Gay hell
Gay Hell: US town re-named to protest LGBT flag ban
Welcome to Gay Hell, Michigan. A tiny town with a recent name and a recent owner.
YouTuber Elijah Daniel, 25, is making waves on social media this week after announcing that he's buying the small American town Hell and re-naming it for Pride Month.
Pride month celebrates the global LGBTQ+ community with a series of events and parades held annually throughout the month of June.
Calling the town Gay Hell is a protest against US President Donald Trump's ban on American embassies flying the rainbow flag, Mr Daniel told BBC News.
Known for his stunts, Mr Daniel said his latest action aims to "trick" his young audience, mostly 15 to year-olds, into paying attention to politics.
"The idea is they click my tweet and then see the news behind it. It's the way I get my audience interested," he explained.
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Everyone is welcome in Hell.
That's the slogan of the hamlet known as Hell, Michigan, and it became became a bit truer as comedian and rapper Elijah Daniel became the town's temporary "mayor."
He decorated Hell with pride flags Monday and renamed it "Gay Hell" after President Donald Trump barred U.S. embassies from the flying of pride flags during Pride Month.
"Ahead of pride month Trump's administration lay a ban on embassy's flying pride flags," Daniel tweeted, "so as of today, I am now the owner of Hell, Michigan. I bought the whole town. And my first act as owner, I have renamed my town to Gay Hell, MI. The only flags allowed to fly are pride."
The name Gay Hell is "kind of a pun in its own way," but it's true that everyone is welcome, said John Colone, who owns several businesses in Hell, including a wedding chapel and souvenir shop, and is considered its unofficial mayor.
MORE: Rapper says he bought Hell, Mich., turned it into 'Gay Hell'
Hell is an unincorporated hamlet in Putnam Tow
YouTuber's claim to 'Gay Hell,' Mich. to last 3 days — but still has big impact
Tourists and reporters descended on Hell, Michigan, on Tuesday, one day after rapper and comedian Elijah Daniel tweeted that he purchased it — and changed the name to "Gay Hell."
John Colone, a business owner and Hell's unofficial mayor, heard the same question over and over: Is this for real?
"It's just a joke, the whole thing," Colone told the Free Press. He noted that Daniel's "ownership" is only wonderful for three days.
But the stunt's impact may last longer. It was intended as a statement against the Trump administration not allowing embassies to fly pride flags during Pride Month, an annual celebration of the LGBTQ community. Daniel told the Washington Post he was hoping to motivate his young fan base to become politically involved.
In 24 hours, Daniel's original tweet — which included a photo of him with Colone — was liked , times and retweeted 59, ti
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