This tweet will have you rethinking rainbow clothing

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.

Related:

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.”