The notion that children need to be "saved" from the queer community is false and a way to draw people into the movement, according to an ADL and GLAAD expert.

Able Shepherd denied any involvement with the protest and said members were not there on behalf of the company.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — The PrideFest was designed to be a day of community-building for the queer community at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Before the drag show portion began Saturday, dozens of people stood and revealed T-shirts with “stand to protect children” on the front and “Jesus loves you (and I do too)” on the back.

Sarah Moore, anti-LGBTQ+ extremism analyst for the Anti-Defamation League and GLAAD, said the demonstration aligns with the nationwide trend she has seen.

“There is a persistent theme in which individuals will claim that they are protecting the children or trying to save the children and are using this as sort of a justification to go after the queer community,” Moore said.

>Video above: Tactical group whose members protested at Dougco's PrideFest no longer working with at least one local law enforcement agency

She said the theme has historical roots and traces back to the Anita Bryant “State of the Children” campaign that began in 1977. Moore said the idea that people recruit others to “save” kids draws people into the movement, but actually looking into the rhetoric shows it has more sinister intentions.

Protestors block view of stage before Douglas County PrideFest family-friendly drag show.

“When you actually look at what these folks are advocating for, especially in the anti-LGBTQ+ space, you can see that what they're doing is instead trying to demonize the LGBTQ+ community or push these baseless lies that the LGBTQ+ community is somehow trying to coerce kids into becoming gay or trying to groom kids or sexualize kids,” she said.

Moore said there’s no way to force someone into being gay and there’s no reality to these claims.

A deputy also found the word “groomer” spray-painted on a building at the fairgrounds on the morning of the protest, according to Deborah Takahara, public information director for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO). It is unclear whether it was connected to the protest.

Douglas County deputies investigating bias-motivated vandalism at fairgrounds

'Very intimidating presence'

Brittaney Campbell was a volunteer and attendee at PrideFest and said it was an amazing day before the protesters made their display. Videos show demonstrators spread throughout the venue, standing silently with their backs to the stage.

“It was just a very intimidating presence,” she said. “That made a lot of people very fearful.”

The protest lasted about 40 minutes before the protesters left. Campbell said it should not have gone that long and thought law enforcement should have stepped in.

“At some point, the police officer should have said, ‘You know what? This has gone on for too long,” she said. “You know, ‘This is not OK.’ There were children crying. There were people leaving. You know, it's gone on long enough.”

Takahara said deputies were prepared to step in but didn't because they were following the direction of the PrideFest's security team.

Michael Clarkson, volunteer chief of security for PrideFest, said DCSO was amazing to work with and that de-escalation was necessary because demonstrators had spread throughout the crowd.

“They were effectively using families and children as human shields,” he said. “Whether that was their intent or not, that put them in close enough proximity that if the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and Castle Rock Police Department had gone in with force to try to drag them out, it would've put families in harm's way.”

Outside the event, a group of people wearing the same uniform as white nationalist hate group Patriot Front lined up in protest. Clarkson said DCSO did a flawless job of keeping them out.

Able Shepherd was identified by Clarkson as the main group responsible for the protest inside the event. Clarkson said that he worked with the group's CEO, Jimmy Graham, to get them to leave.

The organization, which offers training on firearms, emergency preparedness and first aid, has previously worked with DCSO. Able Shepherd and DCSO hosted a joint training on Aug. 12 that was designed to prepare churches for a possible active shooter.

Graham and Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly recently appeared together on a podcast. Graham introduced Weekly as “a friend for quite a while now” when the sheriff was a guest on the podcast.

Graham did not return multiple requests for comment.

Jimmy Graham wearing Able Shepherds gear at the Douglas County PrideFest protest

Able Shepherd has had ties to law enforcement trainings across the state, 9NEWS learned. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office hosted the organization in early August. The organization was scheduled to be at a faith safety seminar on Aug. 31 hosted by Arapahoe County Sheriff, but will no longer participate according to the sheriff's department.

Before the event

Clarkson said that before the event, he sought the option to move known protesters outside before they could demonstrate but that Douglas County prevented this.

“We knew who the actors were, who [was] going to do this, and Douglas County would not allow us to block them from entering the event, claiming free speech, even though a free speech area where they could protest was already designated,” Clarkson said. “They required us to let them in and not respond.”

Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon told 9NEWS he was unaware of “any conversations that law-abiding members of the public would be excluded from the event.”

Laydon said there was not much they could do before the protest happened because demonstrators bought tickets to an event at a public venue.

“I think if PrideFest made the decision to limit entrance to particular groups, that would've been more challenging for them,” he said.

He said that protesters blocking the audience’s view was not OK and that he is glad both sides worked out a compromise, but he wished the protesters had stayed.

“I think when people from differing backgrounds that maybe don't support the LGBTQ community get a sense of what the performances can look like with their own eyes, it can really change hearts and minds,” he said.

Clarkson said he had message for the protesters: “If you can get past the hate and reach out to our community, you will be welcomed with love and that love can heal you because hate is a toxin for the person who feels it.”

Reach investigative reporter Zack Newman at 303-548-9044. You can also call or text securely on Signal through that same number. Email: zack.newman@9news.com. Call or text is preferred over email.More 9NEWS stories by Zack Newman:

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Advocates say PrideFest demonstration is part of national trend pushing 'baseless lies'