A tweet that has gone viral across social media platforms has us ready to tie-dye every garment we own.
The colorful post comes from a Twitter user named Brittany, who tweets under the handle @prideforMO and says she’s advocating for Missouri’s government to “include and protect our rights.” She wrote:
“I don’t wear [rainbow] items to tell you who’s in my bed. I wear [rainbow] and [trans pride colors] so the family across the street knows they are safe. So the couple in the restaurant know[s] they aren’t alone. So the boy who sees me notice him looking at dresses knows I won’t judge. I wear pride [because] you make them hide.”
Brittany’s post made a big splash on Twitter, with more than 450,000 views, more than 18,000 likes, and more than 5,000 retweets, plus props from actor Daniel Franzese and the Missouri Democratic Party LGBTQ+ Caucus.
And the post recently went viral in Reddit’s r/lgbt community, too, with more than 34,000 upvotes and more than 500 comments.
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Flying with Pride: A colorful guide to LGBTQ+ flags
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“Exactly!” one commenter wrote on that thread. “We’re signaling to the other people in our community. It’s saying, ‘I’m a safe person to be yourself around.’ And in my single days, my bi pride gear was also a signal that I was a safe person to flirt with, lmao.”
Another person commented, “This 100%. I work in a stereotypically straight-white-conservative-male-dominated industry. I wear pride bracelets not just for myself, but for anyone else who may feel intimidated.”
And a third person wrote, “This is why I wear my [Black Lives Matter] bracelet every day, too. My rainbow flag lets any LGBTQ peeps know there’s family in the hood. My BLM bracelet tells black people (any people of color, really) that I’m an ally. These symbols mean something, and I believe that every rainbow or BLM article of clothing or whatever makes an impact.”
Plus, now that it’s no longer Pride Month, retailers that actually stuck with their prideful merchandise this year—yeah, we got your number, Target—might be selling it at a discount!
Related*
With Pride Month over, gay guys share advice on navigating homophobia in today’s society
“Being more out than ever can only help.”
correctio
every once in a while I log back into this website just to remind myself that I really could not care less about stuff like this
mosm
and you even take time to share your lack of interest! how thoughtful!
Bosch
@correctio
You care an awful lot about not caring about this. Is that really any different?
PoetDaddy
Really, correctio, this kind of affected ennui is too juvenile to take seriously. Go play with your Barbies.
RIGay
I like the sentiment a lot. I think it all depends on what section of our toilet-stained country you live in. Here in the Northeast, no one bats an eye, but down South or the Southwest – just too many idiots in red hats feeling empowered to make trouble.
Tednm
Excuse me, but I live in New Mexico, the heart of the Southwest, and we are one of the bluest states in the country and very Queer friendly. Beware of making generalizations about places you don’t know about.
Thad
Although I wear my Pride-themed sports caps and tees fairly often, this makes me want to wear them even more.
cuteguy
Just so beautifully written
ShaverC
She’s just fear mongering, shame on her… but then again she gets her justice warrior points.
Bosch
Shame on you for complaining about people supporting eachother.
Shame on you for downplaying the importance of sending signals of acceptance and safety to young gays and lesbians.
Shame on you for agreeing with Candace Owen’s and Boebert’s comments about gay people.
Shame on you for not appreciating those who bleed for your right to exist.
Shame on you for being an injustice warrior.
Shame on you for being the second-worst person in these fora.
Rnick45
It is because of people like you that I wear mine. Please, I want you to come at me and leave others alone. I can handle myself as a proud veteran I wear mine so those on base do not feel alone and know they have an advocate. I want those moments when someone needs to make nasty remarks so I can take it and protect others, I walk out the door with my armor on and what bigots think does not hurt me. If I can save one person young or old from anyone’s abuse it makes it all worthwhile. I am proud of who I am, all of me, and if someone does not like it that is their problem.
ShaverC
Bosch, There is support and then there is alarmism. We do not live in a time, in North America, that gay people fear for our lives on a daily basis. Are there people who hate gays, absolutely, but in this day and age they either keep their mouths shut or ignore us. Let’s concentrate on actual crimes against gay people instead of making these broad statements that make it seem like it’s open season. And I absolutely appreciate those who fought for my right to exist, I don’t appreciate those who act like great progress has not been made.
Bosch
ShaverC, you know as well as I do that people are exposed to anti-gay messages every single day in your country.
God forbid people try to balance that with some pro-gay messages!
Shame on you.
ShaverC
Bosch, There aren’t as many “anti-gay messages” as you seem to think.
Bosch
I guess it’s just my imagination that the politicians of your republican party have made the LGBT demographic the scapegoat for everything wrong with America, and flood the air with their “anti-woke” campaigning.
