“Punch Them In The Nose!” – Don Lemon’s Advice To Queer People Is Going Viral
Don Lemon is not backing down. The openly gay journalist, who was arrested by federal agents in January after covering anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis, took the stage at the 37th annual GLAAD Media Awards in Beverly Hills on 6 March with a direct message for the LGBTQIA+ community: stop being afraid.
Stand up, and don’t flinch
In an interview with Out at the ceremony, Lemon kept it simple. “Don’t be afraid! They want you to be afraid,” he said. “The way that you combat a bully is to stand up to them. The metaphorical thing is to punch them in the nose. If someone is trying to intimidate you, you have to take a stand and show them you’re not afraid.”
It was his first major public appearance since the arrest. And he used it to do exactly what he’s been doing all year: push back.
What happened in Minneapolis
Lemon was taken into custody on 30 January by the FBI and Homeland Security agents while he was in Los Angeles covering the Grammy Awards. The charges stem from his coverage of an 18 January protest at Cities Church in St Paul, Minnesota, where demonstrators disrupted a service. The church’s pastor, David Easterwood, also serves as the acting head of a local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office.
Federal prosecutors accused Lemon and eight co-defendants of conspiracy and interfering with the religious freedom of churchgoers under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. All have pleaded not guilty. Since then, 30 more people have been charged in a superseding indictment.
Lemon has maintained that he was there as a journalist, not an activist. His legal team has argued the prosecution is politically motivated, pointing out that a magistrate judge initially rejected arrest warrants against the journalists for lack of probable cause.
‘I’m just doing what I believe is right’
During his GLAAD speech, Lemon thanked CEO Sarah Kate Ellis and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) for supporting him. He also called out what he sees as growing authoritarianism. “We are living through a moment where authoritarianism isn’t theoretical, it’s personal,” he told the audience. “Use your voice. Use whatever platform you have. Refuse to be overwhelmed. Refuse to be burnt out. Refuse to be intimidated.”
When asked about the praise he’s received, Lemon brushed it off in his interview with Out. “I know that folks think I’m brave. I don’t know what that means. I’m just doing what I believe is right.”
The 37th GLAAD Media Awards, hosted by Mean Girls actor Jonathan Bennett and featuring a surprise appearance from Liza Minnelli, will stream on Hulu from 21 March.
