Activists plan Big Gay Dance Party to disrupt white supremacist rally in DC

Sunday marks the first anniversary of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. The hate group known as Unite the Right is planning to recreate their white supremacist rally in Washington, DC starting in Lafayette Square across the street from the White House from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Unite the Right is planning to livestream the rally.

The group is also encouraging their participants to carry the following items during the event: water, a bodycam, and an “American or Confederate Flag 4′ x 4′ or smaller, preferable detachable from the pole (for potential transit on trains).” They provided this website for more information.

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Now, one group is vowing to counter-protest with dancing. A lot of dancing.

The LGBTQ civil rights group ResisDance Media is planning to disrupt the Unite the Right gathering in DC with “lots of raging trans and queer dancers, rainbow biodegradable confetti, bumpin’ beats, and fabulousness.”

Organizers have yet to release the location of the counter-protest for safety reasons, the group said.

DC Police Chief Peter Newsham spoke at a news conference Thursday where he said the DC and U.S. Park Police would be in full force. He said  law enforcement expected 400 rally participants and as many as 1,000 counter-protesters to gather in Lafayette Square for the rally.

“The law allows for first amendment assemblies of any kind,” Newsham said. “The law does not allow for injuries to persons or destruction of property.”

Police have instituted a temporary policy making it illegal to carry guns in and around the rally Sunday.

In addition to the ResisDance counter-protest, LGBTQ rights organizations are banning together to ask their followers to share the hashtags #UnitedAgainstHate and #AgainstHate for a Digital Weekend of Action. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) says the action would encourage its 3 million members to share messages of unity and call out white supremacy on social media.

“One year ago, white supremacists and neo-Nazis launched a violent, deadly attack on people of conscience in Charlottesville who were peacefully protesting their bigotry,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The horrific violence that occurred, and the murder of Heather Heyer, tragically reinforced the extent to which racism, anti-Black violence, anti-Semitism, bigotry, and xenophobia continue to plague America.”

Griffith added, “Today, we believe it is as important as ever for the LGBTQ community to loudly declare that the fight for racial justice and equity is inextricably bound to our fight for full equality. We must use our voices, our power and our energy to be good allies, fight white supremacy and be united against hate in all of its forms.”