Anti-LGBTQ backlash rattles US pride events amid ‘climate of fear’
- Pride events have been cancelled or downgraded, especially in states where politicians want to curtail rights
- False claims linking the community to paedophilia and Satanism, amid other disinformation, have amassed across social media platforms
This month’s celebrations in Houston, the largest pride event in conservative Texas, have been scaled back due to rising insurance and security costs, as well as concerns over soaring temperatures and capacity.
“We made the decision to cancel the festival this year,” said Kendra Walker, president of Pride Houston 365, downgrading the plans to a parade.
The change was first announced in January as Texas lawmakers prepared bills restricting gender-affirming healthcare and drag performances. Now, pride planners across the US and Canada say they are facing higher bills because of anti-LGBTQ disinformation and hate.
“It only takes a few [people] that can’t decipher reality from fantasy, and that’s when the danger comes in,” Walker said, calling it “a formidable threat” and pointing to white supremacists who planned to riot at a pride event in Idaho last year.
Florida has become a hotspot, with Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican running for president, signing bills this spring banning youngsters from drag shows and restricting how they learn about the LGBTQ community.
“I didn’t realise there was going to be that much of a real shake-up,” said Carrie West, president of Tampa Pride, which in May cancelled an outdoor festival after some sponsors said they were worried about running afoul of the new laws.
The legislation, replicated in several other US states, also comes amid a torrent of anti-LGBTQ disinformation online.
