Now that we’ve moved on with our summer, perhaps the story for Pride Month 2023 was how so many corporations caved and put their LGBTQ-affirming merchandise back in the closet due to threats from conservatives.
It’s no coincidence that the people making bomb threats in the United States happen to support the man dropping bombs in the Ukraine. And even for the evangelicals who do not support making bomb threats, the arguments they use to exclude LGBTQ people from being seen anywhere mirror the reasoning put forth by Putin.
No matter how hyperbolic potential headlines for this story may seem, the reality is that Pride month 2023 marked a consistent pattern of corporations across many different industries backing away from sharing kind messages toward LGBTQ people due to threats of violence from Christian nationalists who support Vladimir Putin, and who are attempting to advance Putin’s vision in the United States through Republican lawmakers.
While claiming they are the ones being excluded, conservative evangelicals are working to erase the presence of LGBTQ people at every turn. The message these Christians have for their LGBTQ neighbors is clear: You don’t deserve hugs and you don’t belong.