Op-Ed by Beth Ann Rosica
Two weeks ago, I reported that West Chester’s Community Outfest was canceled allegedly due to “hate and vitriol directed to the event and the organizers,” (emphasis added). Organizers claimed that after receiving these unkind words, they did not feel it was a safe space for the community.
Council President Michael Stefano told CBS Philadelphia that members of the council received a ton of emails. “Pretty much outrage that this event was going to go on,” Stefano said, (emphasis added).
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported, “West Chester canceled an LGBTQ celebration this week after receiving dozens of emails that the borough council president said were ‘hate-filled’ and ‘vitriolic.’”
Hate, vitriol, outrage, a “ton of emails” and “dozens of emails” — these are all words that Borough Council President Stefano used at the council meeting, in a written statement, and with the local media. The Philadelphia media did not hesitate to push out a narrative that West Chester is an intolerant, unaccepting, LGBT-hating community.
When exactly did hate become a political weapon? Maybe it started with the advent of the “Hate has no home here” signs posted to deflect the hateful messages away from the groups responsible for it. It has become clear that the radical left has weaponized hate, and it is one of the reasons why Tulsi Gabbard left the Democratic party.
I was immediately wary of the massive claims of hate and vitriol. As a twenty-year resident of this vibrant college town, I have never witnessed wholesale hate expressed towards any members of the LGBT community or towards any groups whatsoever. Therefore, I submitted a Right to Know request to review the emails to better assess the level of hate towards this event.
I completed a comprehensive, qualitative review of the 458 pages received from the borough. I extracted the emails that were sent prior to the cancellation and expressed any concern about the event. There were a total of nine emails that met this criteria, and two were nearly identical from the same household.
I reviewed those emails critically and asked two other people to do the same. Independently, the three of us rated the emails and agreed that not a single email met the threshold of hate or vitriol. Most were respectfully written and professional. Even those that were written with an “edgy” tone did not rise to the level of hatred.
However, there were some hate-filled emails and posts subsequent to the cancellation of the event. The West Chester Republican committee posted on their Facebook page to encourage anyone with concerns about the drag queen show event to attend the Council meeting (posted below). There was nothing hateful or inappropriate about their post. Yet, the committee received actual threats in the form of emails and posts that warranted filing a police report, two of which are appended to my documentation of the nine emails.
Despite Council’s claims of being the recipients of hate, it appears that they actually incited hate with their misrepresentations of the emails received.
What was the real purpose behind Council’s statements? Could it be that the event did not have enough support, both from a financial and volunteer standpoint? Councilmember Bernie Flynn emailed one person saying, “the main sponsor pulled out and there wasn’t enough volunteers or vendors.”
The group planning the event, the West Chester Business Improvement District (BID) shared in a statement. “While there were many logistical challenges that contributed to this decision, including a low number of vendors and volunteers to make it a successful event, it was also due to the vitriol and hate directed at this event and its organizers.”
Stuck in a situation where the BID did not have enough volunteers or financial backing, they were forced to cancel the event. It was easy to blame the cancellation on hatred. The Borough Council and Mayor — all registered Democrats — jumped on the “vitriolic” bandwagon and used hate as their weapon to call out respectful, concerned citizens as bigots.
When asked at both the Oct. 19 council meeting and in a subsequent email about the misrepresentations, Mr. Stefano did not respond.
The radical council members continue to disrespect anyone who thinks differently than they do, despite their claims of focusing on unity and inclusivity. They continue to weaponize hate by accusing those who disagree with them as vitriolic bullies. This behavior results in dissuading community members to speak out for fear of being called a racist, homophobe, or a hater.
It is well past time for the West Chester Council to stop playing party politics and take responsibility for their actions and words. It is not acceptable for elected officials to make such controversial and heated claims that are not even remotely accurate.
Beth Ann Rosica holds a Ph.D. in Education and has dedicated her career advocating on behalf of underserved children and families. She owns a consulting business and lives with her family in West Chester, PA.
Reprinted by courtesy of Broad & Liberty.
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