From celebrities embracing their sexuality to Duolingo making a shocking decision, the first week of Pride Month has been full of interesting events. Catch back up here!
The Harsh Reality
Before Pride Month even officially started on June 1st, there were already anti-LGBTQ+ acts of harassment and vandalism.
Stolen Pride Flags
On May 27th, over 200 Pride flags went missing from the rotary in Carlisle Massachusetts as they prepared to celebrate the month.
Community Response
In response, the community banded together and had one of the biggest pride parades that the area had ever seen.
Methodist Church Vandalized
A Methodist Church in South Dakota that was a widely known safe space for the LGBTQ+ community to worship was vandalized at the start of the week.
Hateful Graffiti
The entry to the church was covered in deep red spray paint, with the word “ABOMINATION” and a bible verse condemning the community.
Inflammatory Rhetoric Continues
Inflammatory social media posts have cropped up across all platforms, written by both the average joe and high powered political groups.
A New Level
Since the beginning of the Pride celebrations, originally used to commemorate the Stonewall riots, the LGBTQ+ community has always faced hostility. But many argue that this year’s hostility has reached new levels, making many feel unsafe.
Double Edged Sword
Although the community has never been this large before, it seems that the more people embrace their sexual orientation, the louder and more violent the critics are.
A Frightening Warning
In response to public opinion and recent events, both the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have issued warnings that Pride events may be targeted by terrorists.
Russia Continues their Crackdown
Abroad, Russia has continued to crackdown on the LGBTQ+ community following their ban created in 2023.
Duolingo Language a Form of “Extremism”?
It seems like not even language apps are safe, as Moscow deemed their references to “non-traditional sexual relations” to be a form of “extremism”.
Duolingo Speaks Up
Following the backlash, Duolingo removed all language that could be considered LGBTQ+ friendly but not without comment.
“We support LGBTQ+ Rights” But…
A Duolingo spokesperson said, “We support LGBTQ+ rights and believe in normalizing LGBTQ+ representation in our content,” continuing, “Unfortunately, local laws prohibit us from including certain content in Russia. Duolingo’s mission is to expand access to quality education around the world and we’re committed to maintaining access to our product everywhere that is legal to do so.”
Fighting Back
The LGBTQ+ community has never been one to sit back and let the hate stop them from celebrating their own journeys.
Focusing on the Positive
That being said, there has been quite a lot to celebrate in week one of Pride. So let’s jump into the good news!
“You are Worth it”
Beloved American actress Sophia Bush celebrated her first Pride, saying, “You are perfect. No matter how long it might take, you’ll find your people. They will help you find more and more of yourself. It’s worth it. You’re worth it.”
Pansexual Monkeys, you Ask?
Movie lovers rejoiced when the new Peacock documentary “Queer Planet” showcased that the animal kingdom might not be as heterosexual as the more conservative population thinks.
Target’s Pride Line
Target’s infamous Pride line was quick to sell out as both allies and members of the community buy out their merchandise.
Queer Friendly Films
Tribeca Film Fest features an entire LGBTQ+ program, showcasing movies and documentaries honoring queer heroes and their stories (both fiction and non-fiction).
Advocating for the Youth
This month has also shown an increase in LGBTQ+ friendly programs announced and advertised, especially for queer youth.
Off to Summer Camp!
New summer camps and youth organizations are popping up all over the country to help support the younger community and their needs.
A Unified Front
While it is important to recognize that the LGBTQ+ community is facing unprecedented hostility, they also remain a unified front against hate.
Cheers!
Pride is a month to celebrate not only ourselves, but how far we have all come as a group. Cheers to the next three weeks!
The post Pride and Prejudice: How Anti-LGBTQ+ Acts Are Casting a Shadow Over Celebration Month first appeared on Pulse of Pride.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / MOZCO Mateusz Szymanski.
