PetSmart staff refuse to take down pride flag after protest from anti-LGBTQ Kari Lake supporter
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- PetSmart employees refused to take down a pride flag in the face of a vlogger's protest.
- Ethan Schmidt-Crockett claimed the flag was the "rainbow of Satan" but was told to leave the store.
- He has previously filmed himself vowing to "hunt LGBTQ supporters."
The manager of a PetSmart store refused to take down an LGBTQ+ flag as a notorious vlogger videoed his confrontation with them.
A video filmed by Ethan Schmidt-Crockett, who previously said he would "hunt LGBT supporters", shows the provocateur challenging the employee about the pride flag above a checkout counter.
—PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) July 22, 2022
Schmidt-Crockett told staff that they supported "pedophilia and child sexualization" by displaying the flag, saying he was "very offended and would like it to be taken down." He also described it as "the rainbow of Satan."
During the two-minute video, which has been viewed more than 2 million times, he was asked to leave by a manager who said "we are supportive of LGBTQ+ people here."
After being repeatedly asked to leave, and incorrectly calling the store Petco, another PetSmart employee said he would call the police and asked Schmidt to stop filming.
"We're going to have the pride flag up. We have it all over the store," the employee said, before correcting Schmidt-Crockett that he was in PetSmart, not Petco.
Schmidt-Crockett has become notorious as a right-wing provocateur. During pride month in June, he said he planned to "hunt LGBT supporters" across Phoenix, Arizona, particularly at Target stores because of the retailer's support for LGBTQIA+ rights.
He previously filmed himself saying he loves "harassing cancer patients because they're weak and vulnerable," and people wearing masks.
Schmidt-Crockett has also videoed himself appearing alongside Kari Lake, a Trump-endorsed candidate for Arizona governor, asking if she was part of the "anti-maskers club" – a campaign started by Schmidt-Crockett which raised $930 from a $10,000 target.
A PetSmart spokesperson told Insider: "At PetSmart we strive to create an environment where every associate feels like they truly belong. We are proud of our associates who deescalated this situation and reinforced our commitment to belonging."
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