Guess it’s my imagination that people are going around burning pride flags like angry terrorists.
Guess it’s my imagination that children get expelled for being gay or having gay parents in your first world country.
Guess it’s my imagination that your supreme court legalised discrimination on basis of sexual orientation.
Guess it’s my imagination that some politicians are making sure any mention of our existence is “inappropriate” for children.
Guess it was my imagination that you were here fear-mongering about drag queens (omg so dangerous), and then complaining about the supposed “alarmism” in this tweet.
You pretend to worry about the well-being of children; all these messages reach the ears and eyes of young gays and lesbians.
Any positive message helps.
But you wouldn’t know a thing about positive messages. We see what you write.
ShaverC
Bosch, No one cares what people do unless they feel it’s being pushed onto them or their kids. People can raise their children with their value system. You act like there’s a war out there but there isn’t, I think you need this in your life or else you have nothing left? Keep fighting a fight that was won years ago. Being “queer” is your entire identity but you’d probably become a happier person if you just live your life.
Bosch
“Being “queer” is your entire identity but you’d probably become a happier person if you just live your life.”
What a nonsensical hypothesis. Nothing about my identity has anything to do with my sexuality.
The fact that you don’t understand how these messages affect people means one of two things:
1) You have absolutely no emotional intelligence, and thus no empathy, further evidenced by all your other messages.
2) You’re not really gay and have no idea what it’s like to grow up as a socially and politically discriminated minority.
So you’re either dumb or a liar. Which one is it? Maybe a bit of both? Is it not a red flag to you that the only person who ends up agreeing with you here is a self-confessed homophobic troll?
You don’t appreciate supportive symbols, that’s your problem. Twisting them into something negative, well, that just makes you look like an a-hole.
Bosch
“Keep fighting a fight that was won years ago”
That progress is made does not mean that the battle is won. We rested on our laurels for a number of years, and now your supreme court passed a law that legalises discriminating against gay people.
You say there’s no war, that’s half right. The conservatives are fighting a war against gays, the gays are just defending themselves.
And you sometimes happily assist them in their war with your homophobic nonsense. Agreeing with Candace Owen’s generalisations about gay people as if that makes you look smart and masculine. It doesn’t. It makes you look like you have psychological issues.
Bosch
“No one cares what people do unless they feel it’s being pushed onto them or their kids”
If you were really gay, you would know that you can’t “push” a sexual orientation onto anyone. You’re a liar. You come here to stir sh!t and nothing else.
ShaverC
Bosch, I talking about her fear mongering, not about anyone wearing a rainbow pin. The alphabet mafia constantly complaining about how oppressed we are is backfiring. Live your life, you have all the rights everyone else does. Do you walk down the street and get constantly harassed by strangers for being gay? Are you not working because you’re gay? If someone burns a gay flag or throws a brick through a gay pub, and they’re caught, they’re charged. That’s justice. Making it seem that gay people can’t move or breathe without getting beaten, or we have to cower in our homes for fear of violence is absolutely fear mongering.
Bosch
“Making it seem that gay people can’t move or breathe without getting beaten, or we have to cower in our homes for fear of violence is absolutely fear mongering.”
No one is saying these things. No one but you.
Homophobes are spreading fear. Explicitly. Intentionally. And you parrot them. You agree with them.
This girl is counteracting it by spreading love. By showing support. By letting others know they’re not alone. That’s an important and powerful message for those who need it.
But you don’t give a crap about those who need it. You don’t see past your own nose.
ShaverC
Bosch, I’m looking at reality, you should as well.
Bosch
The reality is that she is not fearmongering, your heroes in the GOP are.
LegionKeign
When we moved into our house in florida 20 years ago, the first thing I did was put out my Pride Flag for just the same reasons.
Then Thank Goddess when we were able to finally move home to Connecticut, the first thing I did was put out my Pride Flag.
I especially wanted to make sure folks in our neighborhood knew that the 6′ 2″ fat bald guy with facial tatts was a big ol’ Gay because we have a couple of trumpers and I didn’t want anyone to think we were down with that filth.
GayEGO
Fortunately my husband and I lived in Massachusetts and got married in 2004. Unfortunately he passed away at the age of 88 after we were together 57 years. I am originally from Idaho so I decided to live in Massachusetts where I was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1963, one week before president Kennedy was assassinated. I met my husband when I was a flute player musician in the Navy on March 4th 1962, so I know what harassment is. But I followed the rule – Never mix business with pleasure and we lived the American Dream.
ShaverC
It sounds like a life well-lived.