Caffeinated Politics

Nothing should surprise me anymore. And yet…..

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) declared June “Fidelity Month” yesterday to celebrate “Cultivating fidelity to God, family, community, and country.” Sanders then shared a Daily Wire story explaining that she made this declaration specifically for the purpose of “Counter-Programming Pride Month.”

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed a proclamation last week declaring June “Strong Families Month.” The proclamation makes it clear that “strong families” do not include families headed by same-sex couples: “Homes led by stable parents, a father and a mother, provide children with the structure and discipline necessary to succeed.”

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) copied Tennessee’s wording and designated June “Nuclear Family Month” yesterday, saying that families “consisting of one husband, one wife, and any biological, adopted, or fostered children” are “God’s design for the family structure.”

And in Utah, Gov. Spencer Cox (R) declared last week that June is “Fidelity Month” and says that the U.S. Constitution was “made only for moral and religious people.”

Well, right on cue, some Southern and conservative governors decide it’s the perfect moment to play semantic euphemism dodgeball with Gay Pride Month. Any term they can coin to avoid acknowledging that LGBTQ people exist. It’s political cowardice dressed up as crackpot cultural guardianship. But let me be very clear. Those who do such things aren’t offering an alternative; they’re sending a message. And the message is unmistakable. Being gay is bad, and something to hide and not support in any way.

This tactic hits the hardest in the places where visibility is already scarce—rural red counties, small towns, conservative enclaves where coming out can still cost a young person their friends, their church, their family, or their safety and even their life. When a governor refuses to acknowledge Pride Month, they’re not just making a symbolic gesture. They’re telling a gay or trans teenager in a farm town that the statehouse won’t stand with them. They’re telling a kid who’s terrified to say the words out loud about her/her sexuality or gender that their identity is something shameful, something optional enough to be renamed out of existence. That’s not leadership. That’s abandonment. That is utter and complete manure.

A vast percentage of the nation understands that being gay is not a disorder, not a deviation, not a moral failing. Every major medical, psychological, and scientific institution has affirmed this for decades. This is not an issue to be managed by absurdly rebranding a month on the calendar to make conservatives feel better about their bigotry. What these Republican governors have done is dangerous and feeds stigma. It emboldens bullies. It isolates the very people who most need to know they’re not alone.

What is galling to see is that these professed Christians are punching down, and it is the youth and teenagers who feel the blows. The very group I always call out for our collective care and attention to when it comes to advocating for gay rights. For this demographic, Pride Month can be a lifeline, especially for teens in red states and rural communities who feel like they’re the only LGBTQ+ person for a hundred miles in any direction. The visibility alone of a rainbow flag in a storefront, national conversations about creating a better future, TV coverage about gay lives and public policy, and online celebrations all send a needed message that cuts through the isolation. And the hate. Gay youth need to know they are not alone, and they have advocates everywhere.

I grew up in a time when things were starting to change, but not fast enough. I can write from firsthand experience about why there is a need for Pride Month. No one should be told to hide, to shrink off, or simply disappear. That is why in Wisconsin, we have so much to be optimistic about, as Governor Tony Evers again was at a ceremony, where the Pride Flag was raised over the State Capitol. People see this news coverage statewide, and young people can see a future where they can claim their place and live life authentically.

Finally, if the conservatives want to talk about family, fine. Support the families who are raising LGBTQ kids. If they want to talk about patriotism, fine. Recognize the LGBTQ Americans who have served, fought, and died for their country. Data shows that LGBTQ+ youth in rural areas report higher rates of isolation but also say that representation and visibility significantly improve their sense of belonging. So do not denigrate Pride Month, especially if you want to proclaim yourself as pro-family.