It’s Not Over Until It’s Over, But Pride Month Needs To Be Over

Under any circumstances, they are definitely alternative lifestyles and truthfully do not deserve to be celebrated for an entire month of the year or even a week. Thousands of things are more deserving of special attention than the sexual preference choices of a minute portion of the population and an even smaller group of reality deniers.

Fortunately, this year has seen a greatly diminished sense of enthusiasm for this farce. Fewer commercials, less “special programming,” and much less corporate support and involvement. However, those changes still aren’t good enough. The entire “Pride Month” moniker needs to go away, and with it all of the zealots that endorse this nonsense.

One reason a stake needs to be driven through the heart of this insanity is what happened in Atlanta recently. Four Georgia teenagers could face up to 13 years in prison for vandalizing gay pride flags that were displayed in Atlanta. The teens destroyed the flags located on a gay pride crosswalk in the midtown area of the city.

Police said they are searching for two additional suspects who used knives to slash several rainbow-colored flags at Blakes on the Park. The teens were charged with obstruction, criminal damage to property, conspiracy, and prowling. And they could face hate crime charges, too.

"Regarding whether it will be classified as a hate crime, the investigation is still ongoing. We are exploring all possibilities concerning how that charge may be applied," said Atlanta police Sgt. Brandon Hayes during a news conference on Tuesday.

In June 2020, Georgia enacted a hate crime law that enhances penalties for crimes motivated by a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Under this law, a misdemeanor offense can incur an additional penalty of six to twelve months in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. For felony offenses, perpetrators can face an additional two to twelve years in prison.

What is disgusting about this “Hate Crime Law” is that it would have been perfectly fine if they had hacked up and burned an American flag. Apparently, in Atlanta and far too many other places in the country, these types of actions, which are considered “hate,” aren’t done out of hatred at all. They are a result of fatigue with an issue that has been constantly jammed down the public’s throat. However, they are still considered more damaging than showing total disgust for the very country you live in, which is beyond ridiculous.

The argument that these were not their flags and were owned by others doesn’t hold water either. We have all seen American flags torn down from corporate buildings, universities, and even federal buildings that are burned and destroyed, and the perpetrators received no consequences at all.

Candace Stanciel, the chief equity officer of Atlanta, told WABE that the incident was “the antithesis of who we are as a community.”

“Our Rainbow Crosswalk is a symbol for inclusion and freedom, giving the LGBTQ+ community a tangible place for fellowship, celebration, and a sense of belonging. Anyone who tries to disrupt these ideals or spread hate of any kind will be held accountable.”

Atlanta Pride condemned the desecration of the flag in a statement to Fox 5.

“Atlanta Pride condemns the vandalism of Pride flags outside Blake’s on the Park, a long-standing LGBTQ+ establishment in Midtown. This was a targeted act intended to harm and intimidate our community.”

“As we prepare to celebrate 55 years of Atlanta Pride this October, under the theme 'Rooted in Resistance,’ we remain focused on safety, visibility, and solidarity. Incidents like this remind us that the fight for dignity, equality, and respect continues.”

“We are grateful to the community member who reported the incident and to the Atlanta Police Department for their swift response. We support full accountability for those responsible. In today’s world, it is more important than ever to reach across differences and help others understand who we are. We want to see love and respect for the LGBTQ+ community — and we know that starts with extending those same values outward. Atlanta Pride invites the individuals involved and others seeking to learn to attend this year’s Festival and experience the strength, diversity, and humanity of our community.”

“We will always stand strong together.”

Nice speech, but the fact of the matter is that in no way was destroying those flags done out of hatred. Disgust and fatigue, definitely, but not hatred. No one condones vandalism, and these boys should be punished for this display of stupidity, but this is more of a prank, and this is NOT a hate crime.

Pride month needs to fade away totally. It gives these LGBTQ zealots a platform to spread their perversions and to intimidate city officials into thinking that any action against them needs to be severely punished.

Again, no one condones vandalism, but let's keep this in perspective. A few rainbow flags were destroyed. Nobody was hurt, and the flags can be replaced. These are the same snowflakes who think nothing of vandalizing buildings with graffiti or standing in the middle of public roadways to protest.

Wake up, Atlanta. Punishing these kids for anything more than a simple misdemeanor would represent a real crime. The fact that anyone would even consider it is buoyed by public displays like “Pride month.”

It’s time for the entire country to make it clear that this fiasco of a celebration is causing division and nothing more. It’s time to take Pride in dismantling this hoax.