Gala-vanting and Save Rodeo
Here's the latest dispatch.
Good morning,
For you newbies out there, welcome to Outsider on the Inside. I hope this dispatch from in and around the nation’s capital on underreported topics finds you well.
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Gala-vanting - IWF Style
On Wednesday, Independent Women’s Forum - where I serve as a Senior Fellow - held its annual Awards Gala at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C.
Hundreds of the Who’s Who in Washington, especially center-right circles, descended on the former Trump DC Hotel for a night of merriment and good cheer. A new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, was chosen hours before - so this also added to the excitement of evening festivities.
Our gala honored four individuals:
Woman of Valor: Miranda Devine, N.Y. Post Columnist and Investigative Journalist
Lifetime Achievement: Lynn Friess, philanthropist and wife of the late Foster Friess
Resilience: Chaya Raichik, creator of Libs of TikTok
Gentleman of Distinction: Enes Kantner Freedom, former NBA Basketball Player and human rights advocate
I saw many people on Wednesday, but wasn’t able to grab pictures with everyone. But I managed to see Townhall Editor & Fox News Contributor Katie Pavlich (who, along with her husband, happened to be my table mate that evening), 12X NCAA Champion & IWV Advisor Riley Gaines, and my new friend Cathy Holman (aka Prairie in Heels).
Save Rodeo from the Radical Left
The Far Left - ranging from elected Democrats to their preservationist environmental friends - are determined to ban rodeo events across the U.S.
On October 17th, 2023, the San Diego County Democratic Central Committee unanimously voted in favor of a resolution condemning an upcoming rodeo event scheduled for January 2024 at Petco Park. What’s their beef? The SDCDC equated rodeos to “animal torture devices.”
The San Diego Rodeo is tentatively scheduled for January 12-14, 2024, at the scenic ballpark in downtown San Diego.
“The San Diego County Democratic Central Committee condemns the plans of the Padres and City of San Diego to bring a rodeo to PETCO Park and encourages the San Diego City Council to immediately pass an ordinance banning animal torture devices used at rodeos,” the resolution read.
“Cute, innocent, docile farm animals should not be subjected to cruel treatment and torture devices used at rodeos!” Bryan Pease, the lead author of the resolution, wrote. “There has not been such a cruel event in the City of San Diego since the 1980s, and never before at PETCO Park.”
These attacks on rodeo events, however, aren’t new. These campaigns started to ramp up in the early 2000s. More recently, anti-rodeo efforts have materialized several hours north of America’s Finest City in Los Angeles.
Tuesday: Interview with House Agriculture Chairman G. T. Thompson
NEW: Madison Hughes Covers '“I Deserve a Drink” by Morgan Wallen
My very talented friend Madison Hughes, who frequently collaborates with me on video projects, just released her rendition of Morgan Wallen’s “I Deserve a Drink.”
The raw version of her cover went viral on TikTok and became a Trending Sound on Instagram. Here’s the Spotify version for your listening pleasure:
Fellowship Opportunities for Winter 2024
For freedom-minded women, I encourage you to apply for IWF’s Visiting Fellowship. Applications are due December 1st, 2023.
And if you’re a young professional aged 18 to 35 and want to jumpstart your media career/improve upon your skills, apply for the Young Voices Contributor Program due November 30th, 2023.
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—Gabriella