In June 2022, the city of Frisco, Texas, made headlines when it issued its first-ever Pride proclamation. However, the attention quickly shifted to a more troubling incident: the Proud Boys showed up. This far-right extremist group, known for its aggressive opposition to LGBTQ+ events, particularly Pride celebrations and drag performances, targeted the gathering in Frisco. The Proud Boys harassed and threatened Justin Culpepper, one of the key organizers and co-founder of Pride Frisco, a local nonprofit. After the proclamation, they followed him and other supporters to a nearby restaurant where the situation escalated. Justin, 36, recalls that the restaurant staff had to protect him from potential assault. His husband, Jon, 45, described the experience as deeply traumatic. Despite the severity of the incident, Justin has been cautious about discussing it publicly, fearing that media attention might embolden the bigots. However, his frustration lies more with the city’s response. He criticized both the police and city officials for failing to take a strong stance against the Proud Boys. “When you raise these concerns to the city council and the police chief, the response is to erase LGBTQ people or minimize our existence so as not to provoke the Proud Boys,” Justin told LGBTQ Nation. “Why hasn’t the mayor or city council denounced these actions? Why not highlight the positive, like a Pride proclamation?” Unlike some communities that have stood up against far-right groups with public condemnation and unity, Frisco’s city government has taken a different approach. Since the incident, not only has the city refrained from issuing another Pride proclamation, but it has also distanced itself from its previous diversity initiatives. The Culpeppers believe that the city only supported them when it was politically convenient. Now, under pressure from Texas Republicans and in line with a broader national trend, Frisco’s officials seem more inclined to ignore the LGBTQ+ community. Justin expressed his disillusionment, saying, “When it comes to LGBTQ people, Frisco politicians act like we have cooties. They don’t want to be seen with us in public or support our positions because they fear it will be used against them.” Frisco, a city within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, has experienced rapid growth, with a population exceeding 200,000. Despite this, the local LGBTQ+ community remains marginalized. Pride Frisco, which held its first annual event in 2021, boasts around 5,000 supporters from the area, reflecting the region’s increasing diversity. The Culpeppers, who moved to Frisco in 2018, founded the organization three years later. Besides their activism, they run a real estate brokerage and property management company, with Justin also co-owning an IT software consulting firm.