VENICE, FL- Have no fear, parents or grandparents…they’re “not after your kids.” Or are they? We’ll take the latter. Do you think this is a recent thing, the grooming of your kids? Think again. We recently came across this story from 2022.
According to the Tampa Free Press, a city-supported pride festival in this southwestern Florida city sparked controversy when a game of ring toss at the “fun for all ages” event used replicas of male genitalia for the “post” on which the rings were to be tossed. This “game” was located in a section called “Kids Korner.”
The event was billed as community-oriented, “celebratory,” and fun for “all ages.”
According to X account Libs of TikTok, the ring toss game was sponsored by CAN Community Health, a nonprofit located in Sarasota. The organization has several locations, primarily in Florida but also in Texas, South Carolina, and Arizona.
“Did you know that rainbow dildo ring toss for kids was necessary for HIV prevention and treatment? Neither did we!” Libs of TikTok posted.
The account noted that such sex toys were also part of a CAN Community Health display at a similar event in Phoenix.
The Blaze posted pictures of a drag queen and other performers singing at the festival. Some showed two men wearing only their underwear briefs and stiletto heels at a “fun for all ages” event.
Despite the city of Venice owning the downtown park where the venue was held and actively promoting the festival on its website, city officials attempted to distance themselves from the debauchery on city-owned property.
WWSB, the local ABC affiliate, noted that several city officials posted a series of tweets insisting the festival “was not a city-sponsored or hosted event.”
In a statement, Venice officials wrote:
“The City was very disappointed to learn that some of the actual event activities did not align with the approved event description. The City of Venice was not informed of and did not approve the details of these activities,” the statement said.
According to a CAN spokesman who issued a statement to WWSB, he claimed the dildo display “was meant as an icebreaker to discuss safe-sex practices.” Because that is a priority for children in something called the “Kids Korner.”
“Roger Capote, CAN’s vice president of marketing, also told ABC7 his organization did not know the event was being billed as ‘family-friendly.’ Had they known that they would have brought a different activity to display,” WWSB noted.
So, let’s look at this again. There was a section called the “Kids Korner,” and CAN claimed they didn’t know it was being billed as a “family-friendly” event?
“We apologize for any way that it was misconstrued,” Capote added.
“Unfortunately, there are a lot of false accusations being made out in the community of what we were doing, but the activities we do provide and the services we provide are geared toward adults.”
In their post, Libs of TikTok said what most conservatives, especially those who were opposed to gay marriage in the first place, did.
“It started out with freedom to love whomever you wanted. ‘Love is love.’ Then, it was more ‘representation’ and half-naked kink parades. Now it’s drag queen story hour in elementary schools, kid drag shows, and dildo ring toss. We’re so far down the slippery slope. Are we finally allowed to call this grooming?”
One X user with the account name Alexandria Brown slammed the display, speaking as a self-described “queer.”
“As an Official Queer, let me clear this up. It is inappropriate to sell sex toys at an event where children will be. It is super inappropriate to have a ring toss into a dildo. You’re welcome.”
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