Fred Sargeant was a co-founder of New York City’s first Gay Pride Parade in 1970. He claimed that transgender activists assaulted him at a Vermont parade on Sunday.
The 74-year-old is a well-known gay rights activist who was a participant in the 1969 Stonewall Riots. Sargeant said that he attended the Pride event in Vermont to protest transgender movements by holding a sign, and handing out pamphlets.
Sargeant stated that he believes the “gender identification movement” has taken over the “gay freedom movement.” He was once a founding member of the pride event but now believes it is an exclusionary parade and a venue where groups dedicated to discrimination within that-sex community are allowed to take place.”
Sargeant stated that the concern he has is that the gay liberation movement, which I knew, has transformed into a gender identity movement that’s quite misogynistic and homophobic, values that I don’t agree with.
Sargeant stated that he doesn’t recognize the movement he started decades ago.
Sargeant held a sign that had a red line running through the phrases “Black Face” & “Woman Face” during the parade. It read, “Gay, not Queer” on the sign’s reverse.
Sargeant stated that drag is being celebrated in today’s society. “While no one would dare to wear blackface and expect to be taken seriously in the future, it is still acceptable for some reason.” “It’s disrespectful to women.”
Sargeant said that he was standing facing the crowd and when someone approached him, he took his sign.
Sargeant said that he did his best on a cane and with some adrenaline, he was able to walk me down the street. He got my sign back.
Sargeant claimed that he took his sign back to the spot where he stood initially and continued to protest silently. However, he was soon confronted by more activists.
Sargeant posted a video on Facebook showing a woman trying to remove the sign from his hands. A parade goer accused her of assaulting Sargeant. She countered by accusing him of elbowing her friend.
Sargeant claimed that he was pushed, smacked, and knocked down by radical transgender activists during the Vermont pride parade. Sargeant also claimed that activists had poured coffee on him and taken his property.
On Facebook, he wrote, “So, Pride to protest their misogyny and homophobia, exclusionary policy and divisiveness.” I was met with screaming, multiple assaults, and ageist comments. They slapped me on the head, teased me, and tried to steal my signs. I was further injured by the mob who attempted to stop my protest and drove me away.
The trans activists were accused of taking $600 worth of possessions from him. They included a folding chair and umbrella, as well as a box of pamphlets and a brand new shirt.
Sargeant said to the National Review that “they put two and two together” and won some trophies. He said that he was taken to the hospital for a CT scan, and then sent home to recuperate from the attack.
According to the National Review police were notified twice about the incident, but it took almost three hours for Sargeant to follow up on the attack.
We are appalled by the news that Fred Sargeant – Stonewall veteran and co-founder of Pride – has been beaten and robbed at Burlington Pride, by attendees who take for granted the rights he fought for decades ago.
We send love and solidarity to Fred and wish him a swift recovery. pic.twitter.com/S0N5GfbJbN
— LGB Alliance (@ALLIANCELGB) September 19, 2022
