Republican-led US states are rebranding June as 'fidelity month' or 'nuclear family month', in what critics see as a backlash against LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations. Governors in Indiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Utah, and Arkansas have issued proclamations for alternative labels, with Alabama's Kay Ivey declaring that homes led by a father and mother provide children with necessary structure.
The proclamations do not explicitly replace Pride month, but the message is clear. Josh Coleman, president of Central Alabama Pride, said the events will continue unaffected, noting that Pride started to ensure community visibility. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders posted on X that her state is 'counter-programming Pride Month'.
Conservative groups, led by Princeton professor Robert P George, are pushing 'fidelity month' in at least four other states. George argued that 'nobody gets a monopoly on a particular day or month'. Meanwhile, Pride celebrations, which began after the 1969 Stonewall uprising, continue worldwide.
Jordan Braxton of USA Prides said, 'You can call it whatever you want, but one thing you’re not going to do is take away our pride or take away our joy.' A recent poll shows a flattening in acceptance of same-sex marriage, driven by increased Republican opposition.
