Organization hopes to erect Gay Pride Festivus poles in every state

The Humanity Fund, an advocacy organization located in Boca Raton, FL, says it is dedicated to protecting and promoting freedom of speech and religion. The organization recently announced its 2015 Gay Pride Festivus Pole Generosity Fund.

Donations to the 2015 Gay Pride Festivus Pole Generosity Fund will support various LGBT youth organizations. Unique rewards will be provided at various donation levels, according to a press release from the organization.

According to Wikipedia, “Festivus is both a parody and a secular holiday celebrated on December 23 that serves as an alternative to participating in the pressures and commercialism of the Christmas season. It has been described as "the perfect secular theme for an all-inclusive December gathering.

“Originally a family tradition of scriptwriter Dan O'Keefe, who worked on the American sitcom Seinfeld, Festivus entered popular culture after it was made the focus of the 1997 episode The Strike. The holiday's celebration, as it was shown on Seinfeld, includes a Festivus dinner, an unadorned aluminum Festivus pole, practices such as the ‘Airing of Grievances’ and ‘Feats of Strength,’ and the labeling of easily explainable events as ‘Festivus miracles.’

“The episode refers to it as ‘a Festivus for the rest of us,’ referencing its non-commercial aspect. It has also been described both as a ‘parody holiday festival’ and as a form of playful consumer resistance.

The fund’s press release says, “Two years ago, The Humanity Fund erected its first Festivus Pole, made from 16 Pabst Blue Ribbon cans, in the Florida Capitol. An international media frenzy ensued, with segments airing on The Colbert Report, Daily Show, Fox News, and hundreds of media outlets.

“This year, to jubilantly celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court decision making same-sex marriage a constitutional right, The Humanity Fund hopes to install Festivus Poles, wrapped in the rainbow colors of gay pride, in state capitals nationwide.”

According to the Associated Press, the Humanity Fund has submitted an application to the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office, requesting to put a “Gay Pride Festivus Pole” on the grounds of the state Capitol.

“In the document, the organization's executive director Chaz Stevens outlines plans for a disco ball 8 inches in diameter to be placed atop a 6-foot pole wrapped in the colors of the rainbow,” says the AP in reporting on an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article.

According to the Broward-Palm Beach New Times, “Chaz Stevens has been something of a gadfly in Broward County for a good decade, but he went national two years ago, when he made a very public point about the separation of church and state. He claimed to be a Satanist and applied to place a ‘Festivus Pole’ made of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer cans in the rotunda of Florida's capitol building, next to a nativity scene.

“Stevens — who threatened to sue if he was denied the chance to express his "religion" while a Christian display was allowed to stand — prevailed, and after the pole went up in the Capitol, he was featured in international newspapers and on the Daily Show; he says his pole was also recently incorporated into a show at the New York Public Theatre called  The War on Christmas: Let Me Ascertain You.

“This year, Stevens is changing his game a little bit, removing the Pabst cans (the company didn't want to sponsor his shenanigans so he refuses to "give them free advertising") and replacing it with a rainbow-colored, gay-themed pole.

“Stevens says he was inspired by Kim Davis, the clerk from Kentucky who refused to grant marriage licenses to gay couples. ‘That drove me nuts,’ Stevens says. ‘You should be able to marry, love and divorce whoever you want. Boy and boy, girl and girl — it's been decided. These rednecks from Kentucky said, “Screw you.” I wanted to tweak these people. What better way than to put up a gay pride pole right next to baby Jesus? It's not only the War on Christmas, but the Gay War on Christmas.’”

Victor M. Feraru, writing on The Huffington Post website, says,
Chaz Stevens is at it again, doing what he does best: shaking up the establishment to further everyones civil rights.

“Stevens, who doesn't sugar coat his words and disdains injustice, holds truth to power.

“In December of 2013, Stevens thought that the religious displays prominently showcased in the Florida State Capitol suggested that certain religious viewpoints had state endorsement. To protest this violation of everyone's rights, Stevens erected a Festivus Pole next to the manger.”

The Humanity Fund’s website says it is “Combating social injustice with humor.” To learn more about the organization and its Festivus Pole effort, visit www.thehumanity.fund.

The Gayly - December 2, 2015 @ 10:50 a.m.