Thank you for your article covering Pride on South Padre Island on June 25. As your reporter noted, there were more than 80 vendors and the event was enjoyed by hundreds of individuals and families. Together with our major sponsors Walmart, Gilead, Walgreens, DHR Health, Trucha, Avita Health, T-Mobile and many others, Valley AIDS Council’s RGV Pride event raised more than $30,000, which will be used to support people living with HIV, support HIV prevention practices and education, and fund support for lesbian, gay and transgender youth in our community.
What your reporter failed to report is the regretful actions of the city of McAllen under Mayor Mayor Javier Villalobos, who willfully and surreptitiously canceled McAllen’s contract with Valley AIDS Council/ RGV Pride a mere few weeks before the event was scheduled to occur. Traditionally (before COVID), Pride is attended by thousands of people from across the Valley, and besides the funding provided by national corporate contributors there is significant recognition and economic prosperity brought to many local small businesses, especially restaurants, where celebrants spend their money and thousands of dollars are raised to support vital services to citizens living in McAllen, Harlingen, Brownsville and the entire RGV.
The hostility of the current McAllen administration toward this event is puzzling to me given the mayor’s purported goal of supporting local small businesses and the community.
Fortunately, South Padre Island and CameronCounty officials recognized the social and economic benefit of hosting Pride, and eagerly embraced our use of their wonderful new facility. We are now discussing making it the permanent home of RGV Pride, and may consider expanding the celebration to a two-day event, and to include a parade.
I thank the SPI/Cameron County officials for their inclusive support and look forward to a continuing relationship with them.
Note: The opinions stated herein are mine alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Valley AIDS Council
Russell I. Kassman
Community Outreach Committee, chair
Valley AIDS Council
McAllen
Trump-Putin
discussions
Now we know what Donald Trump was talking to Vladimir Putin about during those many off-the-record talks that Trump kept so secret and left the American people in the dark about.
They were discussing weakening and dismantling NATO to give Putin his wish of expanding Russia and creating a new SovietSocialistRepublic.
We saw how Trump spoke in a very forceful way about how NATO is weak and useless and not needed any more; do away with NATO. Trump was creating a clear pathway for Putin to have his way and take over the former USSR countries.
What other reason would Trump have for talking to Putin about NATO in secret?
Of course, this was a quid-pro-quo arrangement. Remember, Trump always wins.
I wonder what Trump wanted in return, perhaps guarantee of another presidential term. Only Russia could guarantee this. Russia did it before.
The devil works in evil mysterious ways always in the dark.
Arnoldo Gonzalez
Brownsville
