Organized by a local nonprofit, the Lewis County Dignity Guild, Pride Month events in the county were meant to be celebratory, not combative.
But, on June 8, during a Pride celebration held at Pine Street Plaza in Centralia, a group of self-proclaimed white supremacists waving flags and sporting tattoos with neo-Nazi symbols, had another agenda. The group came with signs and most members wore masks and sunglasses to conceal their identities.
For the second weekend of events celebrating the LGBTQ+ community in Lewis County, the Dignity Guild and Pe Ell business Jones Creek Brewing planned a Sunday afternoon family-friendly barbecue. Days after the June 8 events, signs were posted around Pe Ell claiming Dignity Guild president Kyle Wheeler and Jones Creek Co-Owner Tim Moriarty sought to “corrupt children under the rainbow flag.” The fliers’ creators also made sure to title the two as “Californian.”
The event organizers, per the flier, just wanted to have “fresh BBQ, excellent beer and field games.” With the fliers’ presence, though, there was concern the same group of white supremacists from Centralia’s Pride celebration would appear in Pe Ell.
A private security team was hired.
While bracing for a hate group’s potential arrival added a complication to Sunday’s atmosphere, attendees were undeterred. The celebration went as planned, or perhaps better than planned, because there were also steamer clams.
Mirinda Moriarty, co-owner of Jones Creek Brewing, gave a speech near the last hour of Sunday’s gathering.
“This brewery was built with the intention of being a safe haven. A place where all are welcome, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, race, religion or even political affiliation,” Mirinda Moriarty said.
The Evergreen Active Club, as named by the self-proclaimed white supremacists, in the celebration one week prior, took video footage of themselves making overtly racist comments and, according to one public commenter at last week’s Centralia City Council meeting, shoved Pride attendees in the street.
“Divisive and extreme ideologies, such as those promoted by white supremacists groups, have tried to disrupt the harmony that binds us together,” Mirinda Moriarty continued. “We, at Jones Creek Brewing, firmly believe that the best way to combat such forces is to stand united, shoulder-to-shoulder, showcasing the power of love, inclusiveness and unity. … We know that our strength lies in our diversity and our determination.”
Centralia Police Department Chief Stacy Denham last week said his officers were caught by surprise. Ahead of a Juneteenth celebration in town over the weekend, they increased security measures. While there was a vetting process for security at Pride, Denham said, they never heard any “buzz” about the white nationalist group and were caught “flat-footed.”
“(Pride attendees) wanted their opportunity to celebrate without being overshadowed by this, what I will refer to as a hate group,” Denham said last week. “This is kind of new for us. It’s a huge lesson for us. I apologize to all the folks who were involved because we just didn’t see this coming and that’s on us, that’s on me. … We’ll definitely do better moving forward.”
