THE FALL OF PRIDE

• Published in: First things (New York, N.Y.) pp. 1 - 3
• Main Author: Schmitz, Matthew
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Institute of Religion and Public Life 01.08.2024
• Subjects: Beer; Breweries; Gender-affirming care; Generation Z; Genocide; Marketing; Religious right; Riots; Same sex marriage; Social networks; Transgender persons; New York; United States > US; Chicago Illinois; Israel
• ISSN: 1047-5141; 1945-5097

August 2024 On June 2, 2024, protestors temporarily halted the Philly Pride Parade, They were not congregants of the Westboro Baptist Church or representatives of the Proud Boys but members of a group called Queers 4 Palestine, They held up a sign saying "No Pride in Genocide," As they explained in a statement on Instagram, they viewed the city's Pride parade as a symbol of oppression, not liberation: a "public-relations instrument used by the corporate arm of the state to divert public attention away from the configuration of violent, repressive policies and practices inflicted upon Queer people worldwide," The interruption was the latest sign of the challenges facing Pride, a monthlong holiday that has united corporations and activist groups, political leaders and self-styled dissidents in celebration not only of gay liberation but of queerness generally, After decades of increasing buy-in, Pride appears to be losing public legitimacy, The change is reflected in a corporate retreat from Pride-themed marketing, shifts in public opinion, and conflicts among progressive groups about the meaning of Pride. Kid Rock posted a video of himself shooting a case of the beer, Megyn Kelly compared drinking the beer to giving "a middle finger to women," Bud Light's sales declined by approximately 25 percent in a matter of weeks, Two executives associated with the Mulvaney promotion were placed on leave, Anheuser-Busch's chief marketing officer stepped aside. Bud Light, the top-selling beer in the U.S. for twenty-two years, was dethroned by Modelo Especial. Gay marriage has never been more secure, having been recognized as a constitutional right by the Supreme Court and enshrined in law by the 2022 Respect for Marriage Act.