Thread by @CAntifascists

It’s time for a 🧵 on the man calling himself “socal parent advocates.” Ben Richards (aka Bryce Henson). We’ll go down some rabbit holes before bringing it back home to the Conejo Valley. Buckle up. 1/14

Ben was recently hosted by “Equivocation Eddy” on the @GodSpeakCCTO adjacent Bryce Eddy Show.” He spun a narrative almost identical to the story of Conejo Valley’s #hatedad
-just an everyday dad wanting to know what they’re teaching my kid. 2/14

In their conversation it quickly became clear their issues are driven by their extremist interpretations of the bible. They refer to LGBTQI people as evil, wicked, and demonic (a common Bryce Eddy theme).

Thanks to several allies in Southern California and beyond, we already know “Ben” is an alias and his story is a flaming crock of horse pucky.
Shoutout to @SkySpider_ @lunamothraa @SDAgainstFash @noesecarino 3/14

“Ben, Bryce, Richard… whoever has been posing as a “concerned father”since last year, addressing school board meetings and community events; “exposing, challenging, and resisting CRT, radical gender ideology, and vaccine/mask tyranny in socal schools.” 4/14

The reality is that “Ben” is attempting to build a coalition for the purpose of “flipping” school boards. On the surface, perfectly legal and democratic. However, this wolf in sheep’s clothing is networking with extremist groups directly tied to hate and racism. 5/14

In Santee, CA, during the manufactured Trans panic outrage at a YMCA, “Ben” showed up and was alongside Michael Forzano, various Proud Boys, and Bob Garland of American Guard. One member of this anti-LGBTQI “coalition” has a swastika tattoo. 6/14

“Ben’s” affiliation with members of American Guard are deeply troubling. American Guard is old-school hardcore white supremacy being rebranded and repackaged in order to mainstream and capitalize on the recent manufactured Trans panic campaign by the right. 7/14

You can read the entire ADL report on American Guard here: 8/14

adl.org/resources/blog…

And Unicorn Riot did an excellent report on the Santee, CA demonstration of hate against YMCA and our LGBTQI community members. (Don’t skip the update about Joshua Cantor getting arrested for literally grooming and sexually assaulting underage girls) 9/14 unicornriot.ninja/2023/anti-lgbt…

So back to the Conejo Valley, @GodSpeakCCTO , and Bryce Eddy. Once again, individuals with direct ties to hate groups are being platformed and invited into our community by the same actors. Delusional religious extremists who believe the LGBTQI community is evil. 10/14

Every extremist grifter, J6er, election denier, vaccine conspirator, Transphobe, III%’er, Proud Boy, and Christian nationalist that came to the Conejo Valley in the past 3-4 years has done so by invitation and was platformed by @GodSpeakCCTO and the Bryce Eddy show. 11/14

Despite the claim that all this extremism and hate is justified in the name of God and for the protection of children. Both @GodSpeakCCTO and Bryce Eddy have platformed, validated, and allowed an actual convicted child sex offender to lie about his crimes. 12/14

And the wife of a man who sexually assaulted teen boys while a pastor was a @GodSpeakCCTO nursery director and has been attempting to run “good news clubs” at local middle schools. 13/14

Conejo Valley remains a community that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are united with allies throughout all SoCal to stand together against hate, extremism and any actor who attempts to hide their bigotry and hate. We see you. 14/14

Bonus clip for those who kept reading: The Bryce Eddy Show “concerned father” guest Ben Richards (aka Bryce Henson) chanting the proudboy slogan “fuck antifa.” and calling pro-LGBTQI activists “pussy ass pedophiles.”