Meet the man who is forcing states to put up gay pride ‘Festivus’ poles
A man has convinced a number of US states to put up rainbow poles to mark the holiday season.
Chaz Stevens of the Humanity Fund launched the project as a protest against the number of nativity scenes permitted in public-owned spaces despite the constitutional separation of church and state.
The campaigner says his goal is to erect a Festivus pole – honouring a fictional holiday invented in an episode of Seinfeld – in any public place where a nativity scene is displayed.
Amid outrage from religious groups, Stevens has so far had requests to put up his special rainbow-themed Festivus poles in Illinois and his home state of Florida, in their respective state capitols.
The six-foot pole pays tribute to gay equality… and is also topped with a disco ball.
The secularist protester said he is entitled to his point under the First Amendment as much as Christians are, explaining: “The courts of the United States have long established it’s an all-or-none principle. If Christianity is allowed in, then the minority must be. If one is allowed, then the other is allowed.”
He told Fox: “Bill O’Reilly calls it a War on Christmas. I call it a war on Christians Privilege.
“Keep this in mind: The constitution isn’t about protecting the majority view… it’s about protecting the minority view.
“What’s more minority than a satanic diorama, or a Festivus pole made out of beer cans for gay pride?”
The campaigner has his sights set on a number of other cities – with Arkansas and Missouri in his sights.
Watch the origin of Festivus below: