White Nationalist Group Protests Diversity Thrift's Drag Bingo
Diversity Thrift is a community center and thrift store that has been established in Richmond since 2000. Diversity Richmond have raised millions in charity through the store. The community center host events like all ages Drag Bingo. These events have been popular in Richmond and without any incident until this week.
On Thursday, across the street from the Richmond-based community center stood 5 members of the white nationalist group Sons of Virginia with masks covering their faces. They stood with a banner that read “Pedophile Groomers Out of Virginia.” Attempting to seize on the constant attacks on the LGBTQ and target Diversity Thrift.
Sons of Virginia is a small organization of white nationalism made popular from the California based white nationalist group Rise Above Movement. That group's founder Robert Rundo is currently wanted for his involvement in a series of riots in California and Virginia in 2017. Rundo is also the founder of Media2Rise, a media company that does promotional videos for other white nationalist groups like Patriot Front.
Sons of Virginia not only lifts the style of Robert Rundo and Patriot Front but their social media page on Telegram but often promotes Rundo's other projects.
In October 2021, Patriot Front defaced the mural of Arthur Ashe in Battery Park in Richmond. A year later, the culprits were identified by the media outlet Unicorn Riot but remained without charges. However, members of the Richmond community filed a lawsuit against those involved. Lawsuits like these have been successful in keeping white nationalists from revealing their identities like on Thursday. It remains unknown if there is any membership connection with Sons of Virginia and Patriot Front.
Thursday's brief and tiny rally from the Sons of Virginia showed that the Richmond LGBTQ community dwarfs these white nationalists who conceal their identity. The white nationalists remain in the fringes, but they remain and will use the moral panic against the LGBTQ community to recruit.
Really appreciate you sharing and informing us.
Are these the same people who are against mask mandates? What are they hiding from if they're proud of their ideology.