Homophobic Trump supporters drowned out by defiant queer man playing The Greatest Showman on his violin
Stephen Neil played “This is Me” from The Greatest Showman to drown out the homophobic Trump supporters. (stephenneilmusic/ Instagram)
When Trump supporters started hurling homophobic slurs through a megaphone in the “gayest city in Florida” on election night, a queer man pulled out his violin to drown them out with The Greatest Showman soundtrack.
As election night began to unfold on 3 November, a group of homophobic Trump supporters headed to Florida gaybourhood Wilton Manors with a megaphone to heckle the LGBT+ community.
Stephen Neil, an acoustic and electric violinist, began filming the group and broadcasting it via Facebook Live from a building on Wilton Drive, the main street in Wilton manors.
“This is what Trump supporters look like making an a** out of themselves. They’re saying ‘Biden hates gays’, they’re calling us ‘faggots’ and ‘p***y lickers’.
“This is, unfortunately, what it’s like to drink the Kool Aid… These [people] are why we need a change in our country right now.”
Neil said that he had called the police, who reported that they had received several calls about the homophobic Trump supports, and as he was filming they arrived to “monitor” the situation.
The queer violinist decided to go down to the street to film what was taking place.
“I’m going to be by the police, he said, “just so that nothing happens… but I do want to give everyone a closer view of what Trump has done to America, and why we so clearly need a Biden victory.”
As the homophobes continued to shout that LGBT+ people were “faggots”, Neil said: “If this is what making America great is, you can count me out. I’m not going to be a part of this. It’s honestly awful. It tells you that America is in a really sad place as a country.”
But Neil told CBS Miami that he “decided the best way to combat hate is with a message of love”.
He pulled out his violin, and began to play, drowning out the homophobic Trump supporters. He chose “This is Me” from The Greatest Showman soundtrack, which he felt was “fitting”.
“This is who we are. We accept each other, we even accept them,” he said.
Eventually, the protestors dispersed. Neil added: “I just thought it was fitting to show them that we’re not going to stand down in the face of adversity. We’re going to push back but in a kind and loving way.”
