As 2019 comes to a close I wanted Mario Presents to go out with a “wow”. So, I took to Los Angeles one more time before the year was up at the Democratic debates. Having attended the Loyola Marymount University out of high school, I wanted to see what types of students it was producing today.
I arrived and took to the crowd with 2 fellow Patriots and my Rainbow Gadsden flag. I strut a quarter mile down hill into the crowd thick with students. Immediately I felt the daggers as every eye was directed at the 2 Latinos, and the black girl walking side by side. We soon realized that not every person in attendance was there for their candidate, or candidate at all. A local charter school brought every student including a marching band to have their message of school choice heard.
I spent most of the afternoon educating the young ones about the iconography of my flag. They listened to my retelling of Benjamin Franklin’s description of the rattlesnake and how the classic yellow flag has even had the snake broken down in to 13 parts representing the original colonies. Gadsden has a rich history and these young minds were devoid of it’s historial presence. When storytelling was concluded they wanted a picture with my flag and their happy faces reflected the new found admiration for an empowering message.
The university’s Republican club provided signs for those without and some of Sabo’s iconic images were held aloft. On such sign read “Bernie 2020 Breadlines” and was similar enough that an Asian patriot was fooled into thinking it was a real sign. I explained what a breadline was, and we laughed together at the entendre.
I tried my best to talk to any outwardly visible LGBTQ in the diverse crowd but was shunned like a lepper. Upturned faces everywhere and when a gaybie (baby gay) shouted at me, “Fuck Trump!” I responded with a ‘Walk for me boi, I wanna see you sashay!” He balked and pretend to not understand what I challenged him to. I repeated myself and took several steps in his direction before turning around and strutting back to my original place. Now his friends were pressing him and again he pretended to not know what to do. Gay culture thrives on the challenge and when the little boy wants to scream obscenities instead of having a conversation I’ll throw out a gauntlet. Before he could recover he was abandoned by his comrades and left to hide himself in the crowd. The #HausofMAGA is fierce ladies and gentlemen.
This rainbow warrior will talk to anyone who wants to listen and challenge anyone who wants to make a scene. Before you come for this patriot, you better look both ways.
Some news outlets did their best to ignore my existence and others were interested in my message. My favorite moment of the entire day was when a Trans Yang supporter who’d side eyed me and uttered “gross” at my arrival, walked up to me and offered me hug when she left. Maybe she heard some of what I’d been saying, or maybe the fact that every act of public life comes with an element of bravery. In a society that prizes aninimety, here, two figures can put politics aside and recognize that we’re all in this world together on a public stage. Whoever you are, thank you for that reminder sis. In a place that tried its hardest to pretend that I didn’t exist, one person took the time to tell me that they see me.
Together we WILL make America Great.
