The Mosaic Project of South Texas, the non-profit organization that plans and hosts PRIDE Corpus Christi events, unequivocally condemns violence and all threats of violence—in any form, whatsoever.

PRIDE Corpus Christi was founded in the days after the Pulse Nightclub massacre when 49 innocent LGBTQIA+ Americans lost their lives at the hands of a hateful individual who wanted to perpetuate murderous violence against our community. To honor the legacy of those lives, PRIDE Corpus Christi takes a stand against violence in any form including hateful calls and death threats made against Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales and Nueces County Commissioner Carolyn Vaughn.

Threats of violence remain an everyday reality for the LGBTQIA+ community. Between 2016 and 2017, the FBI reported a 17 percent increase in reported hate crimes nationwide, and the LGBTQIA+ community is now the most targeted minority group based on evidence gathered by law through the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. These trends should send a sobering message to everyone that words and actions—even those made over the telephone or online—have real consequences for innocent people.

“We want to be clear that we reject all violence, period,” said Bill Hoelscher, President of the Mosaic Project of South Texas. “The core mission of PRIDE Corpus Christi is based on love and mutual respect, and we must endeavor to live by those ideals even when others in the community do not.”