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After seeing their sunglasses on the faces of Proud Boys, the company decided to donate to causes fundamentally opposed to the hate group's mindset.
In reaction to seeing their sunglasses on the faces of members of the Proud Boys who were disrupting a drag fundraising event in North Carolina, the manufacturer has said it will donate money to LGBTQ-friendly causes.
Clad in their yellow and black colors, members of the far-right radical white supremacist group donned distinctive sunglasses outside an event in Sanford in images shared on Twitter last Sunday.
Protest photographer and astrophysics professor at Elon University Anthony Crider posted a series of photos showing the scene where these men stood to menace patrons and LGBTQ+ supporters.
\u201cSixteen Proud Boys have shown up in colors to protest a drag show brunch in Sanford, NC.\u201d— Anthony Crider (@Anthony Crider) 1667144434
On Monday afternoon, sunglasses manufacturer Pit Viper tweeted that the company had seen its products modeled by members of the hate group and indicated that the company stood firmly against extremism.
"Reminder: if you spread hate while wearing Pit Vipers, we will use your money to combat your efforts. #pitvipergivesafuck," the company tweeted alongside some of Crider's photos.
\u201cReminder: if you spread hate while wearing Pit Vipers, we will use your money to combat your efforts. #pitvipergivesafuck\u201d— Pit Viper (@Pit Viper) 1667239262
Included in Pit Viper's tweet was a receipt for a $200 donation to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremism and monitors hate groups like the far-right Proud Boy extremists.
The tweet was retweeted and liked thousands of times.
According to Raleigh NBC affiliate WRAL, the group had assembled to protest a Halloween drag event held to raise money for a local LGBTQ+ resource center.
The event organizer said she began receiving backlash after Chaya Raichik's Libs of TikTok account falsely claimed that there was a Satanist at the Halloween drag brunch.
The station reports that a group of about 16 Proud Boys, some of whom were wearing bulletproof vests, attended the event, along with pro-confederate protestors holding Bible verse signs.
Followers of Pit Viper's Twitter account praised the company for its stand against hatred, and many people indicated that while they may not have considered the brand in the past, they would not.
"Ngl pit vipers aren't my style, but I'm about to buy a pair just to support," one person wrote.
\u201c@PitViperShades Ngl pit vipers aren\u2019t my style but I\u2019m about to buy a pair just to support.\u201d— Pit Viper (@Pit Viper) 1667239262
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