Minnesota Independent

A new cultural phenomenon, the ‘glitterbomb’ hits anti-gay activists at state fair

By Andy Birkey | 09.06.11 | 8:55 am

The “glitterbombs” that have targeted Michele and Marcus Bachmann, Newt Gingrich and Tim Pawlenty were taken to the Minnesota State Fair on Saturday when Minnesota For Marriage, a group that opposes rights for same-sex couples, was showered with glitter from the fair’s Skyride. The glitterbomb phenomenon, homegrown in Minnesota, has also secured a place in pop culture. Fox’s hit show Glee is explicitly using the glitterbomb in its fall season promotional ads and the New York Times examined the phenomenon last week.

Bachmann’s clinic protested by dancing, glitter-throwing ‘barbarians’

By Andy Birkey | 08.26.11 | 12:31 pm

A flash mob at Bachmann & Associates, a Christian counseling clinic run by Michele Bachmann and her husband Marcus, protested the clinic’s acceptance of state and federal money Wednesday and poked fun at allegations that the clinic performs therapy to “cure” homosexuality. The mob, dressed as barbarians — a nod to one of Marcus’ comments about LGBT people — danced a choreographed routine to Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.”

Bachmann’s clinic gets glittered over ‘ex-gay’ therapy charges

By Andy Birkey | 07.21.11 | 11:42 am

Michele Bachmann’s Christian counseling clinic, Bachmann & Associates, became the fourth victim of the “glitterati” on Thursday morning after more than a dozen “barbarians” — to use a term clinic head Marcus Bachmann reportedly used for LGBT people — stormed the facility’s waiting room.

Sam Lane/Minnesota Independent: Michele Bachmann swarmed by media at RightOnline.

Bachmann gets rousing support, ‘glitterbomb’ at Minneapolis conservative conference

By Sam Lane | 06.20.11 | 7:30 am

A crowd of more than 1,200 that packed a ballroom at the Minneapolis Hilton Saturday morning erupted in cheers and applause when presidential hopeful and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann said, if she reaches the White House, she “will not sleep” until President Obama’s health care reform is repealed. As she left the stage, she was “glitter-bombed” by an activist who shouted, “You can run, but you can’t hide. Keep your hate out of our Constitution.”

Pawlenty gets ‘glitter-bombed’ in San Francisco

By Sam Lane | 06.16.11 | 3:36 pm

Republican presidential hopeful and fromer Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty was showered in glitter by two protesters outside an event in San Francisco today.

Newt Gingrich. Photo: Lauren Victoria Burke, WDCpix

Gingrich in Minneapolis: Government is redistributing wealth ‘to the insufficiently happy’

By James Sanna | 05.18.11 | 10:53 am

Mixing classic rightwing economics and Christianist populism, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told a rapt crowd in a Minneapolis hotel Tuesday night that “government is taking from the overly happy and redistributing to the insufficiently happy.” Gingrich was addressing the Minnesota Family Council’s Annual Dinner at the downtown Minneapolis Hilton Hotel, where he shared top billing with a prerecorded speech by Rep. Michelle Bachmann.