Welcome to Mobile, Alabama. The home of Mardi Gras, beautiful beaches, cultural diversity and the recent discovery of the last slave ship, the Clotilda. We are so very proud of these and so many other beauties that our City offers.

You would think with the diverse dynamic of our communities and welcoming nature that this would be one of the last places you would find racism, homophobia, transphobia and xenophobia, however, as we have seen over the past several years, there is still a group in our Port City that is not only producing such hate, but is doing so with the City of Mobile and the Mayors personal approval.

 

The Comic Cowboys was founded in 1884 by Dave Levi, a Mobile store owner. Since that induction, the Comic Cowboys have been known for their stirring of controversy. However, in recent years, the Comic Cowboys have officially crossed lines from satire into undeniable hate speech.

In 1965, Commissioner George McNally decried their "lewd, indecent posters." "And as long as he is police commissioner, he vowed, neither the Cowboys nor any other Mardi Gras group will ever publicly display such ‘vulgar signs again.’ McNally issued the statement after a large number of Mobile parents called City Hall complaining that their children had been subjected to indecent literature in the 10-unit Comic Cowboy parade.” 

in 1975, Mrs. Robert Walsh took concern by taking an ad out in the paper that read: “It is my opinion that the citizens of Mobile can do without the Comic Cowboys parade. This organization adds no color to the streets--only garbage. I realize that the Comic Cowboys have been a tradition in Mobile Mardi Gras for many years, but each year they are allowed to go on they seem to get worse, They talk about freedom of expression--why should decent people be forced to take their children and leave the streets of Mardi Gras when
this organization appears?”, we can see that even nearly 50 years ago, this organization was a black eye to the citizens of Mobile.

In 1976 the Rev. D.H. Edington Jr., minister of Spring Hill Presbyterian Church, stated it best and his words are even truer today, “

According to a post-parade report headlined “Restrictions faced by Comic Cowboys,” the matter came to the attention of city leaders. “The Rev. D.H. Edington Jr., minister of Spring Hill Presbyterian Church, asked the commission to refuse future parade permits to the Comic Cowboys 'unless you can obtain completely satisfactory assurances that ribaldry, the risqué and the obscene will not appear on our streets again. Finance Com. Gary A Greenough said he attended the Mardi Gras Day parades with his two daughters, ages 5 and 6, and was glad the girls couldn’t’ read. 'I don’t know if I can bring them many more years if things continue like that,' he said. ... 'In years gone by the Comic Cowboys provided in clean, clever humor a lampooning of various areas of our common life, such as politics, economics, sports, etc., which, I think, most of the populace took in the proper spirit of fun and amusement,' Rev. Edington wrote. 'In recent years there has begun to be a degeneracy in what has been presented by the Comic Cowboys parade until this year it reached the point where raw obscenity and cheap smut was paraded through the streets of Mobile under the guise of humor.'”

“Greenough and Acting Mayor Langan agreed that the Comic Cowboys parades are beginning to create serious problems.”

This past year (2022) and this year (2023) has seen some of the most significant increase in what can be described no other way than hate speech. A direct attack on the LGBTQUIA+ community. We are not shocked though. We should remind others that in 1984, the Comic Cowboys released the most vile PUBLICLY displayed signage yet concerning the AIDS epidemic at its height when so many were losing their live:

“According to a newspaper report, “Cowboys said, ‘Volunteers are Urgently Needed for AIDS Research. Contact Six Fags Over Georgia.'”

Yes, you read that correctly. 

There is a marker sanctioned by the city that celebrates and honors these Comic Cowboys that states the following:

”This marker commemorates the one hundredth anniversary of the founding in Mobile of the Comic Cowboys, a Mardi Gras society believed to be unique in all the world. For a century, it has annually fulfilled its mission by using the art of caricature, the finesse of satire and the devastation of outrageous slap-stick to amuse and inform the public of the human frailties of the people, the products and the politics affecting their lives...and always

"Without Malice"

This plaque is dedicated to the memory of the society's originator, founder and its first chief cowpoke, Dave Levi.

1884 1984”

“Without Malice”!?

We saw further AIDS insults with the following PUBLICLY displayed signage: 

"Guvenor Walla$$" had a "terminal case of aides," apparently a reference to some staffing issues. The Cowboys also noted "There are three things you can't get rid of: A condo at Gulf Shores, Providence Hospital, and AIDS."

For far too many years, this organization has plagued our city and for those same years, concerned, respectable and hard working citizens and community leaders have lodged their desire to have this group banned from future city activities. Our own mayor, Sandy Stimpson, in 2017 stated as a former Comic Cowboy, "I resigned because of the content this year," Stimpson said, speaking to reporters after a City Council meeting in which reactions to the Cowboys' Fat Tuesday parade were extensively discussed. (A majority of council members expressed personal objection to some of this year's floats). He went on to say, We're trying to create One Mobile. And even though to some, what they're trying to do may be humorous, to others it's very hurtful. And so, as the mayor, I can't afford to be associated with an association that is being divisive, so I tendered my resignation." Stimpson said he had quit following the parade.

That is our Mayor acknowledging the fact that this organization is hurtful to the citizens of Mobile and that he himself cannot be associated with them. So why is it that he continues to allow them to parade each and every year at what should be a family friendly event and instead displays lewd, sexually perverse, racist, homophobic, xenophobic and transphobic messages of hate? First amendment rights? No one is denying the rights of these paraders to express their feelings and to have their first amendment rights upheld by the constitution. However, the City does have the right to ban such groups and activities from City sponsored events and has a duty to protect and represent ALL of its citizens.

These representations are a direct reflection of how others will see our city, including that of major corporations who may choose to bring major business to the Port City. After realizing that the City continues to allow such activities to continue, they may be inclined to do business elsewhere. Our City is being damaged and harmed economically, culturally and socially by allowing the Comic Cowboys to continue to participate in City sponsored events. This is not a representation of the City of Mobile or a true reflection of its people.

Over 139 years later, this organization is allowed free rein over the City of Mobile. Last year, we saw the attack on our Trans community with a sign that read: “Tranny Swimmers dominate real girls…easy to do when you have a nice rudder” and this year we saw attacks on the entire LBGTQIA+ community, but was extended into what many agree is the most blatant and racist attack we have ever seen. They presented with a sign that stated: “Russia trades a carpet muncher for a grenade launcher” with a depiction of what can only best be described as Jim Crow age caricature!

We are demanding that Mayor Sandy Stimpson and the City Counsel, do not censor, but permanently ban the group known as the “Comic Cowboys” from any participation in city approved, tax payer funded events.

We also acknowledge the mayor and the city councils attempts to create “One Mobile” and that Mayor Stimpson has stated his vision is for Mobile to become the safest, most business and family friendly City in America and is driven by a desire to affect positive change in the life of each citizen. We stand with that vision and support those efforts and it is why we have brought this petition and effort forward to protect that vision.

Can we really say that this “positive change” for a “family friendly” city is reflected in such archaic, hate filled, racist, homo/xeno/trans phobic organizations such as the Comic Cowboys and that it is an accurate representation of the City of Mobile? I believe that we as a collective can agree that it not only does not represent the people of Mobile, but causes acute harm and damages the cities image and future growth, both economically, diversely and within our communities.

Enough is enough!

Ban the comic cowboys from any further participation in City approved functions.

Cordially:

C. Pichoff-DeLorca