CLERMONT, Fla. — A Clermont church is planning a "Make America Straight Again" conference just days after the three-year mark of the Pulse nightclub shooting.
The pastor of the Revival Baptist Church told Channel 9 that the congregation is receiving praise for the event from supporters, but said he's gotten some backlash over the timing of the event.
In preparation for the event, church leaders have reached out to the Lake County Sheriff's Office and asked if they could hire deputies to work security for the conference.
The Sheriff's Office later declined the request, telling Channel 9 in a statement:
The fact that the timing of this conference coincides with the three-year anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in nearby Orlando did not go unnoticed by our staff. We felt as though the timing of the conference is in poor taste.
"I was a little upset," the pastor said after being declined. "I was surprised because we (were) actually just asking for police presence just to deter any kind of violence."
The conference will run from Friday to Sunday.
The pastor told Channel 9 the church hired its own security.
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