Anti-hate, anti-Trump LGBTQ people protest at Twitter building

Wearing our finest gay rainbow apparel on Tuesday, Nov. 22, we attempted to deliver at Twitter headquarters to Elon Musk a blue pinata in the shape of the social media's iconic corporate symbol and the terms Anti-LGBT, Racist and Hate taped to it.

A security guard refused to accept the pinata and us activists, Mike Merrigan, Ken Hodnett and myself, were not hassled by the San Francisco Police Department officers as we made our way to the Twitter entrance on 10 Street near Market Street.

Camera crews from KRON-TV and ABC-KGO, a reporter with NHK News Japan, and a writer named Maggie Zhang from the largest Chinese-language West Coast daily World Journal, documented our press conference and photo-op at the entrance.

This is the first time, and I have no clue why this is so, a reporter has labeled me multi-gender and I like being called that. Here is the full World Journal story as translated by Google:

> Following Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter last month , he has taken many new actions. First, he laid off staff substantially, and then restored former President Trump 's Twitter account, which caused widespread controversy. Multi-gender (LGBTQ) people in San Francisco made South American candy toys in the style of Twitter and Trump. They hope to hand them over to Musk to express their opposition to Trump's return to Twitter and call for censorship.

> On the afternoon of the 22nd, multi-gender social activist Michael Petrelis, his husband Mike, and a supporter, Ken, demonstrated in San Francisco's Market Street (Market St) Twitter office building and spoke in front of the media. Although there were only three people in the demonstration team, they were all wearing eye-catching rainbow suits, holding up banners with words such as "ANTI-LGBT", "Racist" and "Hate" in their hands.

> Twitter signs, and Trump-style Pinata candy toys (Pinjad) with "Lock Him Up!" and "Dump Trump" written on it, are in the Twitter office building, They chanted the slogan "Drop Trump" in unison to express their opposition to Trump and called on Twitter to implement a content review system, which attracted the attention of many passers-by and even Twitter employees.

> Speaking to the media at the scene, Petrelis said: "We brought a piñata to Twitter headquarters today to protest against this hateful Twitter, a racist hateful Twitter founded by Elon Musk. Twitter, we will never allow (hate speech) to flow on Twitter."

> Petrelis also expressed strong opposition to Musk's resumption of Trump's Twitter account, believing that there is no reason for Trump to return to Twitter, and also pointed out that the piñata toys they prepared for Musk were empty to express diversity. A sympathetic letter from a man of the sex and quite sensible.

> At the same time, Petrelis also strongly condemned the shooting at a gay bar in Colorado last weekend, and called on Musk to review Twitter's remarks about sexism and racial discrimination, so as to clear all hate, race, etc. from his global platform. ism and homophobia, and set an example. He also revealed that for many gender-diverse activists around the world, Twitter is their way of communicating, building friendship and solidarity.

> He said: "On behalf of other gay friends here on Twitter, we don't like the lies spread on Twitter, including the anti-gay lies that contributed to the massacre in Colorado. Terrible, he (Musk) took over Twitter Trump, let hate pollute everything; he also allowed Trump back on Twitter, which is very dangerous for many vulnerable groups." Petrelis also pointed out that he is particularly concerned that with Trump's return to Twitter, there may be It will gain more power, which is not conducive to national democracy.

> Petrelis also expressed sympathy for the laid-off Twitter employees as the holiday season approached, arguing that they should receive full compensation and severance pay.

> After the speech, Petrelis and his group walked to the atrium of the Twitter building and expressed to the security that they wanted to ask Musk to go downstairs to accept the piñata toy, but the security refused.