.

Source quality

The story references comments from public figures like Jon McClure and MacGregor VanBeurden, which adds credibility. However, it heavily relies on statements from social media and lacks diverse sources, such as direct interviews with local business owners or other community members. The reliance on social media posts as primary sources could affect the perceived reliability of the information presented.

Transparency

The article provides some context about the political landscape in Newton and mentions the sources of its information, such as Facebook posts. However, it lacks transparency regarding the methodology used to gather the information, such as how the comments were selected or verified. More explicit disclosure of how information was obtained and verified would enhance transparency.