Donate Now So You Can Install Rainbow Festivus Poles In Your State Capitol Building

By Elisa Meyer --
29 Nov 2015 --

The Humanity Fund’s LGBT campaign will put Rainbow Festivus Poles in State buildings.

The last two years saw Chaz Stevens, an activist from Florida, countering Nativity scenes put out in the Florida State Capitol building. He put out a display he made himself: an eight foot tall Festivus pole made of Pabst Blue Ribbon cans. The scheme certainly gets attention, but it also makes a point concerning how the American government acknowledges a few holidays but is loath to grant recognition to others. Stevens knows this and in 2015, he is upping the ante by installing a rainbow-colored Festivus pole to call for support of LGBT rights.

Stevens has also established Humanity Fund, an advocacy group which collects money to first create and then install a number of Festivus poles in the State Capitols all over the United States.

According to Stevens, in 2013, he felt that the religious symbols exhibited in the Florida State Capitol implied that a few viewpoints were endorsed by the state. He then decided to protest against this rights violation by forcing Florida to finally agree to display the Festivus Pole. The Pole was originally conceived on the TV show Seinfeld as a holiday decoration for those who don’t celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanzaa. The Festivus Pole will be given equal prominence with the menorah and the manger. This protest gained wide publicity during the holiday season and was an international sensation recognized on prominent shows like The Daily Show, The Colbert Report and Fox News among many others.

This is important as even after same-sex marriage was declared a constitutional right by the U.S. Supreme Court, the injustice continued to be present. According to Stevens, it was not possible for activists like him to linger on the sidelines as a few religious fanatics continue to deny individuals their dignity and basic human rights. One such example he cites was the despicable actions of Kim Davis along with her followers, who proudly danced around complying with American laws.

Put a #Festivus pole in your #State #capitol & help #LGBT rights! https://t.co/tl26doPqxi #Pennsylvania #Connecticut pic.twitter.com/68xDTVV7Tq
— Jerome McCollom (@HumanistPundit) November 25, 2015

To protest against such kind of harassment against the LGBT community, The Humanity Fund took the decision to advocate the cause further this year. The 2015 poles are wrapped in rainbow colors, signifying gay pride. These poles will be installed in state capitols across the country.

Chaz Stevens will not stop himself after the installation of Festivus Poles. He had since taken the decision to go a step further. He will start an Indiegogo project in the near future, promoting the cause and also offering Festivus Pole inspired merchandise.